Principal Investigator
William Tarpeh
Dr. William Tarpeh is an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University. The Tarpeh Lab develops and evaluates novel approaches to resource recovery from “waste” waters at several synergistic scales: molecular mechanisms of chemical transport and transformation; novel unit processes that increase resource efficiency; and systems-level assessments that identify optimization opportunities. Will completed his B.S. in chemical engineering at Stanford and his M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering at UC Berkeley, supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, and a UC Berkeley Chancellor's Fellowship. He conducted postdoctoral training at University of Michigan in environmental engineering. Will is a member of the Bouchet Honor Society, NBCBLK's "28 Under 28" African-American Innovators, and Forbes' "30 Under 30" 2019 Science List. Tarpeh's CV is available here
Visiting Scholars
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Madalyn Radlauer is a Visiting Scholar in the Tarpeh Lab on sabbatical from San Jose State University where she is an Associate Professor of Chemistry. She received her BS in Chemistry at Stanford (Waymouth), her PhD from Caltech (Agapie), and did her postdoc work at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (Hillmyer). At SJSU, she works with an amazing group of undergraduate and master's students to synthesize polymer-supported transition metal catalysts and during this sabbatical she is exploring ways that her group's work can be applied to the electrocatalytic systems engineered in the Tarpeh lab. Outside of chemistry, most of Madalyn's time is spent playing with her kids, Isaac and Cecily, and her corgi, Ella.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madalynradlauer/
Website: https://sjsu.edu/radlauer/
Postdoctoral Fellows
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Kindle is a postdoctoral researcher studying the scale-up and translation potentials of nitrogen-recovery technologies in the Tarpeh lab. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 2022. Her dissertation research with Prof. Karthish Manthiram included the study of the behavior of water in blended electrolytes for organic electrosynthesis, as well as the role of contaminants in electrochemical CO2 reduction. Kindle completed her undergraduate training at the University of Alabama, where she received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a dual major in Chemistry and minor in the Computer-Based Honors Program (now RRSP). She is originally from Tennessee. Outside of the lab, Kindle enjoys playing sports, cycling, and caring for her plants.
Email: kindlew(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Woonghee is a postdoctoral scholar funded by the SUNCAT Center and the Dreyfus Foundation. He hails from Seoul, South Korea, where he was born and raised. He holds a B.S. and a M.S. in Chemical & Biological Engineering, which he obtained from Korea University and Seoul National University, respectively. He completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). His doctoral research was centered on chlorine-mediated electrochemical water treatment, with a specific focus on developing and analyzing electrocatalysts using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Outside of his academic pursuits, he is an avid basketball player and cherishes spending quality time with his family.
Email: woonghee(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Pingyu is a postdoctoral scholar in the Tarpeh lab. He obtained his PhD in materials science and engineering from Stanford University where he developed technologies for interfacing with the retina for high-acuity vision restoration. Inspired by the transformative role of sensor technologies in healthcare, Pingyu is excited to bring these technological advances to environmental sensing and monitoring. In the Tarpeh lab, he is developing a low-cost, continuous, and autonomous sensing platform for nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas 300 times stronger than carbon dioxide. He uses a user-centered approach to tailor the technology development to meet the demands of the real world. Outside the lab, Pingyu enjoys thrifting and listening to old vinyl records, experimenting with various coffee-making techniques, trying new cooking recipes, and cuddling with his cat Java.
Email: pingyu(at)stanford(dot)edu
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TJ (Taigyu) Joo is a postdoctoral scholar in the Tarpeh lab. His research involves designing membranes for separating ions and gases from wastewater, with a focus on electrochemical separations. Before joining the Tarpeh Lab, he received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 2024. His doctoral research under the supervision of Prof. Zachary P. Smith focused on post-synthetic chemical and morphological modifications of polymer membranes for gas separations. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, golfing, and watching EPL.
Email: tjoo(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Hannah is a postdoctoral researcher interested in electrochemical sensors and electrochemical-ion exchange processes for phosphate recovery. She received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Her doctoral research, advised by Profs. Ryan Lively and Matthew Realff, focused on carbon capture adsorbents. Hannah is originally from a small town in southern Illinois and received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While there, she researched electrochemical systems to convert carbon dioxide into value-added chemicals and fuels. Hannah enjoys hiking, camping, house plants, and playing with her cat Friday.
Email: hholmes(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Neha is a postdoctoral scholar in the Tarpeh lab and is co-advised by Dr. Bone and Dr. Weker at SLAC. She is investigating the failure mechanisms which limit the scale-up and long-term operation of nutrient recovery techniques. She was a McDonnell International Academy Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis where she received her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering with Dr. Daniel Giammar. Her dissertation research focused on delineating the role of trace metals in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from natural aquatic systems. Neha received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from PEC University of Technology, India. She also holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, and exploring new places.
