Taigyu Joo
Graduate Student
Taigyu Joo grew up in Seoul, South Korea and Olympia, WA. Before joining the Smith group, he received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018. His undergraduate research under the supervision of Professor Litster focused on studying the deactivation mechanism of reversal-tolerant fuel cell anodes under voltage reversal conditions. During his undergraduate studies, he also worked with Professor Ho Seok Park at Sung Kyun Kwan University to study the integration of metal oxides into graphene materials for improved supercapacitor performance. In the Smith group, his current research works focus on precisely controlling the size and distribution of free volume elements in polymer gas separation membranes by functionalizing polymer backbones with labile functional groups. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and weight training.