Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Graduate Student (NSF Graduate Research Fellow)

13-4024

Email: kpg@mit.edu

I grew up in Battle Creek, MI (the “Breakfast Capital of the World”). After graduating from high school, I moved to the other side of the state to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I earned my B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Mathematics and Concentration in Materials Science. I began my research career studying the mechanical behavior of kirigami patterns in my sophomore year and then transitioned into computational work the following summer when I worked on continuum-scale simulation of transport in lithium-ion batteries. I spent the final two years of my undergraduate studies working with Prof. Emmanouil Kioupakis using first-principles calculations to study the structural, thermodynamic, and optical properties of nitride semiconductors. In addition to my work at Michigan, I also spent a summer at Purdue University developing a nanoHUB tool for studying catalysis using density functional theory.

I was also involved in a number of different areas on campus outside of research and classes, including as an officer in Tau Beta Pi, an instructional aide for the Department of Chemical Engineering, an organizer of the first campus-wide undergraduate research symposium, and a member of the club track team and many intramural sports teams.

I joined the Green Group in January 2020 and am co-advised by Prof. Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. My research interests are in using the combination of atomistic simulations and machine learning with experimental collaboration for the discovery and design of new molecules and materials.

In my free time, I enjoy reading and playing sports, including football, basketball, running, and weightlifting.