He received his Ph.D. degree in materials science and chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 with honor and became an Initiative for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) postdoctoral research fellow at the Northwestern University in 2010. His main research interest is in the general area of material chemistry and assembly for energy harvesting and storage. He is the recipient of an America Chemical Society Petroleum Fund New Doctoral Investigator Award, and the Research Excellence Early Career Investigator Award by the Graduate Council at the University of California. He is also a die-hard fan of Red Sox and enjoys a cup of coffee at Blue Bottle and Sight glass.