Julia Su

Background

I was born and raised in Taiwan, and this is my first time living so far from home for an extended period. My passion for batteries developed during my undergraduate studies, where I worked in the SEED group at TaiwanTech under the supervision of Professor Bing-Joe Hwang. For environmental sustainability reasons, I focused on exploring alternatives to lithium-based batteries, such as calcium and sodium systems. Moving to the U.S. has been a big change, but I’m enjoying the sunny, beautiful weather in Santa Barbara and look forward to exploring everything this city has to offer. In my free time, I love spending time outdoors — hiking, camping, and traveling whenever I can!

Current Research

My research focuses on correlating the electronic structure and redox behavior of cathode materials with magnetic and nuclear probes such as NMR, EPR, and Magnetometry. Understanding the relationship between a material’s electronic structure and its redox properties is crucial for advancing rechargeable battery technologies, as these factors help identify the origins of performance degradation, such as capacity fade or structural disorder, and guides the design of next-generation cathode materials that are both more efficient and sustainable.  

Education

• 2025-Present – Graduate Student, Materials Department, UC Santa Barbara.
• 2021-2025 – B.S. in Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

Awards and Honors

• 2025: Fulbright Graduate Study Award.