PEOPLE
Associate Research Scientist
Dr. Hyung Chul Kim is an Associate Research Scientist of the Center for Life Cycle Analysis at Columbia University. He earned his B.S. and M.S.E. in Inorganic Materials Engineering at Seoul National University and Ph.D. in Natural Resources at the University of Michigan. Dr. Kim's research field touches upon life cycle analysis of automobiles, appliances, and electricity generation technologies focusing on the photovoltaic fuel cycles. His research experience also includes risks analysis, life cycle optimization, multi-objective analysis, and nano materials processing.
Junior Research Associates
Athanasios Bourtsalas started his MS-PhD work in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University in September 2008. He graduated from the University of Patras,Greece, with a BSc degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering (5-years degree).As a graduate student, Athanasios is a Junior Researcher in the Center of Life Cycle Analysis. His research interests include:
- Renewable Energy Resources, in particular photovoltaics and wind power.
- Health hazards related to nanotechnology
- Life Cycle Analysis
Jonathan Krones started his MS-PhD work in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University in September 2009. He graduated from MIT with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2007, using the subsequent year to work on an plug-in hybrid car project and teach a freshman course on experimental methods. His interests include:
- Solar energy
- Industrial ecology
- Common-pool resource management
- Brass-heavy funk music.
Thomas Nikolakakis is currently a M.Sc/PhD graduate student in the department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. He obtained his BS in Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece, where he graduated first in the class of 2007. In his undergraduate thesis he studied the fate and trasport of copper compounds in the ground. As a graduate student, Thomas is a Junior researcher in the Center of Life Cycle Analysis. His research interests include:
- Modeling of performance of Solar and Wind energy systems.
- Large scale energy storage in the form of compressed air (CAES).
- Life Cycle Analysis.
Rob Van Haaren started his MS-PhD work in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University in September 2008. He graduated from University of Technology of Eindhoven with a BSc degree in Innovation Sciences. His research interests include:
- Renewable Energy generation, in particular photovoltaics.
- Innovations in vehicle propulsion systems.
- Life Cycle Analysis
Marc Perez is currently a M.Sc/PhD graduate student in the department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. He was awarded the BS in Optical Engineering and the BA in Physics from the University of Rochester where he graduated with distinction in the class of 2006. Following his undergraduate diplomas, he spent three years in the solar industry as a project manager, designer and engineer for altPOWER-- the premier Building-Integrated Photovoltaics company in the U.S. As a graduate student, Marc is a Junior researcher in the Center of Life Cycle Analysis. His research aims to facilitate:
Harnessing the (vast) solar resource
- Novel PV technology and applications
- Energy storage technology large and small
distributed electricity generation & smart grid tech. - Intelligent use of finite resources,
cradle to cradle design philosophy - Inclusion of socio-environmental externalities in the cost of goods and services.
Visiting Junior Research Assistant
With a strong interest in renewable energy Sebastian Britting successfully pioneered a solar project in his hometown right after High school. To make his hobby a profession, he started studying Business Engineering with a focus on renewable energy at the University of Karlsruhe. As a visiting scholar at Columbia University he is writing his Diplom Thesis with the topic "implementing renewable energy effectively into the United States" to finish his degree. His research interests includes:
- Renewable energy potentials
- Feed in Tarrifs
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Ways of implementing renewables in the U.S