Fall 2024: We expect to add 1-3 graduate students to our team this year, depending on funding and developing collaborations. Available projects are primarily in the area of H2 activation, storage, and utilization and related chemistries. We are especially interested in adding students with broad interests in physical/analytical/inorganic/materials chemistry. While we have some synthesis to do, our immediate focus will be on making good measurements and using them to understand the thermodynamics and kinetics of our systems; this includes opportunities for those interested in spectroscopy and potentially electrochemistry. Within those broad guidelines, there are multiple possible project – come talk with us to learn more!
New Penn State Graduate Students
Choosing / matching with a graduate advisor is the most important decision of your professional life, at least up to this point in your career. It also represents a 5-year commitment to the professional and personal development of every student in the group. This involves the group’s commitments to everyone’s growth as a scientist / engineer, fostering a group atmosphere that enables everyone to succeed, and working to raise research funds to pay salaries: it costs over $250,000 to support a graduate student for 5 years.
One of the most important functions of the group is fostering a productive, supportive atmosphere where we are all invested and committed to one another’s success. Finding students with diverse interests and expertise, who are committed both to our research work and to the well-being of the research group as a whole is paramount in adding new group members. Given the importance of the matching process to both students and faculty, we invest a considerable amount of time in this process every year . This means trying to get to know interested students as best we can during the limited fall selection process. Every graduate student should consider the impact of this decision on your career and match the time and energy you put into the process with your personal needs and professional goals.
The Chandler Lab can be a great fit for Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science students, but the programs have slightly different timelines and processes for matching students and advisors. Please read the current projects page and read through some of our recent papers so you have a general idea of the types of research in the group. New projects often emerge from our latest research progress, especially as we identify new collaborations. Once you are familiar with our work, please access the following questionnaire, which helps us manage the different processes across departments and programs:
Graduate Student Questionnaire
Note: you will need a PSU email account to access the poll. If you are having trouble, make sure you are logged into your browser through your PSU account – that usually takes care of the issue. If not, please reach out to Dr. Chandler asap.
Dr. Chandler will follow up with each interested student with additional questions to help identify more specific research interests and to schedule meetings / lab rotations.
Chemistry students: In order to be fair to everyone involved in preceptor selection across the Department, I will limit the number of student rotations to ~2x the number of positions I expect to have in any given year. Please fill out the initial questionnaire before classes start in the fall so that I can get everyone scheduled. If I run out of space, I will be able to let you know by Sept 1 so that you can schedule rotations with other faculty. I will be happy to direct you towards faculty with whom we are developing collaborations.
Current Penn State Undergraduates
We expect to have several research opportunities for undergraduates this year – especially for motivated first and second year students. Details and a brief questionnaire coming soon – please check back here a week before Fall 2024 classes start.
Prospective International Students:
Coming soon