People

Research Director

Dr. Gregory Jerkiewicz

Full Professor

Editor-in-chief, Electrocatalysis, a Springer journal

E-mail: gregory.jerkiewicz@queensu.ca

Education: 

• Ph.D. University of Ottawa (1991), Chemistry, under the supervision of the late Prof. Brian E. Conway
• M.Eng. Technical University of Gdansk (1984), Engineering Chemistry (double accreditation)

Gregory Jerkiewicz received his dual accreditation Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering-Engineering Chemistry from the Gdask University of Technology, Poland, in 1984. He also studied solid state physics at the same university (1983-1985). In 1985, he immigrated to Canada and settled down in Ottawa, where he completed his Doctorate (1991) at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of the late Prof. Brian E. Conway (FRSC), one of the icons of electrochemistry of the XX century. Following the doctoral studies, he spent the summer of 1991 working in the Institute of Physics, the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He joined the Department of Chemistry, Université de Sherbrooke, as a research associate in September 1991 and became Assistant Professor in June 1992. He was promoted to Associate Professorship with tenure in June 1997. In 1997, he won the Electrochemistry Award of the Société Française de Chimie, the first time ever awarded to a researcher residing outside of France. In June 2002, he joined the Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, first as a tenured Associate Professor; he was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2005. In 2004, he was awarded the W. A. E. McBryde Medal of the Canadian Society for Chemistry in recognition of his contributions to interfacial electrochemistry and of his advancement of the electrochemical quartz-crystal nanobalance (EQCN). He has authored 154 publications that include peer-reviewed papers (120), peer-reviewed book chapters (6), papers in volumes of conference proceedings (24), editorials and prefaces (4), and has co-edited one (1) book and three volumes (3) of conference proceedings. He has delivered over 200 invited keynote lectures, seminars, and conference presentations, and over 260 contributed conference presentations. He has been an active member of several professional associations (the International Society of Electrochemistry, the Electrochemical Society, the Canadian Society for Chemistry) and has served on several executive committees (CSC, ECS – Canadian Section). He was Section Editor of the Canadian Journal of Chemistry and is Editor-in-Chief of Electrocatalysis published by Springer Nature. In 2012, the President of Poland, His excellency Bronislaw Komorowski, conferred on him the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Polish society in the 1980s. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Professor of Chemical Sciences by the President of the Republic of Poland, His Excellency Andrzej Duda, in recognition of his outstanding and internationally renowned contributions to electrochemistry and electrocatalysis.  In 2018, he received the Eminent Visitor Award of the Catalysis Society of South Africa in recognition of his ground-breaking contributions to interfacial electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of platinum and platinum-based materials.  In 2022, he was awarded the Rio Tinto Award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry in recognition of his contributions to electrochemistry and electrocatalysis.  In 2022, the President of Poland, His Excellency Andrzej Duda bestowed on him a Cross of Freedom and Solidarity.

Post Doctoral Researcher

Shideh Ahmadi

Education:

• PDF: University of Calgary, Theoretical Chemistry (2016-2018)
• Ph.D: Nanyang Technological University, Theoretical Physics and Chemistry (2011-2016)
• M.Sc: K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Solid State Physics (2005-2008)

E-mail: Shideh.ahmadi@queensu.ca

Shideh is currently a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Jerkiewicz's research group and is actively working with Prof. Nick Mosey. Her current project focuses on modelling the relationships between the material structure and electrocatalytic behavior of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. Previously, she held a postdoctoral position with Dr. Dennis Salahub at the University of Calgary. She completed her Ph.D. as a recipient of the SINGA Fellowship from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. During her doctoral studies, she also served as a visiting scientist at the Free University of Berlin in Germany. Shideh’s research interests lie in applied quantum chemistry, density functional theory, and catalysis with a focus on multiscale modelling.

Post Doctoral Researcher

Tilahun Awoke Zegeye

Education:

• PDF: National Sun-Yat Sun University (2021 - 2022); Nation Taiwan University of Science and Technology (2018-2019)
• Ph.D: National Taiwan Universtiy of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Lithium-Sulfur, and Li-ion Battery (2014-2017)
• M.Sc. Addis Ababa University, Physical Chemistry (2010-2012)
• B.Sc. Arba Minch University, Applied Chemistry (2004-2007)

E-mail: zegeye.tilahun@queensu.ca

Tilahun is currenty a post-doctoral research fellow in Dr. Jerkiewicz's research group at the Department of Chemistry at Queen's University, Canada. His research interests mainly focus on the design of manganese-based metal oxide nanomaterials, structure-property relationship, and their electrocatalytic application in alkaline water electrolysis. Previously, he studied the effect of dopants on the surface reconstruction of complex metal oxide electrocatalysts during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline water splitting. During his doctoral studies, he worked on the design of sulfur-composite cathode materials and garnet-based polymer composite solid electrolytes for Li-S and anode-free battery applications, respectively. 

Visiting Researcher

Derek Esau

 Education:

• B.Sc. Queen's University (Honours), Chemistry
• Ph.D. Queen's University, Chemistry

E-mail: 0dmce@queensu.ca

Derek completed his undergraduate studies with honours at Queen's University in 2015, followed by his doctoral studies at Queen's University in 2023. He was part of Dr. Jerkiewicz's group as an undergraduate researcher, studying the underpotential deposition of hydrogen on poly-oriented single crystal platinum electrodes. Under Dr. Jerkiewicz's supervision, his doctoral research was focused on the development of the Controlled Atmosphere Flame Fusion method, and its application to the oxidation of nickel single crystals, and the hydrogen oxidation reaction at monocrystalline nickel surfaces. 

Graduate Students

 Gaurav Verma

Education: B.Sc. Queen's University (honours), Chemistry 

E-mail: 14gv1@queensu.ca

Gaurav completed his undergraduate degree at Queen's University in 2020, and as of May 2021, was working towards his master's in chemistry with Dr. Jerkiewicz's group. In October 2023, he successfully completed his candidacy examination and will continue his doctoral studies. His project entails furthering the research on the growth and electrochemical characterization of metallic nickel single crystal surfaces, its oxides and hydroxides.

Niusha Mouchani

Education:

• B.Sc. University of Tehran, Materials Science and Metallurgy
• M.Sc. Tarbiat Modares University, Materials Science and Engineering

Niusha has recently joined to Dr. Jerkiewicz group as a PhD student. she earned her undergraduate degree in Materials Engineering and Metallurgy at the University of Tehran in Iran. She completed her Master of Science at Tarbiat Modares University in Materials science and Engineering. During her master, she studied the photoelectrochemical properties of Zr-doped hematite thin films and produced hydrogen via these synthesized thin films by photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Hadiseh Mahboubi

Education:

• B.Sc. Iran University of Science and Technology, Materials Engineering-Ceramics 2015-2019
• M.Sc. Iran University of Science and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering 2019-2022

Hadiseh Majored in Materials Engineering in her undergraduate and Master's studies at Iran University of Science and Technology. She worked on transition metal oxides as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Hadiseh has joined Dr. Jerkiewicz's group since 2023 as a Ph.D. student to pursue her research journey in electrochemistry.

Alumni:

All former graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are employed in the area of electrochemistry, surface science, materials science, hydro-metallurgy, or are teachers.

Examples of current employment of Dr. Jerkiewicz's Group members

• Two graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows are University Professors
• One former graduate students is Research Manager at a Canadian hydro-metallurgy company
• Several former graduate students are Senior Researchers and Technical Officers at NRC