Directors
Wei Lu
Co-Director, University of Michigan
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Margaret Wooldridge
Co-Director, University of Michigan
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Larry Nitz
Co-Director, General Motors
Executive Director of Global Electrical Systems,
Hybrids, Electric Vehicles, and Batteries
External Corporate Consulting, Design and Development Partner
Sakti3
Dr. Ann Marie Sastry/Chief Executive Officer
Executive Board Members
Greg Cesiel
Engineering Group Manager, Electrification, Advanced Technical Work, and Collaboration
General Motors
Ronn Jamieson
Director, Global Battery Systems (Power)
General Motors
Wei Lu
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Mark Mathias
Director, Material and Cell Research
General Motors
Larry Nitz
Executive Director and Global Functional Leader, Electrification
General Motors
Bill Wallace
Director, Global Battery Systems (Energy)
General Motors
Margaret Wooldridge
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Faculty and Research Scientists
Bart Bartlett
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
University of Michigan
Professor Bartlett is an inorganic materials chemist whose research group focuses on synthesis methods to control particle size of oxide-based electrode materials used in electric vehicles. Our methods are generally applicable to current technologies and next generation materials. With materials of varying particle size, we can elucidate the basic electrochemical characteristics and measure charge transport phenomena.
Christian Lastoskie
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Christian Lastoskie is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He conducts research on interphase composition and transport processes in battery cells using atomistic simulation. He also performs environmental impact assessments of battery electric vehicle assembly and operation using life cycle analysis methodologies. Prof. Lastoskie’s broader research interests at the energy/environment interface include the development of new absorbent materials for carbon dioxide capture from combustion gases, and climate change impacts on water use for electric power generation.
Greg Less
Research Investigator, Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Greg Less is an Inorganic Materials Chemist with seven years in the Alternative Energy field, primarily focusing on lithium ion batteries. He does not enjoy long walks on the beach or romantic candlelit dinners, but does like spending time with his family.
Wei Lu
Co-Director, GM/UM Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Professor Lu uses multi-scale and multi-physics modeling and experimental approaches to address emerging challenges in energy, nanomechanics and mechanobiology across multiple scales. Examples include self-assembled nanostructures and their applications in materials, mechanics, energy and biological systems, morphological evolution and properties of nano/micro scale structures, and mechanical electrochemical processes in Li-ion battery systems. He serves as associate editor for the Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience and is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Joaquim Martins
Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Professor Martins is an Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. Since 2002, he has headed the Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) Laboratory, which aims to assist the design of coupled engineering systems through the use of numerical methods for analysis and design optimization. At ABCD, he is working on the development of multi-scale models for cell performance analysis, as well as the implementation of numerical optimization tools to improve the design of batteries.
Jonghyun Park
Assistant Research Scientist, Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Dr. Park’s research is focused on applied battery research for transportation; battery system analysis and tests; advanced battery development; and mechanics and self-assembly of nanostructures.
Gregory L. Plett
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Director, GATE Center of Excellence in Innovative Drivetrains in Electric Automotive Technology Education
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Dr. Plett’s research is focused on control-systems theory as applied to the management and control of high-capacity battery systems, such as those found in hybrid and electric vehicles. Current research efforts include: physics-based reduced-order modeling of ideal lithium-ion dynamics; system identification of physics-based model parameters using only current-voltage input-output data; physics-based reduced-order modeling of degradation mechanisms in electrochemical cells; estimation of cell internal state and degradation state; state-of-charge, state-of-health and state-of-life estimation.
Ann Marie Sastry
Chief Executive Officer
Sakti3
Dr. Sastry was the Founding Director of the GM/UM ABCD. As the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Engineering at University of Michigan, she led teams working in applied and fundamental problems in mathematics, mechanics, biology and electrochemistry. Dr. Sastry is now CEO of Sakti3, an advanced battery manufacturing startup, recognized by MTI Technology Review as one of its Top 10 Technology Companies (2011) and one of its Top 5 Most Innovative Companies (2012).
Wei Shyy
Provost, Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
M. Scott Trimboli
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Dr. Trimboli’s areas of research interest include control theory, system modeling and identification, and vibration suppression in flexible structures. Current research involves the application of model predictive control and efficient optimization techniques to improve the lifetime and performance of lithium ion batteries. Specific research focus is the minimization of battery degradation by using physics-based electrochemical models of internal cell dynamics for advanced battery management and control.
Anton Van der Ven
Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Professor Van der Ven is interested in understanding and predicting equilibrium and non-equilibrium materials properties from first-principles. He combines electronic structure methods (density functional theory) with techniques from statistical mechanics to calculate thermodynamic and kinetic properties of new materials, including oxides and structures of assembled nano-particles for battery and fuel cell components, metallic alloys, alloy surfaces for catalysis and organic electronic materials.
Margaret Wooldridge
Co-Director, GM/UM Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
University of Michigan
Professor Wooldridge is internationally recognized for her work synthesizing novel, high value materials for energy storage, sensors, catalysts and other applications. Her work focuses on understanding the links between composition and morphology and device performance. Professor Wooldridge is also a leading researcher on combustion, power and propulsion systems.
Research Staff
Lukas Aldrich
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Battery Controls Engineer
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Wenbo Du
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Aerospace Engineering
University of Michigan
Ethan Eagle
Research Fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Joseph Gallegos
Research Fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Sangwoo Han
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Xiaoguang Hao
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Chemistry
University of Michigan
Kiana Karami
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Sangmin Lee
Research Fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Seungjun Lee
Research Fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Yoon Koo Lee
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Xianke Lin
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Guangyu Liu
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Lin Liu
Research Fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Sahithya Reddivari
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Michigan
Hosop Shin
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
Kirk Stetzel
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Battery Controls Engineer
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Nansi Xue
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Aerospace Engineering
University of Michigan
Administrative Staff
David Karczynski
Editor
Leah Wright
Center Administrator