Our Group December 2023 Awards 2024-2025 Thomas D. Pope Grant Wilson Award for Undergraduate Research Elias Mondaca-Medina YCC Travel Grant from the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Robert Gudgel Provost’s Graduate Excellence Fellowship Changhyun Ryu Bard CEC Student Fellowship Sam Wenzel SEAC Best Poster Award He Zhang, Yang Tao, and Tamilselvi Gurusamy CEC travel grant 2023-2024 Yufei Wang Graduate School Dissertation Writing Fellowship Sam Wenzel Henze Teaching Award Provost’s Graduate Excellence Fellowship Elias Mondaca Medina Faraday Teaching Award Provost’s Graduate Excellence Fellowship Principle Investigator Dr. Hang Ren Assistant Professor Postdoc, University of Utah, 2016-2018 (Advisor: Henry S. White)Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2016 (Advisor: Mark E. Meyerhoff)B.S., Sun Yat-Sen University, 2011 (Advisor: Cheng-Yong Su) Email: hren@utexas.edu Curriculum Vitae Postdoc Fellows Dr. Heekwon Lee Heekwon Lee received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Dr. Ji Tae Kim in 2022. His research interests lie in electrochemical additive manufacturing using scanning probes and its characterizations for catalyst applications. Dr. Tamilselvi Gurusamy Tamil received her doctorate in physical chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India, under the supervision of Prof. Kothandaraman Ramanujam. Her research focused on manipulating MWCNT’s electronic structure by non-covalent modification with various moieties for electrochemical biomolecule sensing and oxygen reduction reaction. She used a non-noble metal-based catalyst for the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen. Her current project at Dr. Ren’s lab involves studying the electrode-electrolyte interface using SECCM. Dr. He Zhang I received my Ph.D. from Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CIAC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) & University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) under the supervision of Prof. Shaojun Dong in 2020. From 2021 to 2022, I was a research assistant in Dong’s Lab. My research interests were focused on enzyme-based bioelectrocatalysis, bio- photoelectrocatalysis, and biosensors. In Ren Lab, I will focus on single-entity electrochemistry. Graduate Students Changhyun Ryu Graduate Student (Aug 2022 – Present) Changhyun Ryu is from South Korea and obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Yonsei University in Korea. During those days, he focused on studying electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction and electrodes for the lithium-air battery using scanning electrochemical microscopy and COMSOL Multiphysics simulation. In his free time, Changhyun Ryu usually plays sports or online games. Hyein Lee Graduate Student (Aug 2022 – Present) Hyein Lee received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry from Kyung Hee University, South Korea. Her research interest is in investigating mechanisms of nanomaterial electrocatalysis and in controlling the selectivity of electrocatalysis products by using surface resonance. She enjoys drawing with an iPad and exercising at the Gregory Gym in her spare time. Iván ElÍas Mondaca-Medina Graduate Student (Aug 2022 – Present) Education: Colorado College (2017-2021) B.A. Chemistry During his undergraduate studies, Elías research focused on developing electrochemical sensors, using bipolar electrodes and molecular imprint polymers for the detection of lead and PFAS in drinking water. He joined the Ren lab in 2022. In his spare time, Elías enjoys long-distance running. Debasree Mandal Graduate Student (Aug 2022 – Present) Finished her Master’s from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. Under the guidance of Prof. Subramaniam Chandramouli, she explored magneto-electrocatalysis for her master’s thesis. Now in Dr. Ren’s group, Debasree focuses on understanding nanoelectrochemistry. In addition to her constant interest in sports, she also enjoys drawing and watching movies. Sam Wenzel Graduate Student (Aug 2023 – Present) Sam Wenzel received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Florida State University in 2022. His undergraduate research under Dr. Robert Lazenby consisted of benchmarking bimetallic carbide nanomaterials as OER electrocatalysts, as well as fabricating low-cost, carbon-based nanoelectrodes using carbon pyrolysis techniques. In his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym, listening to music, cooking, and playing video games. Roberto García Carrillo Graduate Student (Aug 2023 – Present) Roberto received his B.S. in Chemistry and Nanotechnology from Tecnológico de Monterrey in 2021. His undergraduate research under Dr. Marcelo Videa focused on simulations of galvanostatic deposition of metallic nanoparticles. He then completed his M.S. in Nanotechnology in the same institution working in electrochemical single-entity characterization of bimetallic nanoparticles in 2023. In his spare time, he likes to play the violin and play videogames. Yang Tao Graduate Student (Aug 2023 – Present) Yang earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2023. During his undergraduate studies, he conducted research under the guidance of Prof. Yanxia Chen and Prof. Jun Huang, focusing on theoretical simulations of electrode-electrolyte interfaces and the mechanisms of HER electrocatalysts. Following that, he joined the Ren lab in 2023 to work on nanoelectrochemistry. In his free time, Yang enjoys watching movies, cooking, and browsing through the supermarket. Robert Gudgel Graduate Student (Aug 2023 – Present) Robert received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2024. Robert conducted his undergraduate research under the advisement of Dr. Waldemar Gorski, focusing on the development of cost-effective electrode films to enhance H₂O₂ detection and modifying glucose test strips toward the electrochemical detection of disease-precursor enzymes. In his spare time, Robert enjoys hiking and exploring the Texas Hill Country, as well as collecting antiques.. Undergraduate Students Elise Freezer Undergraduate Student The University of Texas at Austin (2024 – Current) Elise Freezer is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering, at the University of Texas at Austin. She joined the Ren Lab in 2024 as a sophomore in order to pursue her interest in nanoelectrochemistry. In her free time she enjoys sudoko, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Elaine Chang Undergraduate Student The University of Texas at Austin (2022 – Current) Johan Martinez Undergraduate Student Johan is a Pre-Medical student pursing his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Business Administration. He joined Ren lab as a Freshman in 2024 to study SICM delivery techniques. For fun, he likes to play on his switch and workout. Ivan Negre Undergraduate Student Ivan Negre is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. To pursue his interest in electrochemistry, he joined the Ren Lab in spring of 2025 as a sophomore. In his free time he enjoys watching shows, playing video games and reading books. Thomas Pope Undergraduate Student The University of Texas at Austin (2023 – Current) Group Alumni
