Research Summary
Theory and simulation of electrochemical systems; sustainable energy storage and water treatment; molecular simulations and statistical mechanics
Profile
Assistant: Irina Meininger
Kara joined CCE as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering in June 2025. She was previously a Schmidt Science Fellow and Trinity College Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, where she worked with Prof. Angelos Michaelides and Prof. Clare Grey. She earned her PhD in 2022 from the University of California, Berkeley, where she developed theory for ion transport in Li-ion batteries.
Kara's research group aims to integrate theory and simulation across length scales to study electrochemical systems for sustainable energy storage and water treatment. Outside of work, Kara is an avid birdwatcher.
2026-27
ChE 103 abc. Transport Phenomena.
9 units (3-0-6); first, second, third terms, 2026-27.
Prerequisites: ACM 95/100 ab or concurrent registration; ChE 101 required for ChE 103 c or instructor's permission.
A rigorous development of the basic differential equations of conservation of momentum, energy, and mass in fluid systems. Solution of problems involving fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer.
Instructors: Fong (a), Dingilian (b), Staff (c)
Instructors: Fong (a), Dingilian (b), Staff (c)
ChE 150. Computational Methods in Chemical Engineering.
3-0-9; first term, 2026-27.
Prerequisites: introductory linear algebra (Ma 1abc), partial differential equations (ACM 95ab), chemical thermodynamics (ChE 63ab), transport phenomena (ChE 103abc), reaction kinetics (Ch 1ab), and introductory computational methods (ChE 15) or equivalent..
Computational methods for solving chemical engineering problems in transport, thermodynamics, and kinetics. Topics include numerical linear algebra, discretization techniques for ordinary and partial differential equations, optimization, and statistical methods for uncertainty quantification and data interpretation. The course emphasizes implementing these methods in code and developing reproducible scientific coding practices.
Instructor: Fong
Instructor: Fong
2025-26
ChE 103 abc. Transport Phenomena.
9 units (3-0-6); first, second, third terms, 2025-26.
Prerequisites: ACM 95/100 ab or concurrent registration; ChE 101 required for ChE 103 c or instructor's permission.
A rigorous development of the basic differential equations of conservation of momentum, energy, and mass in fluid systems. Solution of problems involving fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer.
Instructors: Fong (a), Shapiro (b), Manthiram (c)
Instructors: Fong (a), Shapiro (b), Manthiram (c)