Education:
Dr. Alfonso earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ohio University in August 1995 and his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines in March 1988. His academic journey laid a strong foundation for his illustrious career in chemical research and catalysis.
Professional Experience:
Dr. Alfonso has an extensive professional background, having served as a research scientist at the National Energy Technology Laboratory since 2002. Prior to this role, he was a postdoctoral fellow at several prestigious institutions: University of Pittsburgh (Aug 2000 - April 2002), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (July 1998 - July 2000), University of Louisville (June 1997 - June 1998), and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy (June 1995 - May 1997).
Research Focus:
Dr. Dominic R. Alfonso is a distinguished research scientist at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA. His primary research interests include first-principles investigations of surface science phenomena, computational catalysis, and quantum computing for chemical systems.
Honors, Awards, and Memberships:
Dr. Alfonso has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Ohio University Donald Clippinger Research Award (1995), the 2010 Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board Silver Award for Contribution to Science, and membership in the Sigma-Xi Honor Society. He is listed among the top 2% of global scientists for single-year impact by Stanford University (2022, 2023). Notable publications include a Journal of Chemical Physics Editors’ Choice Paper for 2016 and the Energy Technology Best Paper of 2017 and Top Downloaded Article for 2017-2018.
Patents:
Dr. Alfonso is an inventor on several patents, such as the "Efficient Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to CO Using Ligand-Protected Au25 Cluster" (US 9,139,920 B1) and "Methods and Use of Manipulating Au25 Charge State" (US 10,358,726 B2).