Ian V. Lightcap

Ian V. Lightcap is the Research and Facilities Program Director at the Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy). He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry under Prashant Kamat, focusing on graphene-nanoparticle composites for energy applications. His roles include managing ND Energy’s Materials Characterization Facility (MCF), which supports materials, photovoltaic, and electrocatalyst research. Previously, he was a high school chemistry teacher and conducted research on semiconductor analysis and nuclear waste speciation.

Education: B.S. in Chemistry and Science Education from Bethel College (2003), and Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Notre Dame. Research interests span energy conversion, sustainable materials, and environmental chemistry. Awards include the 2012 Rohm and Haas Outstanding Graduate Student Award.

He oversees the MCF facility, aiding faculty and students in advanced materials characterization. His career bridges academic research, facility management, and educational outreach in sustainable energy.