The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) announced they are joining forces to co-host the Next Generation Electrochemistry (NGenE) workshop Monday through Friday. 

“This boom presents a workforce challenge in attracting and training the next generation of electrochemists,” said Venkat Srinivasan, director for Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS) and the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR).

The NGenE workshop, initiated by UIC in 2016, serves as a prominent platform for advancing electrochemical science. It brings together postdoctoral and graduate students, along with renowned lecturers, for a week-long exploration of advanced topics in electrochemistry. This week's workshop, themed "Electrify All the Things," aligns well with Argonne's expertise in electrochemistry according to a news release.

“There is an incredible boom in areas like research on energy storage and building of batteries. Electrochemistry is becoming a lynchpin in advancing those and other clean energy technologies,” Srinivasan said. “We are excited to elevate our role in the NGenE workshop this year. 

“Argonne has always been a strong supporter of NGenE and has provided lecturers and tours of the laboratory," he added. "But this year we hope to provide a learning experience that interlaces the unique capabilities of a national laboratory with the rigorous learning experiences UIC has been leading for years.”

Jordi Cabana is a group leader in the Materials Science Division with a joint appointment at UIC.

“First and foremost the close partnership with Argonne will allow us to draw from the expertise and creativity of its scientists to better articulate the most cutting-edge themes for our program,” Cabana said. “Argonne also endows the program with access to an extensive portfolio of educational activities that could lead to synergies between programs.”