Casey O'Brien

Casey O'Brien serves as Assistant Professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at the University of Notre Dame's College of Engineering, where she develops catalytic materials to reduce environmental impacts in chemical processes through advanced spectroscopic techniques.

Education

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2011
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2006

Research Focus

Her interdisciplinary work centers on catalytic interfaces for chemical transformations and separations, leveraging in-situ/operando vibrational spectroscopy to elucidate reaction mechanisms. Key initiatives include developing membrane spectroscopy tools and designing catalysts that block environmentally harmful byproduct pathways while promoting sustainable reaction channels, with applications in greenhouse gas reduction and next-generation refrigerant technology.

Publication Trends

Recent publications demonstrate escalating focus on plasma-catalyzed methane conversion, carbon cycle closure strategies, and CO₂ utilization, frequently employing molecular-level spectroscopic insights. Over 70% of 2021-2024 papers address environmental sustainability through catalytic innovation, with strong representation in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and membrane science journals.

Scientific Recognition

• NSF CAREER Award for chemical technology reducing greenhouse gases
• NSF Chemical Catalysis funding for plasma-surface chemistry research

Mentorship and Funding

Dr. O'Brien has graduated three PhD students (Justin Easa, Sarah Pate, Hui Xu) and currently advises four doctoral candidates. Her research group secures continuous NSF support, including a $500,000 CAREER grant and recent funding for metastable state catalysis research, while developing instrumentation for simultaneous membrane spectroscopy and gas permeation analysis.

Research Infrastructure

The O'Brien Research Group operates from McCourtney Hall with specialized facilities for catalyst synthesis, in-situ spectroscopic characterization, and membrane testing, supporting collaborative projects with Notre Dame's Hessert Laboratory and multidisciplinary engineering initiatives.