Meet Our Group

Dr. Lauren Garten is an assistant professor in the School of Material Science and Engineering. Her group focuses on developing new materials for energy and electronic applications, particularly at the nexus between ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, electronics, and photovoltaics.
Lauren received her B.S. in ceramic engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology and earned her Ph.D. in material science from the Pennsylvania State University. She has also worked at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the U.S. Naval Research Lab prior to joining Georgia Tech.

Jonathan Chin joined the Garten Group as a PhD student Fall 2021, after completing bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University (NAU). His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of piezoelectric and ferroelectricity 2D chalcogenides for photovoltaic applications.
Beyond academics, Jonathan is always open for a game of Chess or to discuss the finer points of Star Trek.

Marshall Frye joined the Garten Group in Fall 2021 as a PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering department. Previously, he completed his B.S. in MSE at the University of Florida. Marshall is passionate about environmental sustainability, particularly regarding the development of sustainable energy sources. Toward this, his research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of ferroelectric materials with potential applications to solar energy harvesting. Outside of research Marshall enjoys hiking, going to the gym, and learning new things.

Ian Graham joined the Garten Group as a PhD student in the Fall of 2021. Previously, he completed a bachelor’s of science in Chemistry at Emory and Henry College. His research focuses on developing piezoelectric catalysts for use in the oxygen evolution reaction.

John Allen Wellington-Johnson joined the Garten group in Fall 2021 and carries a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Chemistry from North Carolina State University and is completing his thesis for his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico (UNM). His work at Tech focuses on synthesizing novel material complexes for energy storage and renewable energy systems; additionally, he is working on two collaborative efforts (1) with the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department and (2) with the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) of Sandia National Laboratories.

Fariha Rubaiya joined the Garten Group in Spring 2022. She completed her bachelor’s in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and master’s in Mechanical Engineering from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Her research focuses on synthesis & characterization of cellulose-based materials for energy harvesting applications.
She enjoys binge watching TV shows, traveling and finding hidden restaurant gems.

Yang Liu joined the Garten group in Spring 2022 as a PhD student from ECE with a background of high voltage technology in electrical engineering. He is currently conducting an interdisciplinary study combining electrical engineering and material science, trying to understand and improve the varistor behavior in novel electrical application scenarios from material aspects.
Yang likes writing, music, motorcycle, and Shiba Inu dogs. He is also a member of IEC/ISO/IEEE/SAC, so standardization is also a kind of hobby now.

Bonnie joined the group as a PhD student in the fall of 2023 after graduating with a bachelors in Materials Science and Engineering from Michigan State University. She is co-advised by Dr. Matthew McDowell and researches the integration of ferroelectric materials into batteries. When not in the lab, Bonnie enjoys knitting, crocheting, and hiking with her husband.