Elizabeth R Corson

Dr. Elizabeth R. Corson is the Fred Kurata Assistant Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Kansas School of Engineering. Her research focuses on converting waste materials into valuable products through electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes using renewable energy. She directs the Corson Lab, which develops sustainable technologies for environmental challenges.

Education:

• Postdoc: Chemical Engineering, Stanford University (2021-2023)
• PhD: Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (2020)
• BS: Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology (2011)

Research thrusts:

• Waste to Fuels: Electrochemical CO₂ reduction
• Resources from Wastewater: Nitrate reduction to ammonia
• Sustainable Chemicals: C–N coupling for urea production

The Corson Lab employs advanced techniques including nanostructured plasmonic electrodes, in situ spectroscopy, and electrochemical cell design to improve reaction selectivity and efficiency. Her work addresses climate change through carbon capture and sustainable agriculture through nutrient recovery.

Awards and Honors:

• TomKat Center Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-2023)
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2015-2020)
• Rising Star in Chemical Engineering, MIT (2019)
• Next Generation Electrochemistry Fellow (2019)

Dr. Corson leads a research team including 2 postdoctoral researchers, 4 graduate students, and 5 undergraduate researchers. Her lab is affiliated with the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis and utilizes specialized equipment for electroanalysis, nanomaterial synthesis, and reaction characterization.