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Dr Michail Stamatakis
Associate Professor
Dept of Chemical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering Science
- Joined UCL
- 1st Aug 2012
Research summary
The energy problem, environmental and health issues pose major challenges for current societies. Catalysis and materials science can play a major role in overcoming such challenges with the engineering of tailored materials, suitable for applications such as the conversion of natural gas of biomass into chemicals or fuels, the storage of hydrogen, or the utilisation of CO2. Motivated by these challenges, my lab uses theory and simulation to understand the behaviour of catalysts at the molecular level, but also to guide experimentalists into designing materials with superior performance for given applications, such as methane valorisation, or biomass-derived oxygenates upgrade to fuels.
Teaching summary
My teaching approach aspires to develop students who set an example not only for scientific rigour and technical expertise, but also for leadership and ethical integrity. In the classroom, I encourage engagement by interacting with the students, and I make sure they have a firm understanding of the material taught. Technology is an integral part of my lecturing, as I make the most out of the excellent e-learning platforms available at UCL (AV Equipment, Moodle, LectureCast, Opinio Polls). When mentoring students on Research or Technical Design projects I place high priority on their development of communication and leadership skills, while exposing them to scientific and engineering problems that are intimately linked with the grand challenges humanity is currently facing.
Education
- Rice University, Houston
- PhD, Chemical Engineering | 2009
- National Technical University of Athens
- Dip., Chemical Engineering | 2004
Biography
Dr Michail Stamatakis obtained his Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (Greece) in 2004, having graduated 1st in his cohort. He subsequently joined Rice University (Houston, Texas, USA) for his Doctoral studies which he completed under the advising of Prof. Kyriacos Zygourakis in 2009. From 2009 to 2012, Dr Stamatakis performed post-doctoral research at the University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware, USA) in the research group of Prof. Dionisios G. Vlachos. He joined UCL in August 2012, where he is currently an Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering.