Shavon Starling-Louis

Shavon Starling-Louis is an American materials scientist and chemical engineer recognized for her pioneering work in the design of functional nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications. Her research focuses on advanced synthesis techniques for metal-organic frameworks and nanoparticle catalysts, with significant implications for hydrogen storage and carbon capture technologies. Starling-Louis has held prominent positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Early life and education

Shavon Starling-Louis was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, showing an early aptitude for the sciences. She pursued her undergraduate studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with high honors. Her undergraduate research, conducted under the mentorship of Professor Krista Walton, involved early investigations into porous materials for gas separation. She then attended Stanford University for her doctoral studies, where she worked in the laboratory of Professor Zhenan Bao on the interface of organic electronics and nanofabrication. Following her Ph.D., she secured a highly competitive postdoctoral fellowship at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, collaborating with scientists in the Molecular Foundry on transmission electron microscopy of quantum dots.

Career

Starling-Louis began her independent career as an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She later advanced to associate professor with tenure, establishing the Laboratory for Advanced Nanomaterials Design at MIT. Her research group quickly gained international recognition, leading to collaborative projects with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. She has served on numerous advisory boards, including for the Department of Energy's Basic Energy Sciences program and the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nano. In addition to her research, she is noted for her dedication to mentoring, actively participating in programs like MIT Summer Research Program and the National Society of Black Engineers.

Research and contributions

Starling-Louis's primary research contributions lie in the development of novel synthesis pathways for multifunctional nanomaterials. A key breakthrough from her team was a low-temperature method for creating defect-engineered metal-organic frameworks with unprecedented selectivity for carbon dioxide adsorption, published in the journal Nature Materials. Her work on plasmonic nanoparticles for photocatalysis has advanced the field of solar fuel production, specifically for water splitting reactions. She has also made significant strides in electrocatalysis, designing non-precious metal catalysts for fuel cells that rival the performance of traditional platinum-based systems. Her research is supported by major grants from the National Science Foundation, the Army Research Office, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Awards and honors

Throughout her career, Shavon Starling-Louis has received numerous accolades for her scientific work and educational impact. She is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on early-career scientists. She has also been awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and named a Sloan Research Fellow in Chemistry. Her contributions to diversity in STEM fields were recognized with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Minority Affairs Committee Award.

Personal life

Shavon Starling-Louis is married to Marcus Louis, a data scientist working in the biotechnology sector in Boston. They have two children. She is an advocate for science communication and frequently participates in public outreach events at the Museum of Science, Boston and through the PBS series NOVA. In her spare time, she is an avid runner and has completed several Boston Marathons.

Category:American materials scientists Category:American chemical engineers Category:21st-century American engineers Category:Living people