KEVIN WUJCIK
2016 Channing Way
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Berkeley, CA 94704
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wujcik@berkeley.edu
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(856) 313-9220
EDUCATION
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (GPA 3.78/4.0)
Dissertation Title: X-ray absorption spectroscopy of lithium sulfur battery reaction mechanisms
Advisor: Nitash Balsara
B.S.
Drexel University, Chemical and Biological Engineering (GPA 3.90/4.0)
RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Graduate Student Researcher - University of California, Berkeley
August 2011 – May 2016
 Studied lithium sulfur battery reaction mechanisms by performing in situ X-ray spectroscopyelectrochemistry on newly designed solid state, pouch cell batteries
 Analyzed spectroscopy data by collaborating with scientists performing molecular dynamic simulations
and theoretical spectroscopy calculations
 Examined disproportionation reactions of lithium sulfur battery reaction intermediates by using X-ray
spectroscopy and principal component analysis
 Designed and built heating stages for use in ultra-high vacuum environments
Undergraduate Researcher - Drexel University
September 2009 – June 2011
 Developed and optimized process to produce composite fuel cell electrodes containing Nafion nanofibers
covered in catalyst aggregates
 Assembled and tested fuel cells containing newly developed composite electrodes
 Researched electrospraying of platinum catalyst aggregates and optimized spray solution parameters via
droplet size and deposition rate
Undergraduate Engineer – Merck & Co., West Point, PA
March 2009 – September 2009
 Wrote technical memo to support Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filing of Atorvastatin
combination product
 Enabled commercial sale of oxygen-sensitive drug by using Design of Experiment approach to determine
best oxygen scavenger/packaging configuration
 Developed and optimized pilot scale equipment for large-scale packaging of oxygen-sensitive granulation
Research Assistant - Treadstone Technologies, Princeton, NJ
April 2008 – September 2008
 Developed thermal spray operation to produce corrosion resistant fuel cell bipolar plates
 Optimized plate production procedure by comparing bipolar plate resistivity to corrosion and electrical
conductivity to process parameters
 Assembled and tested hydrogen-air fuel cells
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Undergraduate Student Mentor – University of California, Berkeley
Aditya Raghunathan
January 2015 – Present
 Studied lithium-sulfur battery electrolyte composition using electron spin resonance spectroscopy
Volunteer Instructor – Berkeley High School
Students for Environmental Energy Development
August 2014 – Present
 Taught high school juniors and seniors scientific principles behind different sustainable energy
technologies (batteries, solar cells, hydro-power, thermoelectric energy, and wind power)
Graduate Student Instructor – University of California, Berkeley
Chemical Engineering Laboratory
January 2014 – May 2014
 Taught students how to operate bench-scale chemical engineering equipment that fostered principles of
distillation, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, pressure swing adsorption, gas separation
Chemical Process Design
January 2013 – May 2013
 Guided students in designing chemical plants for crude oil distillation, ethane production, synthetic gas
production from biomass, and sulfur production from sour gas and oil
AWARDS
 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Award (Delaware Valley Section), 2010
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Prof. John Tallmadge Endowed Scholarship in Chemical Engineering, 2010
I. Ray Dunlap Scholarship, 2010
Students Tackling Advanced Research (STAR) Stipend Recipient, 2007
SKILLS
 Laboratory (Techniques): polymer spin coating, polymer membrane casting, Fourier transform infrared
(FTIR) spectroscopy, ellipsometry, UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, battery cycling,
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, pouch cell battery assembly, coin cell battery assembly,
electrospinning, electrospraying, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS), thermal spray, fuel cell assembly
 Computer: Microsoft Office, Endnote, Matlab, COMSOL, Igor PRO, Aspen HYSYS, EC-Lab,
AutoCAD, Sketchup
 Personal: Strong communication skills (verbal and written), hard-working, experienced problem solver
REFEREED PUBLICATIONS
1. Wang, D. R.; Wujcik, K.; Teran, A.; Balsara, N. P.; “Conductivity of Block Copolymer Electrolytes
Containing Lithium Polysulfides.” Macromolecules 2015, 48 (14), 4863-4973
2. Wujcik, K.; Pascal, T.; Pemmaraju, C.D.; Devaux, D.; Stolte, W.C.; Prendergast, D.; Balsara, N.P.
“Characterization of Polysulfide Radicals Present in an Ether-Based Electrolyte of a Lithium–Sulfur
Battery During Initial Discharge Using In Situ X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Experiments and FirstPrinciples Calculations” Advanced Energy Materials 2015, 5 (16)
3. Pascal, T.; Wujcik, K.; Velasco-Velez, J.; Wu, C.; Teran, A.; Kapilashrami, M.; Cabana, J.; Guo, J.;
Salmeron, M.; Balsara, N.P. ; Prendergast, D. “X-ray Absorption Spectra of Dissolved Polysulfides in
Lithium-Sulfur Batteries from First-Principles.” Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2014, 5(9), 15471551
4. Wujcik, K.; Velasco-Velez, J.; Wu, C.; Pascal, T.; Teran, A.; Marcus, M.; Cabana, J.; Guo, J.;
Prendergast, D.; Salmeron, M.; Balsara, N.P. “Fingerprinting Lithium-Sulfur Battery Reaction Products
by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy” Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2014, 161(6), A1100-A1106
5. Wang, X.; Richey, F.; Wujcik, K.; Ventura, R.; Mattson, K.; Elabd, Y. “Effect of Polytetrafluoroethylene
on Ultra-Low Platinum Loaded Electrospun/Electrosprayed Electrodes in Proton Exchange Membrane
Fuel Cells.” Electrochemica Acta 2014, 129, 217-224
6. Wang, X.; Richey, F.; Wujcik, K.; Elabd, Y. “Ultra-low platinum loadings in polymer electrolyte
membrane fuel cell electrodes fabricated via simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying method”
Journal of Power Sources 2014, 264, 42-48
PATENTS
1. “Ion conducting nanofiber fuel cell electrodes” Elabd, Y.; Richey, F.; Wujcik, K.; US Patent Application
13/966,556 (2013)
PRESENTATIONS
 Wujcik, K.; Pascal., T.; Stolte, W.; Prendergast, D.; Balsara, N.P.; “Evidence of lithium polysulfide
radical species in lithium-sulfur batteries” American Physical Society Meeting, San Antonio, TX, March
2015
 Wujcik, K.; Velasco-Velez, J.; Wu, C.; Pascal., T.; Prendergast, D.; Salmeron, M.; Balsara, N.P.; “In Situ
X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Lithium-Sulfur Battery Discharge/Charge Reaction Mechanisms”
Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Cancun, Mexico, October 2014
 Wujcik, K.; Velasco-Velez, J.; Wu, C.; Pascal., T.; Prendergast, D.; Salmeron, M.; Balsara, N.P.; “X-Ray
Absorption Spectroscopy of Lithium-Sulfur Battery Discharge/Charge Reaction Intermediates” Meeting
of the Electrochemical Society, San Francisco, CA, October 2013
 Wujcik, K.; Pascal., T.; Prendergast, D.; Balsara, N.P.; “X-ray absorption spectroscopy of reaction
intermediates of lithium-sulfur batteries dissolved in polymer electrolytes” American Physical Society
Meeting, Baltimore, MD, March 2013