Nelson Yaw Dzade

Nelson Dzade is an energy and materials scientist who uses advanced computer modeling to design cleaner energy technologies while also building global collaborations and mentoring the next generation of scientists, especially across Africa. He is an assistant professor and chair of the undergraduate Energy Engineering Program at Penn State, where he leads the Materials and Minerals Theory Group, an interdisciplinary research team working at the intersection of chemistry, physics, materials science, and machine learning. His research focuses on understanding materials at the atomic level to support innovations in renewable energy, including solar cells, catalysts for hydrogen production and carbon dioxide conversion, and next-generation batteries.