Email: nehash(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Carlos is a postdoctoral researcher working in the design of electrochemical systems for converting nitrogenous species in wastewater and gaseous emissions into ammonia. He earned both his B.S. (2018) and Ph.D. (2024) in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His Ph.D. research, under the guidance of Prof. Marta C. Hatzell, focused on advancing decarbonized, decentralized, and electrified ammonia production systems and developing integrated solutions for carbon capture and conversion to fuels and chemicals. Outside of his research, Carlos enjoys cycling, skiing, and kitesurfing.
Email: carlosfo(at)stanford(dot)edu
PhD Students
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Lorelay Mendoza is a PhD student in Environmental Engineering. She was born and raised in San Diego, CA, where she earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering at San Diego State University before coming to Stanford. She is interested in resource recovery from waste, environmental justice, and the fate of contaminants in electrochemical treatment systems and the environment. In her free time, Lorelay enjoys surfing, reading, sewing, and rock climbing.
Email: lorelay(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Sam is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering. She was born and raised outside of Philly and moved to western PA to receive her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She is interested in redesigning plastic manufacturing with end-of-life in mind, investigating chemical recycling of these materials, and incorporating environmental policy into her work. Outside of research, Sam enjoys roller skating, eating good food, and reading.
Email: sambunke(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Brandon is a chemical engineering PhD student in the Tarpeh lab. His hometown is Attleboro, MA. He has bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In the Tarpeh lab, he is working on fine tuning the synthesis parameters of nitrogen-selective hydrogels for membraneless electrochemical nitrogen recovery from water. He also is working on evaluating electrochemical means of regenerating used ion exchange resins. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing basketball, surfing and snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, playing the drums, and videogame development.
Email: bdclark(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Jinyu is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering. Her hometown is Luoyang, China. Before entering Stanford, she did her undergrad in chemical engineering at Tianjin University. She is interested in investigating molecular mechanisms in electrochemical stripping and developing efficient novel processes. Outside of the lab, she enjoys poems, movies, hiking and swimming.
Email: jinyuguo(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Val is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering in the Tarpeh lab and Jaramillo lab. She was born outside Philly and moved to the city for her undergrad at Drexel University, where she received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Physics. She is interested in the electrochemical reduction of gaseous reactive nitrogen into inert and/or value-added products. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and speaking in foreign languages.
Email: vniemann(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Dean is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering. He is from Cleveland and earned his undergrad in chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He is interested in electrochemical conversion of nitrogenous species from wastewater. In his free time, Dean enjoys rock climbing.
Email: millerdm(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Kristen is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering. She was born and raised in Ontario, Canada and received her B.Eng.Biosciences in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at McMaster University. She is interested in technology development for resource recovery from waste streams to facilitate the transition to a circular economy, such as lithium recovery from battery waste. She is also interested in the holistic assessment of scaled-up processes for bridging the gap between academic research and widespread adoption of technologies. Outside of research, Kristen enjoys hiking, painting, reading, golf, and playing various intramural sports.
Email: abelsk(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Edward is a PhD student in Environmental Engineering. He was born in Kumasi, Ghana and raised in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. Before attending Stanford, he earned a B.S.E in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Arizona State University and received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. He is interested in the recovery of nutrients using electrochemical separations and polymeric materials. Outside of academics, his interests include weightlifting, environmental justice, playing volleyball, and religiously streaming Spotify to maintain his average annual streaming time of 165,000+ minutes.
Email: eapraku(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Orisa is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering. She grew up in Aurora, Colorado and received her B.S in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a Knight Hennessy Scholar and is invested in issues of equity and resource distribution. She hopes her research on the water-energy nexus will help to increase the accessibility of sanitation and clean water across the globe. Outside of school, Orisa crochets her own clothing, practices advanced yoga, running, weightlifting, roller skating, and keeps her nose in a good book.
Email: ocoombs(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Joyce is a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering. She is from the suburbs of New Jersey and received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT. In the Tarpeh Lab, she is interested in selective resource recovery and regeneration using adsorbents and incorporating systems-level analysis into her work. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, and trying vegan recipes.
Email: anjoyce(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Uran is a PhD student in Chemistry. She was born in Michigan and raised in Japan/Belgium. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from Michigan State University. She is interested in homogeneous molecular catalyst design for understanding the nitrate reduction mechanism. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, running, crocheting, and rock climbing.
Email: iwataura(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Victoria is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering. She was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL, and received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is interested in using process engineering to inform the efficient recovery of resources from wastewaters. Outside of the lab, Victoria enjoys thrifting, playing intramural volleyball with her cohort, and doing all of the NYT mini games.
Email: vyyang(at)stanford(dot)edu
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Wylie is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering. Originally from Orcas Island, Washington, he received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington, in Seattle in 2020. Between undergrad and Stanford, he worked at a Seattle-based startup focused on the commercialization of perovskite materials for photovoltaic applications. He is interested in the development of technologies to make use of renewable electrons in applications spanning electrochemical energy conversion and resource recovery. Outside of the lab, he enjoys being outdoors, skiing, rock climbing, cycling, and reading.
Email: wyliekau(at)stanford(dot)edu
Masters/Undergraduate Students and Research Assistants
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Danna is a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NYC, and is interested in exploring the development of sustainable manufacturing methods within the cosmetics industry. She is currently working with Edward to recover amino acids using electrochemical separations. Outside of school, she enjoys playing the guitar, watercolor painting, and going to art museums.
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Gradie is a a Master’s student in Chemical Engineering, born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda, with deep roots to her country of origin -DRC. Her passion is to make life better for people on the continent using Engineering. Her current work focuses on helping the scale-up of nitrogen-recovery technologies by Her current work focuses on investigating potential solutions to failure mechanisms which limit the scale-up and long-term operation of nutrient recovery techniques. Outside lab and classes, Gradie loves volunteering both in the US and back home, Cooking, having quality time with friends and family, debating the socio-economic state of the world, and playing/watching volleyball.
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Shievani is a MS/MBA student with a keen focus on using electro-chemical processes for resource recovery. Prior to joining the lab, she worked in plant operations at Commonwealth Fusion System this summer, led growth-stage climate-tech investments at the World Bank Group and was a management consultant at Kearney. She holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering with a minor in Industrial Deisgn from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. She grew up in Mumbai, India with a family deeply invested in the energy transition space. In her free time she enjoys reading, classical music, and hiking.
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Oluwanifemi is a sophomore pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. She is very passionate about energy access, renewable technology, and creating accessible climate solutions. As an international student from Lagos, Nigeria, She has gained valuable experience working across various African countries, where she contributed to projects focused on affordable long-term sustainable development. Beyond her academic and professional interests, she enjoys crocheting, filmmaking, playing piano, and writing short stories.
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Haoyan is a Master’s student in Environmental Engineering, born and raised in Shanghai, China. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry and Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University, and is interested in resource recovery and circular economy. She now focuses on using BPMs for ammonia recovery from wastewater. In her free time, Haoyan enjoys baking and traveling.
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Mikaela is a Master’s student in Environmental Engineering, born and raised in Colorado. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado - Boulder and is passionate about driving sustainable change. Her current work focuses on nutrient removal from wastewater to be reused as fertilizer, supporting a circular economy. Outside of her studies and research, Mikaela enjoys hiking, running, exploring new foods, and cheering for Colorado’s sports teams.
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Elizabeth is an MBA student supporting the commercialization of the Tarpeh lab’s wastewater treatment and resource recovery company, Recovered Potential. Elizabeth brings experience building and scaling technology through her experience in product management, data analytics, consulting and venture capital from Applied Predictive Technologies, Mastercard, Gigascale Capital and the Stanford GSB Impact Fund. Elizabeth holds an A.B. in Neuroscience from Dartmouth College, where she also studied engineering, computer science and human-centered design. She is originally from Chicago. Outside of work Elizabeth enjoys hiking, sailing, making homemade ice cream and spending time with her two rescue cats.
Lab Administrator
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Email: thao89(at)stanford(dot)edu
Room: Shriram Center 091
Phone: 650-498-1648
Lab Pets
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Friday is a three-year-old cat. He was born on the streets of Opelika, Alabama, where he lost most of his tail, and he was later adopted from the Atlanta Humane Society by Hannah. Friday's diverse research interests include ornithology (bird behavior when a cat is nearby), food science (sensory analysis of wet food, preferably chicken flavor), and sleep psychology (how early he can wake his human up). In his free time, Friday enjoys giving headbutts, sitting by open windows, sleeping on his cat tower, and eating.
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Born on the streets of San Jose, Java had a mobile childhood moving from the city shelter to a foster home, and then to the humane society before being adopted by Pingyu and Chen. His name Java is borrowed from the pronunciation of a dialect word “喳哇” from Pingyu and Chen’s hometown, which describes his chatty personality – nothing to do with coffee or the programming language! As a feline researcher, his primary projects include the dynamics of rolling spherical objects (as depicted in the photo), and the “prey-akinness” of domestic surfaces when excited by 630–670 nm red lasers–aka cat laser pointers. When off duty, Java indulges in a pinch of catnip, embarking on a journey to the euphoric realms of beta-endorphins. He also has the reputation of being a rigorous peer reviewer of human petting skills.
