S. A. KEISHANA NAVODYE

Ph.D. Student (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Spring 2023)
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 2021

Keishana was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. While growing up, he had an undying curiosity to know how things work in our surroundings. This led him to study Chemical Engineering with a specialization in Energy and Environmental at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. With a vision toward a more sustainable future, his undergraduate research focused on the development potential of a composite to be used as a roofing material consisting of plant-based waste materials, plastic waste, and demolition waste. He graduated with first-class honors in 2021. After completing his studies, he joined a leading multinational cement manufacturing company in Sri Lanka as a safety engineer. After a short stint in the industry, he joined his alma mater as an academic instructor. He started his Ph.D. studies in Chemical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma in January 2023. In the Gunasooriya lab, Keishana is accelerating material discovery for sustainable energy conversion devices using data science approaches and developing theoretical concepts to understand the electrochemical stability of catalytic materials. In his free time, Keishana enjoys hiking, watching action movies and cricket, and loves cooking.

Awards
- Kircher scholarship, 2024, SCBME, University of Oklahoma
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award 2023-2024, SCBME, University of Oklahoma.
- Dean's list (6 out of 8 semesters), University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
- G.C.E. Advanced Level in Physical Science Stream, Sri Lanka. Island Rank: 21