Andy Simonson

Graduate Research Assistant

Advised by Professor David Hibbitts

Professional Networks

Background

Education

Purdue University, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2025 – Present)
University of Florida, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2022 – 2025)
University of Utah, B.S. Chemical Engineering (2022)

Experience

Chemical Engineering Outreach President, University of Utah (2021)
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Chemical Engineering, University of Utah (2019-2021)
Undergraduate Outreach Project Lead, Department of Energy Utah FORGE Project (2019)

Project Description

Investigating C-C hydrogenolysis on metal surfaces using density functional theory

Awards

NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2022)

Publications

A. Simonson, L. Thies, D. Hibbitts*. Predicting a generalized mechanism of branched alkane hydrogenolysis on Ru, Ir, and Pt surfaces relevant to polymer upcycling applications, Journal of Catalysis, 450 (2025) 116200.