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Postdog Koa Terrell-Perica Tarpeh was born in Oregon, but has received all of his training here at Stanford. Koa is a labradoodle known for his love of humans and dogs, and tends to show that love by jumping up and licking ears. He is a cuddly presence at lab socials, and has been known to be the most sought after guest at group parties.
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Enoki is a three-year-old Calico named after the Japanese mushroom, Enokitake. Her time as a stray garden cat has helped develop her scientific specialty in botany and horticulture. She is currently researching the different effects that flower pigmentation and scent have on the feline desire for consumption. Her collaborator, undergraduate researcher Danna, tirelessly works on ensuring that all of Enoki’s experimental samples are feline friendly.
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Ollie and Neri are three-year-old lap cats who joined the Tarpeh group in 2024 as the purrfessional snack scavengers. They love to cuddle and never miss an opportunity to occupy a lap, ensuring their human colleagues are never alone when seated. Together, this dynamic duo keeps morale high and stress levels low, bringing smiles wherever they roam.
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Diega is a Dalmatian pup born November 2020 and is a member of the Mendoza Grijalva research group. She is deaf but that doesn’t stop her from pursuing the scientific study of grasses while out in the field with Lorelay. Although young, she is already quite accomplished; in fact, she has successfully collected a grass sample at every field outing to date. In her free time, she likes to socialize with other pups and people, sunbathe, and nap on the couch.
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Ashes is a fifteen-year-old tabby cat belonging to undergraduate researcher Sarah. Although not very outwardly affectionate, she has supported Sarah through many long nights of psetting and essay-writing with her steadfast presence. She is currently conducting psychological experiments by gathering data on how humans respond to stimuli such as meowing, unexpected attacks, and blank yet intent stares. Her goal is to develop a behavioral model that will allow her to accurately predict and control the actions of her owners. Additionally, she enjoys sleeping in pillow forts and watching the sunrise.
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Gaogao is a 4-year-old cat belonging to master’s student Haoyan. The neutering surgery ‘devastated’ Gaogao and made him determined to be a researcher ( an avenger, to be honest). He is currently focusing on what human food tastes like in a cat’s mouth, and how to attack humans by surprise in order to frighten them. Although Haoyan has advised him to study how to lose weight, Gaogao sticks to his academic path and never adopts such suggestions. In his free time, Gaogao enjoys sleeping, eating, and sunbathing.
Lab Alumni
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Dr. Amilton Barbosa Botelho Jr
Current: Postdoctoral Scholar at MIT
Dr. Elizabeth Corson
Current: Assistant Professor at The University of Kansas. Website
Dr. Xi Chen
Current: Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong. Website
Dr. Qianhong Zhu
Current: Process Engineer at Stealth Mode Startup
Dr. Hang (Lucas) Dong
Current: Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute. Website
Dr. Linchao Mu
Current: Associate Professor, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Amy Pham
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in material science and engineering
Nailah Donatto
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in chemical engineering
Shiloh Bolden
Current: Senior at San Diego State University
Carolina Muñoz
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in chemical engineering
Sarah Yribarren
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in chemical engineering and science communication
Diego Bustamante
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in chemical engineering
Robert Matthew Wood
Current: Master's student in Environmental Engineering at the University of Southern California
Kristy Chan
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in chemical engineering
Genesis Gilles
Current: Stanford undergraduate student in chemical engineering and computer science
Diana Tiburcio
Current: PhD Student in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University
Smiti Mittal
Current: PhD student in Bioengineering at UCSF-UC Berkeley
Chloe Marie Laguna
Current: Co-term student in Bioengineering at Stanford University
Ouriel Ndalamba
Current: PhD Student in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University
James Juma
Current: Data Analyst at Opareta
Julia Simon
Current: PhD Student in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University
Sydney Johnson
Current: PhD and MBA student in Chemical Engineering Practice at MIT
William Chow
Current: Co-term student in Chemistry at Stanford University
Yichong Wang
Current: PhD student in Chemistry at Harvard University
Naomi Ray
Current: Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte
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Dr. Anna Kogler
Current: Ion Exchange Scientist at Banyu Carbon
Dr. Matthew Liu
Current: Postdoctoral fellow at MIT Chemical Engineering
Dr. Anita Shao
Current: Consultant at Boston Consulting Group
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Tyler Gogal
Yixuan Huang
Current: PhD student in Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech
Valmik Lakhlani
Current: Process Engineer at Fluor Corporation
Ziyan Wu
Current: PhD student in Environment and Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison