May 2026
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 2019
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley, 2024
Postdoctoral Research Associate, California Institute of Technology
Schmidt Science Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Justin C. Bui
Principal Investigator
I am an Assistant Professor at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering starting in Fall 2026. I received my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at University of California, Berkeley, working with Dr. Adam Weber and Prof. Alexis Bell in the Liquid Sunlight Alliance. At Berkeley, my research focused on the use of continuum-level theory to understand the impact of transport and catalysis in bipolar ion-conducting polymer membranes, as well as to elucidate the influence of the catalytic microenvironment on the CO2 reduction to value-added chemical products. As a Postdoctoral Researcher with Prof. Karthish Manthiram at Caltech, I developed flow electrochemistry systems to generate plastics and fertilizer precursors sustainably from air. Now at MIT, I am working with Prof. Connor Coley and Prof. Klavs Jensen to identify and automate promising electrochemical reactions for medicinal chemical synthesis. I am the recipient of the NDSEG, NSF, and Schmidt Science Fellowships, and was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Science list in 2025. At NYU, my laboratory will develop electrochemical technologies to valorize waste and perform industrially-relevant chemical syntheses, leveraging perspectives of high-throughput optimization, reaction engineering, and multi-physics modeling. When I’m not doing science, I enjoy playing music and making digital art. Feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in joining my group, or even if you’d just like to chat!
PH.D. STUDENTS
Sebastian is a Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student at New York University from Tampa, FL. His research includes both computational and experimental components, focusing on modeling, understanding, and optimizing electrochemical processes and materials to improve energy sustainability. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Florida State University in Spring 2025, where he investigated cation and organic film effects on CO₂ reduction and ionomer membrane morphology effects on ion transport. Outside of research, he enjoys all things music, biking/running, playing soccer, and traveling.
Sebastian Castro
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Florida State University, 2025
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Maya is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She obtained her B.S. in Chemical Engineering (2024) from Columbia University and went on to develop industry experience maturing e-fuel technology. She is interested in sustainable electrochemistry and reducing its barriers to scale. Her project involves the development of automated reactors for the simultaneous optimization of electrochemical process conditions and parameterization of coupled transport-kinetic models. She is from New York City and in her free time enjoys exploring the city’s art and culture.
Maya Schuchert
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 2024
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
William Mao
B.S. Student, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NYU Tandon
William is an undergraduate student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. He is interested in gaining hands-on research experience and learning how chemical engineering can be applied to real-world energy, materials, and sensing problems. He has previous experience with low-temperature plasma treatment, electrochemical testing, and density functional theory calculations. At NYU, he is also involved in the VIP SCENT team, where he is developing experience with sensor-based chemical emission detection.
MASTER'S STUDENTS
Rolando Miranda Monge
M.S. Student, Mechanical Engineering, NYU Tandon
Rolando Miranda Monge is a Mechanical Engineering M.S. student at New York University specializing in Controls and Dynamic Systems. His work focuses on integrating mechanical, electronic, and software systems to control and automate electrochemical reactor testing. He graduated from Universidad de Costa Rica in April 2023, and enjoys playing music, working on personal projects, and spending time with his family outside of the lab.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Ivan Guerrero is an undergraduate student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, originally from Westchester, New York. He is interested in developing his research skills and gaining hands-on experience tackling real world chemical engineering applications in industrial decarbonization. He plans to continue expanding his research experience and professional development throughout his undergraduate studies. In his free time, he enjoys learning Portuguese, watching movies, exploring the city, and staying involved on campus through the VIP program and activities.
Ivan Guerrero
B.S. Student, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NYU Tandon
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Ismael Colón-Berríos
High School Student, Colegio Católico Notre Dame, Puerto Rico
Ismael is a senior at Colegio Católico Notre Dame in Caguas, Puerto Rico, interested in how chemical engineering can make an impact on the world’s biggest problems. He plans to study chemistry in university and in his free time he enjoys working out, playing video games, and hanging out with his friends.
Shalieyshka A. Soliván De León
High School Student, Colegio Católico Notre Dame, Puerto Rico
Shalieyshka is a senior at Colegio Católico Notre Dame in Caguas, Puerto Rico, interested in learning how science is involved in our daily lives. She plans to study biology in university and become a veterinarian, and outside of school enjoys spending time with family and friends, dancing, and animals.
JOIN THE BUI LAB
The Bui Lab opens at NYU Tandon in Fall 2026, and we are hiring. The people who join early will help decide what we work on and how the lab runs.
PhD students
We are recruiting PhD students through the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at NYU Tandon. Interested prospective Ph.D. students are encouraged to apply to the Ph.D. program directly. Also, interested students are welcome to email Justin at justinbui@nyu.edu to discuss their research interests and fit with our group.
Postdocs
We are looking for postdocs who want to take the lead on projects, mentor students, and help shape a new lab. Send us a short note about your past work and what you would want to do here.
Undergraduates & MS students
NYU undergraduates or MS students who want research experience are welcome to get in touch, during the year or over the summer. Tell us about your background and what you are hoping to learn. For non-NYU undergraduates, please reach out to Justin to discuss summer research opportunities through NYU's summer fellowships.
The Bui Lab is an ambitious group, and we hold the work to a high standard. We take on hard problems in electrochemical engineering and stay with them until they produce understanding that is fundamental and generalizable to new systems. Our research spans modeling and experiment, and it stays tied to real applications in clean chemical synthesis and environmental remediation. We expect group members to read deeply, think carefully, and be able to defend their results. We are deeply invested in your development, with regular one on one meetings and honest feedback that runs both ways. If you want the full picture of how the lab works, our Group Values and Guide lays it out.
The best first step is an email to justinbui@nyu.edu. For PhD and postdoc questions, attach your CV and write a few sentences about the research you are interested in pursuing with our lab!