Wes Chang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, and an affiliated faculty member of the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, and Chemical and Biological Engineering, at Drexel University. Prof. Chang completed his B.S. (2014) and M.S. (2016) in Chemical Engineering at Stanford, and his Ph.D. (2021) in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Princeton. After completing his doctoral thesis on lithium metal batteries, he obtained Postdoctoral experience at Columbia University and Caltech. He is the recipient of The Electrochemical Society F.M. Becket Fellowship, the Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences, the Drexel Longsview Fellowship and Scholarly Materials and Research Equipment Award, the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, the American Chemical Society PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award, and The Electrochemical Society Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship. Outside of academia, he has previously worked in the battery industry and management consulting for energy and utilities, and regularly serves as a technical advisor to energy-focused startup companies and investment firms.
Current Team Members
Postdoctoral Researchers
PhD, Chemistry, Northwestern
BS, Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon
PhD Students
Mechanical Engineering
BS, Engineering with Minor in Chemistry, Swarthmore
Mechanical Engineering
BS, Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern
Materials Science and Engineering
BS, Engineering Science – Materials, with Minor in Mathematics, Emory
Materials Science and Engineering
BS and MS in Chemistry, Chiang Mai University
Master’s Students
Undergraduate Students
Group Awards
2025 – Drexel Outstanding Mentorship Award (André Tayamen), The Electrochemical Society Battery Division Travel Grant (André Tayamen), Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST) Scholarship from the Royal Government of Thailand (Peter Mahamai), George Hill, Jr. Endowed Fellowship (Peter Mahamai), Coherent / II-VI Foundation Scholarship (Noah Sturm)
2024 – George Hill, Jr. Endowed Fellowship (Isabela Galoustian), Drexel Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant Award (Ariela Sinani), Drexel Undergraduate Travel Grant Award (Ariela Sinani)
2023 – Seiberlich Award (Fatima Tariq, André Tayamen), George Hill, Jr. Endowed Fellowship (Fatima Tariq)
Alumni
Postdoctoral Researchers
Ananya Maddegalla 10/2024 – 9/2025
Taber Yim 1/2025 – 7/2025. Next role: Research Scientist at CapyBara Energy
Master’s Students
Andy Cherney – Data Science, 11/2024 – 7/2025. Next role: Data Science Specialist at Merck
Yixiang Zhang – Mechanical Engineering, 1/2025 – 6/2025. Next role: Battery Cell Engineer at Fuxi Energy
Amal Ashok – Robotics and Automation, 1/2025 – 6/2025. Next role: Robotics Hardware Engineer at EV Bots, Inc.
Awin Taib – Mechanical Engineering, 10/2023 – 09/2024. MS Thesis: Temperature and Rate Capability Effects on Sodium Ion Batteries, https://doi.org/10.17918/00010748. Next role: Mechanical Engineer at Colliers Design and Engineering
Undergraduate Students
Emily Simkovich – Mechanical Engineering (Drexel), Summer 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Grayson Hardwick – Drexel STAR Scholar, Summer 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Dominic Silva – Drexel STAR Scholar, Summer 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Tanisha Shibu Thomas – Drexel STAR Scholar, Summer 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Michael Steuber – Computer Science (Drexel), Fall 2023 – Winter 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Jaronn Sigey-Ronoh – Mechanical Engineering (Drexel), Summer 2024 – Winter 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Monalisa Hait – Mechanical Engineering (Drexel), Fall – Winter 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
Bradley Bell – Chemistry (Drexel), Fall – Winter 2025. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel
JiYoon Kang – Bryn Mawr College, Summer 2024. Next role: MS at UPenn
Isabella Wu – Imperial College London, Summer 2024. Next role: Undergraduate at Imperial College London
Gabe Jacobsen – Mechanical Engineering (Drexel), Fall – Winter 2024. Next role: Undergraduate Co-op at Trojan Battery
Noah Woods – Mechanical Engineering (Drexel), Fall – Winter 2024. Next role: Undergraduate at Drexel