Pauling Fellow
Pauling Fellow

Biography

Krista Kulesa is an electrochemist and Linus Pauling Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in the Catalysis Science group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Her research focuses on electrocatalytic materials for reversible energy storage, organic hydrogen carriers, electrochemical separations, and high-throughput electrochemical method development. Kulesa earned her PhD in 2023 from the Department of Chemistry at Indiana University Bloomington, working at both Indiana University and Texas A&M under the respective co-mentorship of Profs. Jeremy Smith and Lane Baker. During her thesis and also while working at PNNL, Kulesa received a Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program award to conduct high-pressure electrochemistry.

Disciplines and Skills

  • Electrochemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Inorganic chemistry
  • Inorganic synthesis
  • Instrumentation development
  • Materials synthesis
  • Renewable energy
  • Isotope separations

Education

  • PhD in chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington
  • MA in classics, Wayne State University
  • BA in classics, Wayne State University

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • American Chemical Society
  • Electrochemical Society

Awards and Recognitions

  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Finalist, Department of Energy National Lab Research SLAM, 2025
  • Linus Pauling Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2023
  • National Research Council Research Associateship Program Award, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, 2023
  • Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Research Award, 2021

Publications

2024

  • Kulesa K.M., E.A. Hirtzel, V.T. Nguyen, D.P. Freitas, M.E. Edwards, X. Yan, and L.A. Baker. 2024. “Interfacing High-Throughput Electrosynthesis and Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Azines.” Analytical Chemistry 96 (21), 8249-8253. doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01110

2023

  • Gerroll B.H.R., K.M. Kulesa, C.A. Ault, and L.A. Baker. 2023. “Legion: An Instrument for High-Throughput Electrochemistry.” ACS Measurement Science Au 3 (5), 371-379. doi:10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.3c00022
  • Kulesa K.M., D.S. Padilha, B. Thapa, S. Mazumder, Y. Losovyj, H.B. Schlegel, M. Scarpellini, and C.N. Verani. “A bioinspired cobalt catalyst based on a tripodal imidazole/pyridine platform capable of water reduction and oxidation.” Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 242 (112162), 1-9. Special issue in memory of Ademir Neves. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112162

2022

  • Partovi S., Z. Xiong, K.M. Kulesa, and J.M. Smith. 2022. “Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrogen Oxyanions with a Redox-Active Cobalt Macrocycle Complex.” Inorganic Chemistry 61 (24), 9034-9039. doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00199

2021

  • Braley S.E., D.C. Ashley, K.M. Kulesa, E. Jakubikova, and J.M. Smith. 2021. “Correction: Electrode-adsorption activates trans-[Cr(cyclam)Cl2]+ for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction.” Chemical Communications 57, 4332-4332. doi:10.1039/D1CC90148F

2017

  • Ekanayake D.M., K.M. Kulesa, J. Singh, K. K. Kpogo, S. Mazumder, H. B. Schlegel, and C.N. Verani. 2017. “A pentadentate nitrogen-rich copper electrocatalyst for water reduction with pH-dependent molecular mechanisms.” Dalton Transactions 46, 16812-16820. doi:10.1039/C7DT02711G