John Kirtleyمشاهده پروفایل
دانشیار
Dr. John Kirtley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry at Montana Technological University, part of the Lance College of Mines & Engineering. His research is aligned with renewable energy, biomaterials, nanomaterials, and energy storage materials, with a focus on high-temperature chemical processes for environmental sustainability. Dr. Kirtley earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Montana State University in 2015, followed by a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the US Naval Research Laboratory and a postdoctoral position at Washington State University. He joined Montana Tech in 2019 as a Visiting Assistant Professor and was promoted to Assistant Professor (2019–2023) and then Associate Professor (2023–present). His research centers on alternative energy technologies, particularly solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), where he integrates operando Raman, infrared, and thermal imaging techniques to study high-temperature electrochemistry. Earlier work involved biochar as a tunable platform for removing aqueous pollutants, reflecting a consistent theme of sustainable materials and environmental applications. His recent publications span topics in protonic ceramic fuel cells, anode characterization, spatially heterogeneous chemistry in SOFCs, and waste biomass valorization. These works reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend combining materials synthesis, spectroscopy, and energy conversion, with a focus on real-time, in situ analysis of dynamic chemical systems. Notable awards include the competitive National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship and repeated nominations for the Rose and Anna Busch Faculty Achievement Award. He also served as an alumni panelist for the Office of Naval Research in 2023. National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016) Rose and Anna Busch Faculty Achievement Award Nominee (2022, 2023) Alumni Panelist, ONR NURP Review Meeting (2023) Dr. Kirtley has secured over $0.5 million in research funding through the Army Research Lab cooperative agreement, supporting both graduate and undergraduate researchers in the Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. program. He actively mentors students and integrates them into high-impact research projects. He teaches core chemistry courses including Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Computational Chemistry. He is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Electrochemical Society. His laboratory emphasizes advanced materials fabrication, electrochemical analysis, and the integration of optical spectroscopy for studying extreme-environment chemical processes.










