Matthew Mcdowell

Biography

 Dr. Matthew McDowell joined Georgia Tech in the fall of 2015 as an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Prior to this appointment, he was a postdoctoral scholar in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology, where he performed research on improving the stability and efficiency of photoelectrochemical devices for the production of solar fuels. Dr. McDowell received his Ph.D. in 2013 from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, where his work focused on understanding phase transformations and mechanical degradation in Li-ion battery materials using in situ electron microscopy techniques, as well as engineering materials for improved battery lifetime and performance. Dr. McDowell’s research focuses on electrochemical materials, devices, and processes. The group’s work encompasses both the fundamental investigation of materials transformations in electrochemical systems (and in other applications), as well as the development of improved energy systems through materials and device engineering. An area of emphasis is the development and use of in situ experimental techniques, including in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), to probe materials and devices during operation. A variety of different systems are being studied within Dr. McDowell’s research group, including next-generation rechargeable batteries, electrochemical devices for water splitting and sunlight-driven fuel generation, and nanoionic devices for low-power nonvolatile memory.  

Research Interest

 Electrochemical energy conversion and storage, batteries, in situ characterization of electrochemical energy materials and systems