March 22nd, 2019 – Evolving Markets: Developing Fuel Cells and Analyzing Counterfeits

Grounds for Science

with Julie Fornaciari and Eric Hsu

Friday, March 22nd, 2019 at 6:30 PM at Scarlet City Espresso Bar

Diversifying the Energy Landscape with Hydrogen Technology

Everyone is talking about energy, renewable and nonrenewable. But another key player in the energy landscape is hydrogen – a gas that can utilize different energy sources for various applications. Julie will be talking about the technology (fuel cells and electrolyzers) and how they play a role in the energy landscape.

Credit: NREL

Julie Fornaciari

Julie Fornaciari

is a PhD student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley. Her project focuses on using electrolyzer systems to partially oxidize methane to methanol for higher valued products under the advising of Dr. Alex Bell and Dr. Adam Weber. While not in lab, Julie enjoys rock climbing, hiking and photographing the many trails that the Bay Area offers, and watching theater performances.

The Economics of Counterfeits

Counterfeits—they’re luxury handbags and watches. Increasingly, particularly in lower-income countries, they’re also over-the-counter drugs, cell phones, maize seeds, tubes of toothpaste, bags of sugar, and almost any sort of consumer product you can imagine. What sort of dysfunction can appear in the market when sellers can cheat buyers, and some people know more than others? In this talk Eric will discuss trade in counterfeits through the lens of information economics.

Eric Hsu

Eric Hsu

is a PhD student in the Economics Department at UC Berkeley. His recent work has focused on barriers to technology adoption in lower-income countries. When he is not working on research (but sometimes also while he is) you can find him in Thai restaurants in the East Bay, traveling, playing tennis, and running.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *