First-year chemistry graduate student Daniel Robertson (Tolbert group) has been awarded a prestigious UCLA Alumni Association Fellowship.
The award, which is funded by a grant from the UCLA Foundation, was given to Daniel by the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences in recognition of his achievements.
Daniel “Danny” Robertson is a first-year materials chemistry graduate student in Professor Sarah Tolbert’s group working on understanding the mechanisms of phase transitions in Li-ion pseudocapacitors. His research interests broadly involve investigating the fundamental relationships between structure and function in materials for renewable energy applications. Danny graduated from Wesleyan University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. During his undergraduate studies he synthesized polyhedral Au and (Ag)Au nanoparticles and applied them as catalysts under the supervision of Professor Michelle Personick. Originally from Newport Beach, California, Danny now lives with his partner Max on the Sawtelle side of UCLA family housing. “In my free time, I enjoy the outdoors by hiking and going to the beach, and relaxing at home watching (currently) Monk, Jeopardy!, and the Great British Baking Show,” Danny said.
“Danny is very deserving of a first-year award,” said Professor Sarah Tolbert, his Ph.D. advisor. “He has an exceptional research record, an amazing aptitude and enthusiasm for research, and fantastic drive that makes science happen. On a personal level, he is a dedicated mentor and teacher. His research progress so far at UCLA has been outstanding, and it is clear to me that he will continue on that trajectory.”
Article and photo by Penny Jennings/UCLA Department of Chemistry & BIochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.
