Eugene Mananga

Institution/Organization: Bronx Community College of CUNY

Department: Engineering, Physics, and Technology

Academic Status: Faculty

Biography:

Dr. Eugene Mananga is a Doctoral Faculty in the Ph.D. Programs in Physics & Chemistry at The City University of New York (CUNY) and an Assistant Professor of Physics at Bronx Community College of CUNY. During the years 2021, 2020 and 2019, Eugene was selected in the Visiting Faculty Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at Argonne National Laboratory. Eugene completed his Ph. D in Physics from The City University of New York and holds 6 additional graduate degrees and training from various institutions including Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and City College of New York. Eugene did his postdoctoral studies in the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and MGH. Prior to joining Harvard-MGH, Dr. Mananga was an “Ingenieur de Recherche” in the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA-SACLAY, NEUROSPIN). Dr. Mananga is the recipient of many distinguished scientific awards including, the 2017 Henry Wasser Award of Physics from The City University of New York Academy Humanities and Sciences and the 2018 Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Chemical Society.

Motivation:

My motivation stems from the fact that this program is exceptionally computational. I plan to perform extensive structural characterization of LPSI by using advanced SSNMR complemented by computational methods based on DFT framework. The SRP program will provide my students and I the opportunity to learn about others research interests and identify possibilities for collaborative work. During the last two years, I had appointments in the Visiting Faculty Program of the Department of Energy at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, 2021, 2020) working remotely, which gave me the opportunities to deepen my understanding in energy storage and batteries research. I focused on reviewing the works on the evolution of lithium-ion batteries from the Conventional, to the Advanced, to the State-of-the-Art, and to the hybridized. I did not get the opportunity to perform any computational work. The SRP program is an excellent opportunity for me to learn about computing applications beyond my area of research, and bring my students with me to LBNL for the summer. I am motivated because me and my students will be able to network through the SRP program, discuss research collaborations, and make long-lasting connections. Many of my students are from underrepresented groups. They are enthusiastic and they understand the value of the Sustainable Research Pathways Program, and its ability to open many doors for them and faculty. The SRP program will place them in a position to make the connections they need in order to develop collaborative relationships and find opportunities in academia as well as in national laboratories. Participating in this summer research program with my students will allow us to make new contacts, and to conduct work that will set my students apart from other candidates when applying for graduate programs, and competing on a global level. From the experience gained during this program, most of my students will be qualified to apply for top-tier graduate schools. My motivation for participating in the SRP program is also because it will increase my own research and technical skills, expose me to new research, collaborations, and funding opportunities, and will increase my confidence and ability to encourage students to apply for internships. Finally, I am motivated because I will learn DFT calculations, which I will be using to study LIB materials. The combined NMR/DFT approach allows discussing the chemical bonds in different materials from a solid-state chemistry perspective to be possible.