Biography 
I was born and raised in Hamden, CT, a large suburban town bordering New Haven, with my parents and my older and younger sister. I attended the local public high school where I graduated salutatorian of my class. While I was there I took a broad spread of AP classes including US History, Calculus, Physics, Psychology, and Latin to take advantage of the all opportunities that my school offered. I played trumpet for our school’s marching and concert band all throughout high school and was an active member of Boy Scout Troop 604 where I earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
I decided to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) after being awarded a college scholarship for excellence in math and science in high school. My strengths in chemistry and physics lead me to pursue chemical engineering. I earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with minors in chemistry and human factors (psychology). During my time at RPI I conducted undergraduate research with Prof. Plawsky on two projects, one on semiconductor dielectric failure and the other on photocatalysis kinetics, which would shape my decision to conduct materials-based energy research in graduate school. I was also a trumpet player and voting member in the RPI Pep Band and enjoyed watching weekly hockey games during the season. I am currently a second year Ph.D student in chemical engineering studying porous carbon nanofibers for energy applications under Prof. Joo at Cornell University.
Research Description 
My research involves creating and controlling pores in carbon fibers. Porous carbon materials have received a great deal of attention in energy storage due to their large internal surface area and mechanical strength. Popular energy storage applications for porous carbons include supercapacitors, lithium-ion battery anodes, lithium-air battery cathodes, hydrogen storage devices, and fuel cell electrodes. In each of these applications, the size and hierarchical structure of the pores in the carbon affect the diffusion through that carbon, its surface area, and its strength. Each application has its own optimal pore size distribution for its optimal carbon.
In particular, my research efforts are aimed toward lithium-air battery cathodes which are the current roadblock for advancing this intriguing battery technology. To make lithium-air batteries feasible, the cathode must have a large area surface of micropores to store the reduced lithium metal and have a system of meso- (2-50nm) and macro- (>50nm) pores to maximize diffusion and prevent pore blockage without compromising structural stability.
!Williams 1.PNG|align=right!In general I attempt to accomplish this by electrospinning solution blends of carbon fiber precursors and a sacrificial polymer into nanofibers and then carbonizing them. (Fig. 1) Electrospinning is a fiber spinning technique that can produce continuous sub-micron diameter fibers by generating a high voltage potential between a small syringe nozzle and a collecting plate which draws the bulk polymer solution into a fiber. The resultant nonwoven fiber is a macroporous mat of overlapping fibers which promotes quick diffusion to each fiber.
However, without the sacrificial polymer the carbon nanofibers have very little mesoporosity. Mesoporosity can be developed in electrospun nanofibers from phase separation in the polymer solution. Phase separation occurs when the solution’s solvent is removed because the two polymers in solution become too concentrated to remain homogenous. Electrospinning the polymer solution evaporates the solvent so quickly that it traps the polymers in the beginning stages of phase separation before the individual polymer domains can get very large. The nanofibers are then heat treated, removing the sacrificial polymer by thermal degradation. The carbon precursor remains behind as a sturdy carbon structure molded by the small domains of the sacrificial polymer. The resulting carbon fibers should have meso- and macro- scaled pores. (Fig. 2) Micropores can be added through additional processing to increase the surface area. 