2026–27 UT Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Announced
Eight outstanding graduate students from The University of Texas at Austin have been named recipients of the 2026-2027 UT Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Awards.
Funded by the Chevron Energy Graduate Fellowship Endowment established in 2023, these competitive annual awards provide generous stipends to student researchers whose work promises to transform the energy systems of the future.
“The University of Texas at Austin continues to stand out for the ambition, rigor, and real world impact of its graduate research,” said Chris Dillon, General Manager External Innovation, Chevron Technical Center. “From advancing lower carbon technologies to rethinking the future of global energy systems, these fellows are working on challenges that truly matter. Chevron is proud to support a cohort of scholars whose work has the potential to help deliver an energy future that is more affordable, reliable, and ever cleaner.”
“Our graduate students are at the forefront of solving complex technical, economic, and societal challenges across the global energy landscape,” said Brian Korgel, Rashid Engineering Regents Chair Professor and director of the Energy Institute. “The UT Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Awards provide critical support at a formative stage in these students’ careers, empowering them to pursue bold ideas, deepen interdisciplinary collaboration, and translate research into impact.”
Meet the Fellows
Cecelia Barr
Mcketta Department of Chemical Engineering
Cecelia studies catalyst design for the electrochemical conversion of CO2. She focuses on optimizing catalyst structure and composition for the selective production of high-value products and fuels.
Suin Choi
Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
Suin's research centers around explainable subsurface modeling through the use of physics and machine learning.
Sohini Dasgupta
Institute for Geophysics
Sohini's research advances subsurface carbon monitoring and imaging by developing multi-parameter seismic inversion methods that are extensively grounded in rock physics and wave physics. She studies physics-informed machine learning to accurately model complex viscoelastic and dispersion effects to capture associated fluid saturation within geological reservoirs. To overcome the immense computational demands of these models, her current work integrates next-generation quantum computing algorithms to deliver the scalable solutions crucial for the global energy transition.
Sunghyun Ko
Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
Sunghyun’s research focuses on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in shale reservoirs using aqueous ketone solutions. His work aims to enhance long-term oil recovery from existing wells and support energy security in the United States.
Kartik Mawa
Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
Kartik's research uses reservoir simulations to study how fracture networks and completion design influence long-term heat extraction in Enhanced Geothermal Systems, drawing on principles from oil and gas engineering across diverse geological settings. His work aims to improve geothermal system design and advance geothermal energy as a reliable low-carbon alternative to conventional power generation.
Pallavi Sahu
Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
Pallavi's research focuses on quantifying rock fabric and textural heterogeneity across pore-, core-, and well-log scales to improve formation evaluation in complex subsurface formations. This work supports more reliable reservoir characterization for applications including hydrocarbon recovery, CO₂ storage, and geothermal energy development.
Chunyang Zhang
Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
Chunyang's research combines computational methods and policy analysis to map global critical mineral supply chains, tracing ownership structures, processing bottlenecks, and concentration risks beyond the reach of existing assessments.
Tianrui Zheng
Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tianrui (Terry)’s research focuses on advancing reliable and sustainable energy storage technologies through the design of polymeric electrolytes. By leveraging the electro-chemo-mechanical properties of hydrogels, the research aims to improve the stability, durability, and scalability of aqueous batteries, enabling safer and environmentally friendly alternatives for grid-scale energy storage.
Chevron Fellows Awards Application Information
The 2026-2027 Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Awards Application is now closed. Review the call for applications and timeline here.
Questions?
Contact Energy Institute Director Brian Korgel