Group Leader

Prof. Victor M. Zavala

Postdoctoral Researcher, Argonne National Laboratory 

Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Universidad Iberoamericana

Areas of Expertise: Computational Mathematics

Email: victor.zavala@wisc.edu

Personal Webpage: [link]

CV: [link]

Graduate Researchers

Leonardo Gonzalez

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Areas of Expertise: Process Controls and Machine Learning

Project: Automated Experimental Design

Email: gonzlezchvez@wisc.edu

Shiyi (Amy) Qin (Co-Advised with Van Lehn)

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve 

Areas of Expertise: Data Science and Machine Learning

Project: Machine Learning for ChemE

Email: sqin34@wisc.edu

Jiaze Ma

B.S.& M.S. Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum

Areas of Expertise: Modeling and Optimization

Project: Computational Strategies for Large-Scale Supply Chains

Email: jma258@wisc.edu    Personal Web: [link]

Bo-Xun Wang

B.S. Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University

Areas of Expertise: Modeling and Optimization

Project: Systems Optimization for Biodegradable Plastics

Email: bwang355@wisc.edu 

David Cole

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University

Areas of Expertise: Graph Theory, Optimization

Project: Graph-Based Optimization

Email: dlcole3@wisc.edu

Blake Lopez

H.B.S. Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University

M.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering, UW-Madison  

Areas of Expertise: Modeling  and Optimization

Project: Curriculum Analysis

Email: brlopez@wisc.edu

Lisa Je  (Co-Advised with Van Lehn)

B.A. Chemistry, B.E Chemical Engineering, Dual Degree Vassar & Dartmouth Colleges

M.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering, UW-Madison

Areas of Expertise: Machine Learning and Molecular Science

Project: Molecular analysis and design of electrolytes

Email: lje@wisc.edu 

Jaron Thompson (Co-Advised with Venturelli)

B.S. & M.S. Chemical Engineering, Colorado State University

Areas of Expertise: Computational Biology

Project: Microbiome Engineering

Email: jcthompson5@wisc.edu 

J. Elvis Umaña  (Co-Advised with Gebbie)

B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas

Areas of Expertise: Machine Learning and Electrochemsitry

Project: Molecular analysis and design of electrolytes

Email: elvis.umana@wisc.edu

Ugochukwu Ikegwu  (Co-Advised with Van Lehn)

B.Eng. (Hons) Chemical Engineering, Landmark University, Nigeria.

M.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of The Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Area of Expertise: Molecular simulations and systems engineering.

Project: Plastic upcycling 

Email: ikegwu@wisc.edu 

Jukbin Kim

B.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering, Yonsei University

M.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Areas of Expertise: Modeling and Optimization

Project: Multi-scale optimization of energy systems

Email: jukbin.kim@wisc.edu

Joe Flory

B.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University

M.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University

Areas of Expertise: Machine Learning and Optimization

Project: Closed-loop Experimental Design

Email: jflory@wisc.edu


Ashley McCullough

B.S. Chemical Engineering, West Virginia University

Areas of Expertise: Modeling and Optimization

Project: Eletricity Markets and Policy for Emerging Technologies

Email: abmccullough@wisc.edu

Adam Martin

B.S. Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University

Areas of Expertise: Optimization and Control

Project: Graph Theory and Optimization

Email: ammartin36@wisc.edu


Brandon Flores

B.S. Chemistry, UC San Diego

Areas of Expertise: Density functional theory

Project: TBD

Email: bsflores@wisc.edu 

Postdoctoral Researchers

Aurora Munguia 

Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Universidad Michoacana 

Areas of Expertise:  Modeling and Optimization 

Project:  Process Optimization for Plastic Upcycling 

Email: munguialopez@wisc.edu

Yoel Ren Cortés-Peña 

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Areas of Expertise:  Process Modeling and Sustainable Design

Project:  Graph Representations & Applications in Process Simulation

Email: cortespea@wisc.edu

Brenda Cansino

Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Universidad Michoacana 

Areas of Expertise:  Modeling and Optimization 

Project:  Process Optimization and Sustainable design

Email: cansinoloeza@wisc.edu

Former Members

Javier Garcia-Martinez, Visitor [link]

Saul Herrera Ovando, Visitor [link]

Daniel Laky, Postdoc, [link]

Weiqi Zhang, PhD, [link]

Shengli Jiang, PhD, [link]

Philip Tominac, Postdoc [link]

Alexander Smith, PhD, [link]

Dilara Goreke, MSc, [link] 

Yue Shao, PhD, [link]

Joshua Pulsipher, PhD, [link]

Yicheng Hu, PhD, [link]

Sungho Shin, PhD, [link]

Apoorva Sampat, PhD, [link]

Ranjeet Kumar, PhD, [link]

Jordan Jalving, PhD, [link]

Ilse Hernandez, Visitor, [link]

Hani Yoo, Visitor

Heriberto Alcocer, Visitor, [link]

Qiugang Lu, Postdoc, [link]

Renke Kuhlmann, Postdoc, [link]

Caroline Satye, Visitor, [link]

Santiago Rodriguez, Visitor, [link]

Aurora Munguia, Visitor, [link]

Jaime Garibay, Visitor, [link]

Yankai Cao, Postdoc, [link]

Dulce Lopez, Visitor, [link]

Javier Tovar, Visitor, [link]

Alexander Dowling, Postdoc, [link]

Kibaek Kim, Postdoc, [link]

Nai-Yuan Chiang, Postdoc, [link]

Yeonsook Heo, Postdoc, [link]

Luis Fabián Fuentes-Cortés, Visitor, [link]

Magdalena Santos-Rodriguez, Visitor, [link]