Tianyi Zhou 
Postdoctoral Scholar (February 20, 2025 – Current)

Ph.D. Student (May 13, 2020 – December 18, 2024)
Email: tzhou2@g.clemson.edu

Tianyi received his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in May 2017 and his B.S. in Inorganic-Nonmetal Materials Science and Engineering from Hefei University of Technology in May 2015. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Materials Science & Engineering Department of Clemson University. His main research interests focus on studying Reactive Laser Sintering (RLRS) and 3-D printing of PCFC and SOFC. He also has experience in metal heat treatment and finite element analysis during his M.S. period. Dr. Zhou studied from May 13, 2020, to December 2024 in Prof. Tong’s group and is currently working as a postdoc, leading multiple advanced manufacturing projects.

Yuchen Zhang

Ph.D. Student (August 19, 2020 – Current)

Email: yuchen5@g.clemson.edu

Yuchen Zhang received his B.S. in Material Forming and Control Engineering from Tianjin University in June 2018. His previous research involves rare earth materials for structural or functional applications and welding technology optimization. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in the Materials Science & Engineering Department at Clemson University, with research interests mainly focused on the 3D printing of ceramic materials and their application for energy storage.

Yanfei Cai

Ph.D. Student (Aug 16, 2021- Current)

Email: yanfeic@g.Clemson.edu

Yanfei received her B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering from Zhengzhou University (China) and Materials Science & Technology from Nagaoka University of Technology (Japan) in 2017. After completing her master’s in Materials Physics at Nagoya University (Japan) in 2020, she joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University as a Ph.D. student inthe Sustainable Clean Energy Laboratory. Her previous research interests focused on combining photocatalysts and solar energy to make the splitting of water happen for energy conversion. Her current research is cost-effectively and repeatably fabricating high-performance protonic ceramic electrochemical cells.

Ph.D. Student

Patrick Kuzbary (August 18, 2021 – Current)

Email: pkuzbar@g.clemson.edu

Patrick Kuzbary received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Clemson University in May 2019. At Clemson, he worked in the Tong Group from the fall of 2018 to the spring of 2019, assisting with anode material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell for reactive laser sintering and 3D printing. Over the couple of years, Patrick worked at Savannah River National Lab as an Associate Engineer, assisting with various projects, including spark plasma sintering, mechanical testing, and failure analysis of various stainless steels. He is now working towards his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering under Dr. Tong, and his research is focusing on Reversible Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells utilizing 3-D printing.

Ryo Kitamura
Ph.D. Student (August 22, 2022 – Current)
Email: rkitamu@g.clemson.edu
Ryo received his M.S. and B.S in Materials Science and Engineering from Osaka University in 2018 and 2016. After working in industry, he joined Tong’s group. His current interest is in the development of an oxygen electrode without alkaline earth metals for extended stability, and the demonstration of
high water electrolysis/fuel cell performance for protonic ceramic electrochemical cells with the electrode.

Jacob Conrad

Ph.D. Student (August 22, 2022 – Current)

Email: jconra2@clemson.edu

Jacob received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University in May 2021.  After graduation, he worked briefly in industry as a materials data consultant before joining the SCEL in August 2022.  He is researching manufacturing methods for fuel cell devices, focusing on additive manufacturing techniques and laser-based processing of ceramic materials.  His current work focuses primarily on developing metal-supported protonic ceramic fuel cells.