Dozens of researchers, students, experts and innovators gathered at The Ohio State University on Sept. 9 for the 2025 Solid Oxide Forum to network and discuss advancements, challenges and opportunities related to solid oxide research and technology.
The event was co-sponsored by the Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research (IMR) and organized by the Ohio Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Coalition (OFCHC), a 501(c)(6) nonprofit based in Elyria, Ohio. The coalition works to ensure Ohio’s regional and national presence in fuel cell and hydrogen opportunities through a variety of efforts. OFCHC Executive Director Bill Whittenberger and event organizer Scott Swartz welcomed attendees to the forum.
Two Ohio State faculty members spoke during the event. Umit Ozkan, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, presented “High-temperature electrocatalytic NH3 production from N2 and H2O in a Solid Oxide Electrolytic Cell,” while Shang Zhai, an assistant professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Earth Sciences, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, participated in a lightning round of presentations.
In those talks, Zhai was joined by Amanda Gibson, a senior engineer and technical program manager at Nexceris. Gibson worked with two faculty members hired through the IMR-operated Materials and Manufacturing for Sustainability Discovery Theme, including Jung-Hyun Kim, an associate professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Her internship with Nexceris grew into a collaborative project focused on improving battery energy density for next-generation cathode battery materials in IMR’s Energy Innovation Laboratory at Nanotech West Lab. The same year her internship began at Nexceris, Gibson was named among the top 10 poster presenters at IMR’s 2018 OSU Materials Week.
IMR Director of Innovation Jay Sayre helped welcome attendees to the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center in the Ohio State’s Innovation District and discussed the university’s role in energy advancement. Sayre was joined by OFCHC Executive Director Bill Whittenberger and OFCHC Chairman Scott Swartz, CTO and co-founder of Nexceris, who also gave opening remarks.
Other speakers from OFCHC members Nexceris, Standard H2, Kent State University and Petra Power, along with professors from the University of Connecticut, West Virginia University, and the Colorado School of Mines, as well as Dr. James Seaba, who serves as program director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).