Lauren Yasmin Moghimi | Student Spotlight
Lauren Yasmin Moghimi
PhD Student
Materials Science and Engineering
I am committed to living sustainably, minimizing single-use waste, and practicing "scrappy cooking" to reduce my carbon footprint. I take pride in inspiring my family and friends to adopt feasible, data-informed green habits that suit their lifestyles. At the same time, I recognize that the greatest environmental impact comes from large-scale industrial processes, which motivates my research.
In my research, I have developed experimental and analytical tools to study the kinetics of hydrogen-based iron oxide reduction, a sustainable approach to ironmaking. As part of the Dresselhaus-Marais group, I designed, built, and implemented a portable reaction chamber to examine the structural evolution of iron oxides in laser/hydrogen-reducing environments at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. With the steel industry accounting for ~8% of global CO2 production, there is a significant opportunity to reduce emissions by advancing more sustainable practices in steel manufacturing.
Beyond the lab, I'm passionate about mentoring high school and undergraduate students, guiding them through their own research projects and the graduate school application process. By demystifying research and higher education, I hope to inspire and encourage interested students who may not have considered research as a viable career path for them. I aim to show others that great science is driven by diverse personalities, experiences, and intellectual frameworks.
