Biogeochemical cycles applied to environmental remediation, especially water quality and soils. Bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater; biogeochemical cycling in wetlands including immobilization of toxic metals; methane emissions from rice paddies; nitrogen transformation in urban streams and hydrological infrastructure; linking water quality models with climate change models; bioremediation of recalcitrant pollutants, including PFAS; energy efficient methods for nitrification and denitrification.

Jesse’s research focuses on improving and applying optimization-based energy systems models to evaluate and optimize low-carbon energy technologies, guide investment and research in innovative energy technologies, and generate insights to improve energy and climate policy and planning decisions.

Sensors to reduce electricity and heating costs in buildings; power/thermal analysis and optimization of integrated circuits and systems

Sustainable energy, low carbon fuels, propulsion, and functional nano-materials for energy, plasma assisted combustion and fuel reforming and CO2 utilization; supercritical CO2 cycle; nano-materials synthesis for high energy and low fire propensity lithium-ion batteries and energy storage

Organic thin films and organic electronics for photovoltaics: organic/organic heterojunctions that constitute the core of organic photovoltaic cells; interfaces between organic films and conducting oxides or polymer-functionalized surfaces that constitute the high and low work function anode and cathode of these solar cells; hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductor solar cells; metal halide perovskites and their two-dimensional analogs; chemical doping that increases carrier mobility for improved charge collection

The politics of climate change at various scales, including analysis of individual attitudes,  national policies, and international institutions. How characteristics of individuals, states, and multilateral institutions affect climate policy outcomes.

Nonlinear dynamics tools and multiphase flow modeling are used to understand the interplay of reaction and transport in PEM fuel cells. Multiscale modeling of complex systems with applications to chemical reactions, transport processes, and agent-based models of behavioral dynamics and urban growth

Surface and interfacial processes; plasma-materials interactions in fusion reactors; plasma-enhanced catalysis; photoelectrocatalysis for water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction; alloy catalysis; chemistry of the battery solid electrolyte interphase

Politics and policy making that impact environmental outcomes in poor countries, especially India.

Control system design for fusion reactors; liquid metal flow physics and control; application of dynamics and control theory to experimental plasma physics; Developing low temperature plasma systems for conversion of chemicals such as methane to methanol