Katelyn Wilson, Idaho National Laboratory, describes her experience as the first Critical Materials Innovation Hub Intern
The first Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub intern was recruited during Spring 2024 and worked at Idaho National Laboratory during Summer 2024 for the CMI project "Thin film semiconductor recycling." With the help of her mentors at INL, CMI early career researcher Katelyn Wilson is working on a project to recycle end-of-life photovoltaic thin-film solar panels that is supported by the Critical Materials Innovation Hub.
Wilson belongs to the Navajo tribe and grew up on the Navajo reservations. She is Tangle Clan born for Start of the Red Streak People Clan from Becenti, New Mexico. She graduated from Navajo Technical University (NTU) with a bachelor degree in biology. She also completed three research internships at Harvard University in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences department. During her years as an undergraduate student, Katelyn worked on several projects at NTU with the collaboration of Harvard University. Her research experience with electrochemistry (EC) at NTU included fabricating low-cost paper-based electrodes to detect glucose, essential biomolecules such as ascorbic acid, uric acid, and dopamine, and heavy metals like arsenic. This work prepared her well for the INL internship opportunity during Summer 2024.
Looking forward, Wilson has been accepted to attend Harvard University post-bachelorette program and another opportunity to attend University of Idaho as a graduate student this fall after her internship with INL.
August 2024