Laura Schelhas

Laura Schelhas is a prominent researcher and group manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She currently serves as the Group Manager of the Hybrid and Nanoscale Materials Chemistry Group at NREL.12

Educational Background

Laura Schelhas holds a strong academic foundation in chemistry:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Michigan State University1
• PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), completed in 20131

Career Progression

Dr. Schelhas has had a notable career trajectory:

1. Postdoctoral Researcher: Following her PhD, she worked at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory from 2014 to 2016.13

2. Staff Scientist: In 2016, she joined the Applied Energy Division at SLAC as a staff scientist.13

3. Leadership Roles: Prior to her current position, she served as the deputy director of the Applied Energy Division and the group leader for the Grid Integration, Systems & Mobility (GISMo) Lab at SLAC.1

4. Current Position: Group Manager of the Hybrid and Nanoscale Materials Chemistry Group at NREL.24

Research Interests

Dr. Schelhas's research focuses on:

• The intersection between photovoltaic reliability, emerging new technologies, and materials characterization14
• In-situ and operando methods to study both the formation and degradation of optoelectronic materials1
• The influence of nanoscale architecture on the materials properties in magnetic and magnetoelectric materials (during her doctoral studies)1

Her work contributes significantly to the field of renewable energy and materials science, particularly in the development and improvement of photovoltaic technologies.