Ethan Heffernan is a highly motivated and accomplished individual with a strong background in materials science and engineering. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Chemistry from Occidental College in 2019 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California Irvine in 2025. During his undergraduate studies, Ethan gained valuable research experience as a research assistant at Occidental College. He worked on various projects related to electrochemistry and materials characterization, honing his skills in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication. After completing his undergraduate degree, Ethan continued to pursue his passion for materials science and engineering by joining the research team at the University of California Irvine. As an electrochemical engineer, he has been involved in the development and optimization of new materials for energy storage and conversion applications. In addition to his academic and research pursuits, Ethan is also actively involved in community outreach and mentorship programs. He is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields and has volunteered with organizations that aim to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue careers in science and engineering. Ethan's extensive education and research experience, combined with his dedication to promoting scientific advancement and diversity in STEM, make him a valuable asset to any organization. He is eager to continue making meaningful contributions to the field of materials science and engineering and make a positive impact on society through his work.

Ethan Heffernan, PhD

Materials Engineer, PhD, with expertise in Polymer and Electrochemical devices

About

Publications

(Invited) Revealing Protonic Diode Properties of Bipolar Membranes Formed By Diffusion Doping

ECS Meeting Abstracts

2025

A nanoporous capacitive electrochemical ratchet for continuous ion separations

Unknown Venue

2023

Contributions of the electric potential difference of a membrane system under clamped ionic gradient

Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry and Interfacial Electrochemistry

1979

Education

University of California Irvine

Doctor of Philosophy, Materials Science and Engineering / June, 2025

Occidental College

Bachelor of Arts, Physics, Chemistry / 2019

Experience

University of California Irvine

Electrochemical Engineer, Ph.D. Research / August, 2019 — June, 2025

Developed and optimized polymer thin-film deposition processes using physical mechanical and chemical test data to enable data-driven optimization of electrochemical device performance. Synthesized novel organic compounds to functionalize polymers for electrochemical energy storage ion separation and baseline characterization. Engineered custom setups to evaluate device behavior under dynamic electrical thermal and environmental stress supporting root-cause analysis and driving corrective and preventative actions. Partnered with scientists and engineers to integrate novel materials into scalable deposition workflows creating SOPs that enabled reliable fabrication of functional electrochemical devices. Performed detailed failure analysis of device degradation using SEM-EDS FTIR-ATR and cross-sectional imaging pinpointing defect origins and enabling targeted corrective actions. Built Python-based analysis pipelines that automated correlation of fabrication parameters with performance metrics reducing manual analysis time by 95% and accelerating process optimization.

Occidental College

Undergraduate Research Assistant / July, 2016 — August, 2017

Designed and validated precision-machined components for a high-voltage dark matter detector in CAD ensuring compatibility with manufacturing and assembly constraints. Programmed a dynamic gas-mixing system in LabViewCVI for integration data acquisition hardware.

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