Jay is currently a PhD candidate in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. There, he studies electrocatalytic water splitting with Professors Joaquin Resasco and Delia Milliron. He studies the role electrochemical environments play to understand reaction mechanisms and how they can be used to enhance catalytic active sites.Jay graduated from Cornell University where he earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. He studied geothermal energy systems under Professor Jefferson William Tester based at Cornell's Energy Systems Institute. He studied advanced drilling techniques with supercritical fluids and chemical tracers to characterize the temperature and flow profiles of geothermal energy wells.Along with his research experience, Jay has industry experience working as an Associate Technical Operations Specialist Intern for Merck. At Merck, he was tasked with commissioning low-speed and high-speed centrifuges in the Outer Membrane Protein Complex (OMPC) purification manufacturing suite for Pedvax. Additionally, Jay performed prototype assessments and validation assessments for radiation sterilization for single-use product contact components (PCC) for Pedvax fermentation and purification. At Merck, Jay honed his technical communication and collaboration skills.Jay's enthusiasm is not limited to laboratory work or teaching; he is an avid fan of creative pursuits such as photography and filmmaking. In his free time he also enjoys spending time outdoors going on long runs, wandering through the woods, always equipped with a camera.