A.J. Medford
Associate Professor
Education: B.S. Textile Engineering (NC State University); Fulbright Fellow (Technical University of Denmark); Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (Stanford University)
AJ Medford is an Associate Professor in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. His research focuses on the intersection of data science, electronic structure theory, and catalysis science, with contributions including machine-learned exchange correlation functionals for density functional theory, application of neural networks to fit transient kinetic datasets, and establishing mechanistic insight into nitrogen conversion reactions, and was the recipient of the 2023 ACS "Early Career in Catalysis" award. He developed the course "Data Analytics for Chemical Engineers", which is now one of the core courses in the "Data Science for the Chemical Industry" certificate program and has won several teaching awards including the Georgia Tech "Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence" and "Excellence in Online Teaching" awards. Outside of research and teaching, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and outdoor activities.
Current Members
Charlotte Shih
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from National Taiwan University
Joined: 2026
Seongeun Yun
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.S. Chemical and Biological Engineering (Seoul National University, 2025)
Joined: 2026
Todd Whittaker
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: B.Sc. Chemistry (Trinity University, 2017); M.Sc. and Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (University of Colorado Boulder, 2022 and 2025)
2025 Max Peters Most Outstanding Graduate Student; 2024 Quad Fellow; 2026 Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow
Joined: 2025
Logan Brabson
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering (Texas A&M University)
Joined: 2022
Sayan Bhowmik
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.E. Chemical Engineering (Jadavpur University, 2020); M.Tech Chemical Engineering (IISc Bengaluru, 2022)
Joined: 2022
Neung-Kyung Yu
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.S. and M.S. Chemical Engineering (Hongik University, 2020 and 2022)
Joined: 2022
Lucas Timmerman
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering (University of Kentucky, 2020)
Summa Cum Laude; Patterson Scholar Finalist; National Merit Finalist
Joined: 2021
Dingqi Nai
Ph.D. Student
Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering (UC Davis, 2018); M.S. Chemical Engineering (Carnegie Mellon University, 2019)
Joined: 2021
Big Data & Quantum Mechanics VIP Team
The Big Data & Quantum Mechanics team is a "vertically integrated project" (VIP) consisting of 15–20 undergraduate students ranging from sophomores to seniors from diverse disciplines including computer science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and materials science. The VIP team members are an important part of the Medford research group, but membership changes often, so specific members are only listed by request.
To learn more about the VIP course, you can look at the course materials. To join, you should apply for a permit through the Georgia Tech VIP program. Spots fill up fast, so please submit a permit as early as possible if you would like to join.