A short film featuring Kaner group researcher Dr. Maher El-Kady (Ph.D. ’13) has been selected as a finalist for the Jackson Wild Media Awards in the Science & Nature – Short Form category.
The seven-minute film, “Energy to Spare: Building Better Batteries”, highlights El-Kady’s cutting-edge research at UCLA on next-generation battery technology, with a focus on zinc-ion batteries, as a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Chemistry graduate students from the Kaner group also appear in the film. Read more about the film and El-Kady here.
“It’s a real honor to be included among the finalists”, El-Kady said. “It’s a great example of how our department continues to connect research with broader public engagement.”
The film takes viewers on an engaging, science-driven journey into the world of energy storage. Through a mix of exploding batteries, animated demonstrations, and a bowling alley showdown, the film explains how batteries work and why they’re critical to our clean energy future.
The Jackson Wild Awards are considered one of the most prestigious honors in science and nature media — often referred to as the “Oscars of Nature Films”.
The film was produced by the Emmy-nominated team at DaysEdge Productions, and supported by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, whose commitment to science communication made this project possible.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
