Michael Deck

Why FSU?

I started working on lithium batteries during my junior year of undergraduate at Binghamton University in New York. I greatly enjoyed my research project and wanted to continue working on lithium batteries during my graduate studies. At Binghamton, I attended a fascinating presentation by a professor from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at FSU who was working on an emerging type of lithium battery, an all-solid-state-lithium-battery. The work piqued my interest and made me want to study it further. That chemistry professor is now my PhD advisor.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

A PhD degree was enticing to me because it allows me to continue learning about chemistry on a much deeper level than my undergraduate degree, and it allows me to have more time to better understand what type of career in chemistry I want to pursue long-term. It also enables me to become an expert in a specific area of chemistry research, which opens up many more career options in chemistry/science that would not be possible with just an undergraduate degree. Most importantly, the opportunity to develop my critical thinking abilities is a priceless skill, and a PhD is the perfect place to achieve this goal and take that knowledge with me in all aspects of life.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

My work is important to society because it focuses on improving lithium batteries, a critical piece of technology that has quickly become ubiquitous in everyday life. Lithium batteries are used in many consumer items such as smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and even aerospace applications. Current commercialized lithium batteries present a safety hazard because they utilize a flammable organic solvent that can lead to explosions. My research works to replace the flammable liquid component with a non-flammable solid, as well as to improve the energy storage capacity of the battery. In other words, I work to make our lithium batteries safer and last longer.

Career aspirations

In the future, I would like to work for either a company or the government to further improve energy storage technology. I am particularly interested in working on energy storage technology for aerospace applications such as satellites, lunar bases, rovers, and electric airplanes.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Pursuing a PhD will be an incredibly difficult endeavor; however, the reward is immense. A PhD will allow you to invest in yourself, and the skills you develop will benefit you in many aspects of life that you did not expect. You will learn not only to become an expert in your chosen field and to think critically but also so much about yourself and the type of person you aspire to be.

Accomplishments during graduate school

I received the Department of Energy Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Fellowship. I published a peer-reviewed first-author paper. I was the president of the FSU Chemistry Graduate Student Association, ChemiNoles, for two years.