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Current Team

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Wen Song

wensong@utexas.edu | CV | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

Wen is a George H. Fancher Assistant Professor of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin.  Her research focuses on understanding and leveraging the fundamental micro/nanoscale transport dynamics that dictate subsurface energy and environmental resources.  Her key contributions towards addressing the grand challenge of supplying reliable, sustainable energy to society include the development of the first operando visualization platform that allows in situ observation of reaction kinetics and reactive transport within nanoporous materials, and  pioneering the field of real-rock microfluidics to enable direct, real-time, pore-scale visualization of transport dynamics in micro/nanofluidic systems with representative geometric and chemical characteristics. Wen is a recipient of the NSF CAREER and ACS PRF DNI Awards.  She teaches PGE 383: Small-Scale Fluid Flow, PGE 323K: Reservoir Engineering I, and PGE 383: Geothermal and Sustainable Energy Resources.  Wen obtained her Ph.D. in Energy Resources Engineering and Ph.D. minor in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2019

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Sheila Gerardo

sheila.gerardo@utexas.edu | M.S./Ph.D. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

I am a third year M.S./Ph.D. student in petroleum engineering in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. My research focuses on the recovery of mineral resources from natural and industrial waste materials. Specifically, I develop and use novel micro/nanovisualization platforms to understand the fundamental geochemical processes that dictate the extraction and separation of critical minerals and rare earth elements. I completed my B.S. degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma in December 2018. Alongside research, I thoroughly enjoy serving my fellow peers and local communities. During the 2016-2017 academic year I served as the international liaison for the Society of Petroleum Engineers- OU Chapter, and I led the Oil and Gas Exploration track at the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth at OU in Fall 2018.

Related publications:

 

Recent Awards: 

  • Best Poster Award, Texas Materials Institute

  • Best Poster Award, UT Austin GAIN

  • Best Poster Award, DOE Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Symposium, 2022

  • TEX-E Fellow (Greentown/MIT), Class of 2022

  • Student Travel Award, 2021 AGU Fall Meeting, 2021

  • Best Poster Award, UT Energy Institute Student Research Competition, UT Austin, 2021

  • DOE Research Experience in Carbon Sequestration Tuition and Travel Grant, 2019

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Shunxiang Xia

sxia0312@utexas.edu | Ph.D. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

I am a first year PhD student in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. My current research focuses on developing a novel microscale platform to observe CO2 behavior in dolostones.  Prior to arriving at Austin, I earned a Master degree in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Houston and a PhD degree in Bioproduct and Biosystem Engineering at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I have wide research interests in the energy areas and have conducted several projects including carbon sequestration, pipeline assurance, and renewable energy production.

Related publications:

 

Recent Awards: 

  • Hildebrand Excellence Graduate Fellowship, 2020

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Mustafa Mehrem

mehrem@utexas.edu | Ph.D. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

 

I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. My research focuses on Hydrogen Storage. Prior to arriving at Austin, I earned my M.Sc. in petroleum engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy with a focus on numerical simulation of the subsidence caused by water exploitation. I also have three years of experience in drilling and well completions operations.

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Feras Alsheikh

feras21@utexas.edu | M.S. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

 

I am a first-year MSc student in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. I obtained my Bachelor's in Petroleum Engineering at Middle East Technical University with a minor in Earth Science. I also held two internships at Turkish Petroleum in the lab and in the field. I am interested in reservoir engineering as well as subsurface rock and fluid interactions. My goal is to expand my knowledge in those fields while carrying out effective research with this team.

BraydenPopica

Brayden Popica

bsp885@utexas.edu | B.S. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

I am a first-year B.S. student in petroleum engineering in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. I am interested in the research of unconventional fuels, hydrogen storage and renewable fuel sources. This is my first research experience. As part of the team, my goals are to gain experience in the research field of energy and petroleum engineering and further my knowledge on the industry’s future.

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Sophia Rojo

sophiarojo@utexas.edu | B.S. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

I am a fifth-year B.S. student in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. My main focus in oil and gas is reservoir engineering, but I became interested in research and the transition to renewable resources, and I recently began my minor in Sustainable Energy. This is my first research experience and I'm excited to help and learn as much as possible.

Ph.D. Students

David Fukuyama | 2022 | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

Gas transport and hydrate formation in porous media.

First job:​ Researcher at Sandia National Lab

Daniel Hatchell | 2022 | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

Understanding the stability of Pickering emulsions and foams by manipulating particle-particle and particle-interfacial forces with surface modification.

Artur Davletshin | 2023 | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

In Situ Visualization of Fluid Dynamics in Nanoporous Materials.

M.S. Students

Jack Strawson | LinkedIn

Nanoparticle-stabilized solvent capsules for targeted oil recovery.

Undergraduate & High School Students

Dan Moran | UT Austin | LinkedIn

Resource mapping of domestic minerals.

SURI research student, 2022 at UT Austin

Jack Strawson | UT Austin | LinkedIn

Numerical Modeling of Nanoparticle-Fluid Interactions.

SURI research student, 2020 at UT Austin

Jason Fan | UT Austin | LinkedIn

Particle Image Velocimetry in Microfluidic Systems.

SURI research student, 2020 at UT Austin

Hunter Harmuth | UT Austin | LinkedIn

Machine Learning-Based Image Processing of Geological Systems.

Undergraduate research student, 2020 at UT Austin

Jaehun (Eric) Yoon | UT Austin | LinkedIn

Spectroscopic Imaging of Chemical Species in Microfluidic devices.

Undergraduate research student, 2019 at UT Austin

Xuefei (Sophie) Zhao | UT Austin | LinkedIn

Undergraduate research student, 2019 at UT Austin

Emma Li | The Harker School

Fractal dimensions of fluid fingering in Hele-Shaw cells.

High School research student, 2018 at Stanford University

Raja Ramesh | Stanford University | LinkedIn

Nanofabrication of  micromodels for fluid-mineral interactions visualization.

Undergraduate research student, 2017 at Stanford University

Donnique Sherman | West Virginia University | LinkedIn

Low salinity brine-clay interactions in kaolinite-functionalized micromodels.    

SURGE Diversity Program Undergraduate research student, 2015 at Stanford University

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