Beth Landis is a materials chemist who is interested in applying surface chemistry to solar energy collection and storage.

Beth received a PhD in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2010. She previously completed a BA in chemistry and mathematics from Williams College in 2005. At the University of Wisconsin, Beth developed methods for attaching molecules to vertically aligned carbon nanofibers and studied the electronic properties of the resulting interfaces. This work demonstrated the suitability of the nanofibers for use in fuel cells and for energy storage.

As a Henson Environmental Fellow, Beth worked with Professor Cynthia Friend in the chemistry department to study how surface layers of titanium dioxide can be doped to change and control the optical properties of the material. This work focused on tuning this abundant metal oxide to harvest solar energy.

Faculty Host

Eric Mazur and Michael P. Brenner, Chemistry and Chemical Biology