ESE PhD Candidate Elizabeth Schell defended her thesis on Hybrid Biodegradable System for Active Nutrient Monitoring on Thursday, September 10th. Advised by Professor Mark Allen, Schell’s research presents a hybrid biodegradable system featuring passive readout of amperometric sensors.
According to Schell, this research contributes to different sectors of the engineering community. One aspect of the research “shows a path towards more complex biodegradable systems with more functionality.” Another facet of the research “explores how to efficiently use small on-board power sources for wireless electrochemical sensing systems.”
Schell’s research on the application of using biodegradable electronics in agricultural environments remains a relatively new field. That in and of itself presented challenges throughout her time at Penn. “There’s so many things to explore,” Schell explains, adding, “it could be overwhelming sometimes to narrow down to a specific direction.” To overcome the above challenges, Schell reminded herself, “nobody solves big problems all at once and you just have to take things one step and one day at a time.” To that end, Schell extends gratitude to her faculty advisor, lab mates, and IoT4Ag collaborators for their help throughout the process.
Beyond her research, Schell loved feeling connected to the Philadelphia community. Memories that resonate with Schell the most include “rushing out onto Broad Street with my friends when the Eagles were going to the Superbowl.” Other memories include “walking across the Ben Franklin Bridge when it was closed to car traffic for its 100th anniversary this past summer.” Then there was Porchfest and “running into half the people I knew because everyone was out on the same day.”
Future plans for Schell include some well-deserved relaxation followed by work at Exponent in the greater Boston area.
When Schell isn’t working, she enjoys spending time outside. This includes hiking, biking, climbing and “sometimes just napping.” Other hobbies include crafting. According to Schell, this primarily consists of sewing, “but I like to try a little of everything.” Further, Schell enjoys training her dog Ellie. “We recently took a nose work class at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.”
Learn more about Schell’s work here