Dr. Alicia Battaglia of the Seferos Group convocated with a PhD in Chemistry on June 6, 2025. Now a postdoctoral fellow in the Bazylak Group in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, she is the recipient of the Department of Chemistry’s 2025 Chair’s Doctoral Medal.
In a presentation at the May 27th Department of Chemistry Awards Ceremony, Chair Mark Lautens spoke of the exceptional quality of the department’s recent graduates. Within that field of high achieving and innovative researchers, he said, Battaglia accumulated publication credits and made numerous conference presentations, winning multiple poster and presentation awards. He also cited her leadership in the department as an active member of both WICTO and the GCI.
According to Prof. Dwight Seferos, Battaglia is an independent student with a real passion and aptitude for research, as well as outreach, leadership, and department service. He noted that Battaglia in her time at Chemistry mentored four graduate students, six undergrads, and four high school students, adding that she received, among other honours, the UofT Student Leadership Award and ChemClub Education Award.
We caught up with Alicia with a few questions after the Awards Ceremony.
Can you tell us about the research that led to this recognition? What inspired this work?
My thesis focused on developing new polymers to serve as binders for organic electrodes in metal-ion batteries. While binders are often considered the “inactive” component of the battery, they play a crucial role in maintaining the structure of the electrode and supporting overall device performance.
I was inspired to work in this area by a desire to contribute to more sustainable and tunable energy storage technologies. Most of the work in the literature, as well as previous work in the Seferos Research Group, focused on the design and optimization of new redox-active organic materials, with relatively little attention given to enhancing the performance of existing redox-active molecules with binder engineering. I saw an opportunity to address this gap by using polymer chemistry to actively improve performance by tailoring the binder’s properties to the specific needs of the active material.
My projects integrated aspects of electrochemistry, polymer design, and materials chemistry, and I was fortunate to explore these connections in a highly interdisciplinary environment.
Can you say a little about what winning an award like this means?
Winning the Chair’s Doctoral Medal is an incredible honour, and it’s both humbling and validating. It represents not just the work I did in my thesis, but the years of persistence, learning, and support I received from my supervisor, lab mates, collaborators, and my community. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity and freedom I had to explore projects I genuinely cared about, and I hope this recognition helps highlight the value of continued investment in curiosity-driven, interdisciplinary science.
What can you tell us about the work you’re doing now?
I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Bazylak Group in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and it’s been an exciting shift from my PhD work. My current work focuses on CO2 electrolysis (turning carbon dioxide into useful products using electricity). Specifically, I’m using my polymer expertise to design new materials that can help make this process more efficient.
Coming from a background in polymer chemistry, it’s been incredibly rewarding to apply that expertise in a new context and collaborate with researchers from engineering backgrounds. The interdisciplinary environment has pushed me to think differently about how materials interact with device architectures and operational conditions.
What do you believe is the most exciting development in your field of chemistry right now?
I believe that one of the most exciting developments in my area of chemistry is the growing integration of sustainable design principles into materials research - especially in energy storage and conversion. We’re seeing a real shift toward developing functional materials, like polymers or small molecules, that are not just high-performing but also recyclable, biodegradable, or derived from renewable feedstocks.
It's also exciting to see more collaboration across disciplines like chemistry, engineering, physics, and data science and how they are all converging in ways that allow us to tackle scientific problems more holistically. That interdisciplinary momentum is something I find both energizing and hopeful.
Who have been your most influential mentors, and what lessons have they imparted?
Several mentors have had a profound impact on my development as both a researcher and educator. My first research opportunity was with Joe Gilroy at Western University during my undergraduate studies. At the time, I never saw myself pursuing a career in research or academia, but Joe took a genuine interest in mentoring me and gave me a chance to explore research. The care and attention that he provides to his undergraduate students is truly special, and his support gave me the confidence to see myself as a future scientist.
During my graduate studies, my supervisor Dwight Seferos was incredibly supportive and played a key role in my development. He had a remarkable ability to know when to step in with guidance and when to give me space to figure things out on my own. That balance was invaluable and ultimately helped me become a more independent and capable researcher. I also owe a great deal to Andy Dicks and Barb Morra, who have played important roles in shaping me as an educator. Their thoughtful guidance and genuine passion for teaching have had a lasting influence on me. I had the pleasure of collaborating with them on CTFP projects, where they encouraged and nurtured my passion for teaching and chemistry education research.
Do you have any advice for current PhD students aspiring to make a significant impact in their field?
One important thing to understand about research is that it doesn’t work 99% of the time. Experiments fail, ideas don’t pan out, and setbacks are part of the daily routine. But that 1%--when things do work--is incredibly exciting and makes all the challenges worthwhile.
My advice is to stay curious and enjoy the process itself, not just the results. Science is rarely a solo journey; it’s a team effort, and collaborating with others can bring fresh perspectives and keep you motivated. Embrace the ups and downs, learn from every setback, and remember that persistence and curiosity are key to making meaningful progress.
It's exciting to see more collaboration across disciplines like chemistry, engineering, physics, and data science and how they are all converging in ways that allow us to tackle scientific problems more holistically. That interdisciplinary momentum is something I find both energizing and hopeful. -Dr. Alicia Battaglia