Samji Samira

Samji Samira is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on rational design of electrocatalysts for energy conversion/storage systems, with emphasis on mixed metal oxides, alkali metal-air batteries, and photocatalytic processes. She employs in situ spectroscopy to study reaction mechanisms at catalytic surfaces.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California Santa Barbara (2024)
• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Wayne State University (2021)
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (2015)
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, BMS College of Engineering (2013)

Her research integrates surface chemistry principles with electrochemical engineering to develop novel catalysts for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions. Key themes include dynamic surface reconstruction in non-stoichiometric oxides and trace element effects on catalytic performance.

Grant Activities:

• Focuses on DOE-funded projects related to energy storage systems
• Investigates NREL initiatives for advanced photocatalytic materials

Laboratory Work: Leads the Advanced Catalysis & Energy Storage Lab at Virginia Tech, specializing in operando spectroscopic characterization and high-throughput catalyst screening.