
Current Team

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.

Artur Davletshin
davletshinar@utexas.edu | Ph.D. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn
I am a third year Ph.D. student in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. My research focuses on developing a novel visualization platform that enables direct, in situ observation of fluid-solid interactions in nanoporous materials. Prior to arriving at Austin, I earned my M.S. in materials science from Ufa State Aviation Technical University and M.S. in petroleum engineering from Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, Russia with a focus on numerical simulation of the usage chemical enhanced recovery methods in high-salinity water conditions. I also have four years of experience at the Research and Developing Institute LLC BashNIPIneft as a part of LLC Rosneft research complex, where I worked as an engineer in the Laboratory of Petrophysics, investigating complex clay materials.
Related publications:
Recent Awards:
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Third Place, GTX 2021 Datathon, 2021
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Best Poster Award, Graduate and Industry Networking Conference, UT Austin, 2021

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:
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Best Poster Award, DOE Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Symposium, 2022
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TEX-E Fellow (Greentown/MIT), Class of 2022
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Student Travel Award, 2021 AGU Fall Meeting, 2021
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Best Poster Award, UT Energy Institute Student Research Competition, UT Austin, 2021
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DOE Research Experience in Carbon Sequestration Tuition and Travel Grant, 2019

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:
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forthcoming.
Recent Awards:
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Hildebrand Excellence Graduate Fellowship, 2020

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.
Ph.D. Students
David Fukuyama | Google Scholar | LinkedIn
Gas transport and hydrate formation in porous media.
First job: Researcher at Sandia National Lab
Daniel Hatchell | Google Scholar | LinkedIn
Understanding the stability of Pickering emulsions and foams by manipulating particle-particle and particle-interfacial forces with surface modification.
M.S. Students
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