Postdoctoral Fellows
Michael Adams
Bio: Dr. Michael Adams joined WERL after completing a postdoc (2020-2024) in the Scalable Thermal Engineering Laboratory at Georgia Tech, where his work included solid-state thermal switching mechanisms, PCM-based thermal storage, and high-temperature thermal storage media for concentrated solar power systems. Prior to Georgia Tech, he received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2019) at The Ohio State University. His research in the Thermal Materials Laboratory was focused on thermoelectric transport phenomena in narrow-gap semiconductors, semimetals, and magnetic metals. He also investigated automotive waste heat recovery under a Ford-OSU research alliance program. Currently, Dr. Adams’ research efforts are centered on thermochemical energy storage, with applications spanning from thermal load shifting in buildings to high temperature reactions for grid-scale and industrial thermal storage.
Email: Michael Adams
Ph.D. Students
Erik Barbosa
Bio: Erik received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University in 2021. He conducted research in the Temperature, Energy and Material Properties (TEMP) Lab, where he developed a sensor to measure the thermal conductivity of molten salts using the transient hot wire method. Erik also did a summer research internship at Los Alamos National Lab, where he used multi-sensor collaborative sampling schemes to reconstruct mechanical system signals. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, where his research is focused on developing thermochemical energy storage to decarbonize heat for building applications. Erik is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Outside of research, Erik enjoys outdoor activities and playing video games.
Email: Erik Barbosa
Walter Parker
Bio: Walter received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Davis in 2018 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in 2020. At CMU, Walter worked in The Malen Laboratory where he designed and modeled a dynamic insulation that leverages the external environment to reach desired temperatures. In summer 2021, Walter was a GEM Fellow at the National Renewable Energy Lab, where he developed thermal models for building applications. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, with a research focus on thermally driven desalination systems for clean water production. Walter is a recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Walter’s hobbies include cooking and dancing (Salsa and Bachata).
Email: Walter Parker
Ahmed Mahfouz
Bio: Mahfouz received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMU-Q) in 2022. Mahfouz conducted research at the Micro Scale Thermo-Fluids (MSTF) Laboratory at TAMU-Q, where he worked on developing a blood-mimicking fluid for microchannel applications for medical instruments. He also conducted research on the fabrication of stainless-steel sintered parts via 3D printing using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Mahfouz also studied the impact of urban construction parameters on annual cooling load profiles of residential buildings through a sensitivity study based on the microclimate of Doha’s Marina district. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, with a research focus on desalination using thermally responsive ionic liquids.
Email: Ahmed Mahfouz
Jordan Kocher
Bio: Jordan received his B.S. (2017) and M.S. (2019) in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University, where he conducted research on thermal energy storage and thermo-responsive dehumidification cycles under Dr. Robert Wang. Jordan also interned at NASA, where he performed computational fluid dynamics simulations on the Orion spacecraft. Currently, Jordan’s research deals with a novel dehumidification and cooling cycle that uses lower critical solution temperature (LCST) mixtures. This work is in collaboration with the Scalable Thermal Engineering Lab (STEEL), with Dr. Shannon Yee as a co-advisor. Jordan is a recipient of the DOE’s Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship. When not reading through thermodynamics textbooks, Jordan can be found weight training, watching football, hiking, fishing, or taking a road trip in his 1965 Mustang.
Email: Jordan Kocher
Preston Bohm
Bio: Preston Bohm received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2020 and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2022, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His Masters research was focused on machine-learning optimization techniques for selective emitters in the Nanoscale Thermal Radiation Laboratory. Prior to that, Preston worked at the Advanced Technology division of Lockheed Martin’s space division, where he developed laser additive manufacturing technology as well as thermal and cryogenic testing strategies. Preston’s PhD research is focused on light-matter interactions, where he is investigating the photo-molecular effects associated with water evaporation with Dr. Zhuomin Zhang as a co-advisor. In his spare time, Preston enjoys mountaineering, caving, and chess.
Email: Preston Bohm
Madeline Morrell
Bio: Madeline received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Certificate in International Engineering, and Certificate in Engineering for Energy Sustainability from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023. She worked at the Solar Energy Lab (SEL) researching the effects of various nozzle geometries in multiphase flow applications. Madeline also worked at the Energy Transport & Conversion Laboratory where she assisted in designing a modular testing facility for thermophotovoltaics. As a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, her research focuses on thermochemical energy storage systems for decarbonizing buildings. Maddie is a recipient of the DOE’s Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship. When not in the lab or classroom, Madeline enjoys baking, dancing, and traveling.
Email: Madeline Morrell
Sadie Flagg
Bio: Sadie received her B.S. in Chemistry at High Point University in 2024. She conducted research in the laboratory of Dr. Brian Augustine, where she worked on controlling the micro and nanoporosity of thin poly(methyl methacrylate) films. During the summer of 2023, Sadie also participated in an REU at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the laboratory of Dr. Thuc-Quyen Nguyen where she worked on measuring ion transport utilizing scanning kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM). Currently, she is a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. Sadie can also be found baking, playing videogames, and painting.
Email: Sadie Flagg
M.S. Students
Elyssa Ferguson
Bio: Elyssa received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2020. She conducted summer research at Vanderbilt University in the Pint Lab, where she investigated cathode materials for magnesium-ion batteries. Elyssa also conducted summer research at the University of Chicago in the Jaeger Lab, where she studied the movement of macroscopic granular particles under stress for soft robotics applications. Currently, she is a GEM Fellow pursuing her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, with a research focus on developing sustainably engineered composites as building materials. Elyssa is a recipient of a fellowship from the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) at Georgia Tech. Elyssa’s hobbies include photography and dancing.
Email: Elyssa Ferguson
Michael Chen
Bio: Michael received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2023 from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He previously worked as an undergraduate assistant for Dr. Katherine Fu in the Engineering Design Research Lab (EDRL), and more recently served as an Undergraduate research assistant for WERL on lower critical solution temperature (LCST) mixtures. Currently, he is pursuing an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a research focus on recycled aluminum heat exchanger (HX) performance modeling and functional testing. Michael’s hobbies include cooking, video games, cosplay, and cycling.”
Email: Michael Chen
Robert (Jake) Churchill
Bio: Jake Churchill received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2023 from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a minor in Energy Systems. He previously worked under Dr. Rich Simmons at the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) and, separately, on the Georgia EnergyShed project, where he developed models to predict the impacts of future energy scenarios on Metro Atlanta. Currently, he is pursuing an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering while researching renewably-powered reverse osmosis desalination systems. He serves as a Teaching Assistant for Heat Transfer (ME 3345). When not running MATLAB code, Jake enjoys board games, mystery novels, and music.
Email: Robert J. Churchill
Nadia Zaleski
Bio: Nadia received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2022. She worked as an undergraduate for the Control Optimization Lab researching novel COVID-19 ventilator technologies under the “third-lung” project. Nadia also interned and worked for Heliogen where she analyzed components of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology including thermal energy storage systems and solar receivers. Currently, she is pursuing her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech with a research focus in waste heat recovery and workflow improvement in secondary aluminum manufacturing. In her free time, Nadia enjoys running and playing piano.
Email: Nadia Zaleski
Taekyu Kim (TK)
Bio: Taekyu (TK) received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and is a former South Korean army sergeant. TK worked at WERL as an undergrad, where he designed heat exchangers for the thermal desalination project. TK has also contributed to E-mobility collegiate competition teams such as EcoCAR, and he has worked at the Strategic Energy Institute. With an international background, TK hopes to develop sustainable infrastructure for water, heat, and mobility through his research in thermal storage during his time in graduate school.
Email: Taekyu Kim