Scott C. Warren (he/him)
Associate Professor

Scott Warren

Biography

Scott earned his Ph.D. in 2007 with work on the self-assembly of fuel cell electrodes in the groups of Uli Wiesner and Frank DiSalvo at Cornell. He was a post-doctoral fellow with Michael Grätzel at EPFL, Switzerland, from 2007 to 2010 where he directed a European consortium on water splitting and was a visiting researcher at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology with Avner Rothschild. Scott further explored nanoparticle electronics at Northwestern University with Bartosz Grzybowski. He has been a professor in the department of chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill since 2013.

Scott's contributions include the development of self-assembled porous metals (Science, 2008; Nat. Mater. 2012) and new microscopy tools for correlating electron transfer with microstructure (Nat. Mater. 2013, Small 2020). As a post-doc, Scott proposed and conducted experiments that started the field of plasmonic water splitting and introduced a widely used method for quantifying electron transfer at surfaces.

Scott's awards include the Beckman Young Investigator Award, the Research Corp Award in Advanced Energy Storage, the IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists, and the Marilyn Emmons Williams Award for Promoting Undergraduate Research.

Contact

UNC Chapel Hill
Dept. of Chemistry
Kenan Lab A808
CB 3290
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
sw@unc.edu
919-966-0994

Want to join our team?

We welcome inquiries from students who are interested in energy & sustainability, inorganic materials, electrochemistry, and/or computation.

Graduate Students

Jack D. Sundberg  (he/him)
8th year



e-mail  jacksund@live.unc.edu

Jack received his B.S. in chemistry at Denison University (2017), where he explored the synthesis and characterization of calixarenes with Dr. Jordan Fantini. Jack then joined the Warren Lab in the summer of 2017 and has since expanded our lab’s expertise into high-throughput prediction of novel materials. Beyond applying popular softwares from the material’s community, Jack strives to create new tools and packages for materials discovery. Out of the lab, you can find Jack playing as many pick-up sports as possible and jumping between new hobbies every month.

Lauren M. McRae  (she/her)
7th year



e-mail  lamcrae@live.unc.edu

Lauren is a 4th-year graduate student using computational and experimental methods to discover and synthesize materials with applications in batteries. Prior to UNC, she graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor's of Science in chemistry and a psychology minor. At Richmond, Lauren worked with Professor Carol Parish using computation to understand the structure and dynamics of proteins. Outside of the lab, she enjoys science outreach, going to UNC sports events (go heels!), and spending time with friends and family.

Matthew G. Lanetti
6th year



e-mail  lanetti@live.unc.edu

Matt earned his B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in French Language from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 2019. While an undergraduate, Matt spent his summers in Washington D.C. at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory studying lithium-ion battery chemistry under Dr. Albert Epshteyn. Matt joined the Warren Lab the summer of 2019. Matt's research includes a variety of computational and experimental techniques for discovery and implemenation of new battery materials. Matt loves outside-the-box energy storage solutions and is always exploring new technologies. Matt's passion for energy science began with combustion engines; he is restoring a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser with his father.

Karen M. Ehrhardt  (she/her)
5th year



e-mail  kme@email.unc.edu

Karen received her B.A. in chemistry in 2020 from Carleton College, where she worked with Dr. Kim Huynh to understand thermite reaction mechanisms by developing a synthetic procedure for isotope-labelled metal oxide nanoparticles. In the Warren lab, her work focuses on synthesizing and characterizing amorphous inorganic 2D materials for membrane applications. Outside of the lab, Karen plays ultimate frisbee for Raleigh’s semi-professional team and enjoys playing with her cat.

Becca Radomsky  (she/her)
5th year



e-mail  rradomsk@email.unc.edu

Becca received her B.S. in Chemistry in 2020 from the University of Notre Dame, with minors in Environmental Earth Science and the History and Philosophy of Science. While at Notre Dame, she studied plasma electrochemistry with Dr. David Go and quantum dot synthesis with Dr. Prashant Kamat. She now works in the Warren lab to experimentally synthesize and characterize new battery materials. Outside of lab, you can find Becca on a golf course, drinking tea, or playing the saxophone!

Duncan A. Peterson  (he/him)
5th year



e-mail  duncanp@email.unc.edu

Duncan is a 2nd year graduate student working on a novel inorganic/organic heterostructure. He recieved his degree from Carleton College, where his work found its way from biology to organic chemistry to materials chemistry. After graduation he joined the Warren Lab during the summer of 2020 where he now does a combination of computation and experimentation. When he's not in lab, Duncan can be found playing or watching sports, and is always happy to meet new people.

Connor C. Slamowitz  (he/him)
5th year



e-mail  slamo1@email.unc.edu
phone  8045250368

Connor graduated with a BS in Nanoscience and a minor in International Business from Virginia Tech in 2020. As an undergraduate researcher, Connor studied the electronic and electrochemical properties of Metal Organic Frameworks under Dr. Amanda Morris. Connor then worked at Luna Innovations as a Materials Engineering Intern where he developed functionalized paints, polymers, and composites for the Department of Defense. In the Warren Lab, Connor's research involves the fabrication of next-generation electrodes using newly discovered materials to create high-performance batteries. In his free time, Connor enjoys playing volleyball, exploring nature, and looking forward to his next visit to the beach! 

