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Joelle Korkomaz’s passion for renewable energy took an inspiring turn this past summer thanks to an Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA).

As a mechanical engineering student on Dalhousie’s Solar car team, Korkomaz’s journey began unexpectedly at a barbecue in 2023 to celebrate the team’s 4^th place finish at that year’s Formula Sun Grand Prix competition. There, Korkomaz met Dr. Ghada Koleilat, a professor in Dalhousie Engineering’s Department of Electrical Engineering, and a Faculty Advisor to the Solar car team.

Intrigued by Koilat’s research work, Korkomaz expressed her interest in renewable energy. “She told me if you’re interested, just reach out and we can talk,” recalls Korkomaz. “So six months had past and I wasn’t sure that Dr.Koleilat was even open to new students anymore, but I reached out anyway and I was really surprised when she was so excited to meet with me.”

That conversation led Korkomaz to the USRA program, a grant that provides undergraduate students with the funding to gain hands-on research experience working alongside professors in a lab.

This past summer, she joined Dr. Ghada Koleilat's lab, which specializes in developing innovative solar energy technologies. The lab focuses on developing cost-effective, flexible solar cells that utilize nanomaterials and perovskites to improve light absorption and conversion. Their goal is to create scalable solutions that can be applied across diverse fields while tackling issues related to longevity and toxicity to make solar energy more accessible.

“When I thought about researchers, I was like, alright, cool they test and they read articles, and they write reports. But when I started, not only did I preform tests, but the first thing I did was engineer. I got to fabricate solar cells, and I learned about all of the science that's behind it, how solar cell works and why,” says Korkomaz. “She (Koleilat) really opened my life to a whole other realm of the solar industry that I didn't know existed.”

Korkomaz says she’s always been driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the world through renewable energy. “There are a lot of issues in the world...but I feel like nothing else is going to matter if we don’t have a planet to stand on,” she explains. “So whether it's solar, geothermal, or, you know, even hydropower, whatever it is, renewable energy is the future, and something I'm very fond of.”

Now on a new path forward, Korkomaz has just begun her first co-op placement term at Rayleigh Solar Tech, a seamless transition thanks to her experience in Koleilat’s lab. In her new role she will continue working on perovskite solar cells. She says that her research experience has given her a unique advantage at her first co-op, allowing her to jump right into projects and interact with experienced professionals with confidence.

Path to Discovery

Korkomaz wasn’t the only student to discover a new path this summer. Also working in Koleilat’s lab was Anthony El-Halaby, a senior electrical engineering student and fellow USRA recipient.

While El-Halaby always excelled in school he says a career in research was never on his radar. “I thought I was going to graduate and then go work as a regular engineer,” he shares.

Last winter, his plans changed after a course with Koleilat, where his presentation on Quantum Mechanics caught her attention. She encouraged him to apply for a USRA grant. Over the summer Anthony found himself immersed in lab research on perovskite solar cells.

Unlike his previous co-ops which focused on traditional engineering roles, El-Halaby trained to handle lab equipment and specialized chemical procedures for fabricating perovskite solar cells. The hands-on experience not only increased his technical skills but also inspired him to continue in the field.

In January El-Halaby will pursue a master’s degree under Koleilat’s mentorship, a career path he had never previously considered.

His research will aim to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells, a technology he believes has the potential to deliver both environmental and economic advantages. He says the project is particularly important in countries such as his native Lebanon.

“I know that for some countries, it'll be hard to apply solar cells nationwide, but if we do perovskite, it'll be more affordable for more humans on Earth, which is what science should be all about,” he says. “That's why I decided to follow this path and start my masters working on projects related to efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.”

It’s a journey he says he might never have discovered without his transformative experience as a USRA student this summer.