Larry is an Argonne Distinguished Fellow with a career spanning over four decades in quantum science and next-generation battery research. He has led significant initiatives, including serving as Senior Investigator at the DOE’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (2021–2023) and Deputy Director of the Center for Electrical Energy Storage (2019–2021). Larry is a pioneer in computational chemistry, authoring over 460 publications and developed quantum chemical methods critical for accurate energy calculations, and holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin (1974). His recent focus is on designing novel electrolytes and understanding charge and discharge chemistries in Li-ion, Li-O₂, and Li-S batteries. As a co-inventor on multiple patents and a Highly Cited Chemistry Researcher by ISI, his innovations continue to shape the future of energy storage.

Mohammad brings over a decade of experience in next-generation battery research, including the recent breakthrough solid-state lithium-air battery technology. He is also an Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at IIT, where he leads the Electrochemical Energy Materials & Devices Lab (e2MDL). Before joining IIT in 2017, he completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at UIC, a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Sharif University, and spent seven years in the oil and gas industry. His research focuses on advanced materials, electrocatalysis, and electrochemical energy storage, including metal-air and metal-ion batteries. A co-inventor on multiple lithium-air battery patents, he is dedicated to developing efficient, cost-effective energy storage systems aimed at replacing fossil fuels and advancing sustainable energy storage technologies.

Ben is a strategic leader with over two decades of cross-sector experience in emerging technology and commercialization. He holds a Master’s in Energy Engineering from the UIC, 2014, a Space Systems certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School, 2019, and is an alum of the Executive Finance Program at the University of Chicago, 2023. Ben has held key roles with the Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy and Acquisition & Sustainment, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of State, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and NASA. He entered the Federal Government in 2014 as a Presidential Management Fellow and served as a U.S. Navy Reserve S&T Officer. His career spans government affairs, business development, engineering, finance, and leadership in the electric vehicle manufacturing sector (air and ground).