Don H. McTaggart  (he/him)
3rd year



e-mail  dmctaggart@unc.edu
phone  (828) 319-5424

Don received his B.S. in chemistry from Guilford College in 2021 where he participated in several research projects on chemiluminescent dyes, ligand synthesis for rhodium paddlewheel catalysts, and homologous protein modeling. In 2019, Don completed an REU at Virginia Commonwealth University under Dr. Samy El-Shall on support systems for heterogeneous catalysis. In the Warren Lab Don is getting involved with the electride project and battery materials. Outside of lab he enjoys playing soccer and volleyball, cooking, and walking his dogs in the woods.

Undergrads

Siona S. Benjamin  (she/her)
6th year



e-mail  sionab@live.unc.edu

Siona is a junior majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Information Systems and Marine Science. In lab she works with Jack to develop computational methods of structure generation and energy calculation. In her free time, Siona enjoys painting, running, and spending time outdoors.

Nhi T. Huynh  (she/her)
5th year



e-mail  nhithao@ad.unc.edu

Sabrina R. Krupenko  (she/her)
4th year



e-mail  sabkru@ad.unc.edu

Sabrina is a freshman majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Sustainability Studies. In lab, she works with Becca to synthesize new materials for solid state electrolytes. In her free time, Sabrina enjoys reading, fencing, and playing guitar.

Jackson M. Sweet  (he/him)
4th year



e-mail  jmsweet@unc.edu

Jackson is a first-year student majoring in chemistry. In lab, Jackson works with Duncan to understand the differences between mixtures in 2D and mixtures in 3D. In his free time Jackson likes to go on walks, read books, and watch bad movies with friends.

Alumni

Daniel L. Druffel  (he/him)
2014-2021



e-mail  druffel.dan@gmail.com

Dan is currently an associate product manager at MilliporeSigma in Milwaukee, WI, driving digital innovation and managing a line of materials-synthesis products. He joined MilliporeSigma in 2021 as an R&D chemist developing nanomaterial products. Working with Prof. Warren at UNC Chapel Hill (2014-2021), Dan earned his PhD in chemistry, completed a post-doc, and served as a senior staff scientist. He earned his BA from Kenyon College. Dan’s technical expertise is in materials synthesis, materials characterization, computational modeling, and energy-storage applications. He is always happy to talk about science, careers, board games, cooking, baking bread, or the NBA.

Zachary S Fishman  (he/him)
2019-2020



e-mail  zachary.fishman0911@gmail.com

Zack is currently a Research Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analysis in Alexandria, VA. He earned his BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University. During his PhD, he focused on tuning nanomaterials for electronic and environmental applications. After graduating, he continued his studies as a post doc at Yale University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NIST. During these experiences, he broadened his expertise in electrochemistry, 2D nanomaterials, and measurement science. Feel free to reach out with career related questions. 

Madeline S Stark
2016-2021



e-mail  mstarkturlington@protonmail.com

Jacob T. Pawlik  (he/him)
2016-2021



e-mail  pawlikjt@gmail.com
phone  8284618022

Jacob is currently a Postdoctoral Associate in the Guided Wave Electromagnetics Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO. His current research focuses on performing microwave microfluidic measurements to derive the dielectric properties of fluids. Jacob is an alumnus of the Warren Lab (2016-2021), where he was an NSF-GRFP graduate student performing research on electride-based electrodes for fluoride-ion batteries. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC where he fell in love with the mountains. Outside of the lab, he enjoys hiking, reading a good book, and playing disc golf. Reach out if you would like to chat!

Tyler W. Farnsworth  (he/him)
2013-2018



e-mail  twfarnsworth@gmail.com

Tyler is currently the Head of Product Development at Inorganic Ventures where he is responsible for identifying and developing new products and/or expanding existing product applications to penetrate markets outside the company’s core business lines. Tyler is an NSF GRFP Fellow (2015) and completed his Ph.D. in May 2018. Dissertation title: "Strong and weak interlayer interactions of two-dimensional materials and their assemblies". Feel free to connect with questions on a post-graduate career. linkedin.com/in/twfarnsworth

Andrew Withrow
2021-2021



e-mail  awithrow@live.unc.edu

Andrew performed research with the Warren Lab during his junior year at UNC while pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry.  His research focused on understanding the electrical conductivity of 2D materials.

Eleanor L. Brightbill
2015-2016



e-mail  eleanor.brightbill@gmail.com
phone  215-218-8173

Eleanor is currently a biomedical device consultant at Exponent in Philadelphia, PA. She specializes in materials characterization and surface analysis. She earned her BS in Chemistry from UNC in 2016, completing her senior undergraduate thesis, "Design Rules for Discovering 2D Materials from 3D Crystals," in the Warren Lab. She subsequently attended Georgia Tech for her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering; her thesis is titled "Optimization of Surface-Protein Interactions for Next Generation Biosensors."

Rebekah A Wells  (she/her)
2013-2016



e-mail  Rebekah.Wells@epfl.ch

Rebekah's work in the Warren lab focused on the discovery and characterization of novel 2D material phosphorene. She graduated UNC in 2016 and completed a gap year working for the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC). She is now a PhD candidate at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland (expected graduation 2022!). Her thesis focuses on solution processable routes for producing high-quality 2D materials for optoelectronic applications. In addition to 2D materials, Rebekah enjoys snowboarding and climbing in the alps. Questions about study/work abroad, gap years, and 2D materials welcome!

Group photos