Chemist (CSE)
Education: Bachelor of Science with honors in Chemistry and Mathematics (Egerton University, Kenya); Master of Science in Chemistry (Egerton University, Kenya); PhD in Analytical and Materials Chemistry (Binghamton University, NY)
Hobbies: Outdoor activities such as jogging and walking on trails, listening to gospel music and teachings, and showing kindness to others
Nancy Kariuki is a chemist in Argonne National Laboratory’s Chemical Sciences and Engineering (CSE) division, and she advances hydrogen as a future clean energy solution by researching the degradation processes of catalysts used in electrolyzers (a special apparatus that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen) and fuel cells.
Growing up on a farm in Kenya, Nancy had decided by early in high school that she wanted to be a scientist.
“Hard life experiences when I was growing up taught me early on that I needed a better life,” Nancy said. “At that time, education – especially the sciences – was a guaranteed path to uplift my life and that of my family. That may have triggered my brain to love and excel in the sciences.”
Nancy initially planned to become a pharmacist, so she took many math and chemistry courses. This in turn led to her earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry.
“Chemistry brought me to my current title, and I’m proud I took that route,” she said.
At Argonne, Nancy’s research accelerates hydrogen’s adoption as a clean and sustainable energy source that can be applied to transportation and other technologies. For instance, she studies how hydrogen electrolyzers and fuel cells degrade so she can improve their efficiency and lifespans. Her research supports the Argonne’s grand challenges to meet the Hydrogen Shot clean hydrogen cost target of $1/kg by 2030 and to provide more power and range for fuel cell trucks.
“One of the most exciting aspects of hydrogen is that it does not create carbon dioxide, and it can be produced without the use of carbon sources,” she said. “Done right, hydrogen could be a key climate solution, a fuel with near-zero climate impacts. I get excited when my contributions advance the development, demonstration and deployment of hydrogen fuel cells.”
In addition to enjoying her daily work in the laboratory, Nancy likes to teach science to students, mentoring undergraduates through summer internship programs such as the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI).
“It gives me a lot of pride when my students go on to pursue advanced degrees, especially ones related to hydrogen and fuel cells,” she said.
Nancy makes sure to encourage students to pursue opportunities for practical experience in science, technology, engineering and match (STEM), no matter how small they seem, and that they should not let doubts and fears discourage them.
“The opportunities in STEM are endless, and there is always some benefit from exposure,” she said. “Just be yourself and keep doing your best at what you are good at and enjoy doing. Commit to what you love and seek out the best experiences and people to nurture you. Setting goals and seeking help to achieve those goals will get you there.”