Workshop Description
Biographies of team members
Dr Jun Liu is a Battelle Fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). He also serves as the Director for the Innovation Center for Battery500 Consortium, a multi-institute program supported by the US Department of Energy. In the past, Jun served as the Division Director for the Energy Processes and Materials Division at PNNL, the Crosscutting Science Lead Scientist for the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), Thrust Lead for the Complex Materials for the Integrated Center for Nanotechnologies (CINT), and Department Manager for Nanomaterials and Chemistry at Sandia National Laboratories. Jun is among the top 1% highest cited researchers in materials, chemistry and engineering. He has more than 400 peer reviewed technical publications and more than 50 issued US patents. He has twice received the R&D100 Awards, the ECS Battery Division Technology Award, and has been named Battelle Distinguished Inventor, and PNNL Inventor of the Year.
Dr Emilio Bunel received his M.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1980 from the University of Chile and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1988. He began his professional career at DuPont Central Research as a member of the Catalysis Group working on new catalytic processes to produce nylon intermediates. In 2001 Bunel was hired by Eli Lilly to establish the Catalysis Group within the Discovery Research Organization. In 2003 he was appointed Associate Director at Amgen, Inc., and subsequently in January 2008, Research Fellow at Pfizer, Inc.
Dr. Wenjuan Mattis received Ph.D. degree in Material Science and Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, and started working at The Dow Chemical Company on advanced LIB development for the application in HEV, PHEV, EV and consumer electronics for four years. She led the novel high energy and high powder cathode materials cell development, championed high energy storage anode materials development, and developed advanced electrolytes and electrolyte additives for higher performance of cathode and anode materials and improved thermal stability and high voltage stability. In 2013 Dr. Mattis joined Microvast Inc. As VP Technology, she is leading R&D efforts developing advanced batteries targeting EV, HEV and ESS applications. She also work with multiple businesses and core R&D to maximize the innovation pipeline for Microvast R&D function. Dr. Mattis has published 20 papers in prestigious journals, and has filed 30 international patents in energy materials as the first inventor. She has been invited to give 40 presentations at international conferences. She was recently selected to be the board of director of IMLB (International Meeting on Lithium Batteries).
Dr. Khalil Amine is an Argonne Distinguished Fellow and the director of the Advanced Battery Technology team at Argonne National Laboratory, where he is responsible for directing the research and development of advanced materials and battery systems for HEV, PHEV, EV, satellite, military and medical applications. Dr. Amine currently serves a committee member of the U.S. National Research Consul, US Academy of Sciences on battery related technologies. He is an adjunct distinguished professor at Stanford University, Hong Kong University of science & Technology, Peking University, Beijing Institute of Technology and Nanjing science & technology University. Among his many awards, Dr. Khalil is a 2003 recipient of Scientific America’s Top Worldwide 50 Researcher Award, a 2008 University of Chicago distinguished scientist award, a 2009 recipient of the US Federal Laboratory Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer, 2013 DOE Vehicle technologies office award and is the five-time recipient of the R&D 100 Award, which is considered as the Oscar of technology and innovation. In addition, he was recently awarded the ECS battery technology award and the international battery association award. Dr. Amine holds over 176 patents and patent applications and has over 439 publications with a google h-index of 88. From 1998-2008, Dr. Amine was the most cited scientist in the world in the field of battery technology. He serves as the president of IMLB. He is also the chairmen of the international automotive lithium battery association and associate editor of the journal of Nano-Energy.
Dr. Steven Visco is the Chief Executive Officer, CTO, and founder of PolyPlus Battery Company in Berkeley, California, as well as a Guest Scientist in the Materials Science Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Steven J. Visco currently holds 113 U.S. patents, more than 200 international patents and has authored over 70 journal articles, as well as books, monographs and other publications. Dr. Visco graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts in 1977 and received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Brown University in 1982. Dr. Visco then joined the staff at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a Principal Investigator in the Materials Sciences Division in 1984 where his research interests have included advanced batteries and fuel cells. Steven Visco co-founded PolyPlus Battery Company in 1991. In 2013 Dr. Visco was selected by the City of Berkeley for a “Visionary Award” for his work in next generation batteries. Steve also serves on the Technical Advisory the CIC Energigune Institute in Miñano, Spain and was awarded the 2011 International Battery Association Award for “Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Lithium-Air and Lithium-Water Batteries.” PolyPlus Battery Company was selected by TIME magazine for its 50 Best Inventions of 2011 Issue, and was selected for a Gold Edison Award in 2012. In May 2015 Dr. Visco was elected a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society.
