Kent Zheng, assistant professor, has been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science. He joined the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin in January of 2024 having completed postdoctoral research with Prof. Joe Checkelsky at MIT Physics Department.
As cited in Forbes, Kent Zheng is working on lithium-free batteries that are less toxic, more affordable and highly resilient. He has developed "textured electrodes" using zinc and aluminum to achieve high levels of battery rechargeability. His ongoing research efforts include exploring sustainable materials such as iron and water-based electrolytes for high-performance batteries that support environmental sustainability and societal needs.
As of December 2024, he has co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed research papers. He serves as an associate editor of Electrochemical Society’s ECS Advances and was recognized with the Early Career Award (2021) from the Electrodeposition Division of the Electrochemical Society. He received the silver medal in Chinese National Chemistry Olympiad in 2012, and is currently a coach with the American Chemical Society for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad.
To learn more about his research: Kent Zheng.
