Team | Wen Song

Current Team

Wen Song

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

Wen is an Anadarko Assistant Professor of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. Her research focuses on understanding fundamental micro/nanoscale reactive transport mechanisms that underly the extraction and management of energy and environmental resources including critical minerals, CO2, and H2. Wen's key contributions include a suite of operando optical and electron microscopy platforms that enable the first in situ observation of reactions and mass transfer within micro/nanoporous geomaterials. These platforms, along with analytical geochemistry and fluid mechanics, have enabled the elucidation of coupled reaction and transport mechanisms at interfaces, including those controlling critical minerals recovery from ash wastes. Wen is a recipient of the NSF CAREER, ACS PRF DNI, and EAGE Arie van Weelden wards, and is a Scialog fellow in the areas of Negative Emissions Science and Sustainable Minerals, Metals and Materials. 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.

Zhenglong Li

zhenglong0525@utexas.edu | Postdoctoral Fellow | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment at UT Austin. My current project focuses on the lithium recovery from produced water. Before UT Austin, I obtained my Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of New Jersey Institute of Technology, where I specialized in preparing high-performance microelectrode microfluidic sensors and theoretical finite element analysis (FEA).

Sheila Gerardo

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

I am a 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, 2024
Best Poster Award, UT Austin GAIN, 2024
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

Shunxiang Xia

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

I am a 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

Mustafa Mehrem

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

I am a 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.

Yoonsu Na

yoonsuna@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. Prior to arriving at Austin, I earned my B.S. and M.S. in Earth Resource and Environmental Engineering from Hanyang University, Korea, with a focus on machine learning based proxy modeling. My research interests are in carbon mineralization and hydrogen production/storage.

Yihan Li

yihanli_026@utexas.edu | Ph.D. Student | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

I am a first year Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering at UT Austin. Prior to arriving at Austin, I earned my B.S. in chemistry at Fudan University, China and M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at Columbia University with a focus on energy materials. My current research focuses on recovery of mineral resources from natural and industrial waste materials.

Alex Zhurkevich

alex.zhurkevich@utexas.edu | M.S./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 geologic hydrogen storage. I earned my undergraduate degree in Russia at Saint-Petersburg Mining University. My final thesis was based on work with Gazprom STC LLC, where I investigated well shut-in operations in conditions of abnormally low pressure and cracked collectors.

Feras Alsheikh

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

I am a M.S. 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.

Recent Awards:

WAAIME Scholarship, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), 2024

Reem Alsuwaiyan

reemks@utexas.edu | B.S. Student | LinkedIn

I’m a fourth year B.S. student at the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at UT Austin. My previous research experience was in tertiary oil recovery, investigating phase behaviour in surfactant solutions. My current research areas of interest include hydrogen production and storage, enhanced oil recovery, and alternative fuels. I’m excited to contribute to the team and develop my knowledge and experience in the energy industry.

Isaac Ahonle

iahonle @utexas.edu | B.S. Student | LinkedIn

I am a third year undergraduate currently pursuing a B.S in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Energy. I hope to spend my career finding innovative ways to provide clean, sustainable, readily available energy. My research interests include geologic hydrogen, geothermal energy, CCUS, and nuclear energy.

Sara Al Lawati

sara.allawati@utexas.edu | B.S. Student | LinkedIn

I am a third year student currently pursuing a B.S in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering with a minor in International Business. Throughout my last two summer internships at Chevron, I’ve focused on asset development in different reservoir engineering functions. This summer, I worked on a carbon sequestration machine-learning based modeling platform and compared the outputs to traditional reservoir simulation results. I’m interested in CCUS projects, hydrogen processes, and reservoir engineering research.

Thomas Brigham

tdb2959@my.utexas.edu | B.S. Student | LinkedIn

I am a 3rd year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering with a minor in Sustainability at UT Austin. In my previous summer internships with Hilcorp, I have focused on reducing methane emissions through solar pneumatic chemical pumps and saltwater disposal well recompletion. On campus at UT Austin, I am the co-lead of the Direct Air Capture Team, an undergraduate-led team under the Negative Emissions Technology Project. I manage and operate as a subject expert for a group of students to build a carbon capture machine to operate in ambient air. We also participate in national competitions such as the Carbon Removal Challenge hosted by OpenAir. My research interests include geothermal energy, CCUS, hydrogen processes, and methane emissions tracking and reduction.