Gabe is a fourth-year Materials Science and Engineering major who joined the Butala Research Group in Fall 2025. He is currently working on optimizing the formulation ratios and processing of organic electrodes for Li-ion batteries. He plans to earn his Bachelor’s in May 2026 and is applying for graduate programs to pursue a Master’s degree.In his free time he enjoys writing, D&D, and renaissance faire stage combat.
Kyle is an undergraduate student majoring in materials science and engineering helping investigate how synthesis approach influences the structure formability and performance of disordered rocksalt cathode using solid state and sol-gel synthesis methods. Since joining the Butala research group in Fall 2025, Kyle has assisted in conducting various heat treatments of DXRs synthesized via sol-gel and assembled coin cell batteries in argon glove-box.
When not in the lab, Kyle loves writing, sailing, and playing fetch with his Belgian Malinois. He is active member of the UF sail club.
Eva is a graduate student from Guatemala, where she got her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of the Valley of Guatemala in 2022. She joined UF in Fall 2024 as a graduate student in the Chemistry Department. Her research focuses of exploring the application of polymers as energy storage materials in lithium ion batteries, under the supervision of Dr. Megan Butala (Materials Science and Engineering Department) and Dr. Austin Evans (Chemistry Department).
On her free time, Eva enjoys watching movies, reading and dancing.
Jen received her Bachelor’s degree in 2021 and plans to earn her Master’s degree in 2026, both in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida. Before starting her doctoral degree, she researched microstructure and phase evolution in titanium alloys under Dr. Tori Miller using electron backscatter microscopy. Jen now conducts research under Dr. Megan Butala investigating the application of sol-gel synthesis for lithium-based cathodes and seeks to understand the relationship between atomic arrangement and material properties using x-ray diffraction techniques at various atomic length scales.
When she’s not adding more research papers to her reading list, she enjoys listening to podcasts, gardening, and decorating her desk with squishy animals.
Jason is a fifth-year undergraduate materials science & engineering major with minors in physics and Japanese language studies at UF. They are the current president of the UF chapter of Material Advantage and a member of Tau Beta Pi – the Engineering Honor Society. They also recently completed a semester abroad at Nagoya University in Japan, where they took classes both in English and in Japanese. Jason has been in the Butala Research Group since February, 2024, where they have conducted machine learning research as well as solid-state synthesis research, both with a focus on illuminating the mysteries of and developing novel Li-ion cathode materials. They are currently applying graduate school and hope to earn their PhD for materials science & engineering in the next five years. Jason is a huge fan of the outdoors; they love playing volleyball, going on hikes, and biking or longboarding across town. They also enjoy cooking, studying languages, and watching YouTube.
Nicole is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida planning to graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering in May 2026. She has been involved in the Butala Research Group since August 2024 supporting projects investigating structure-property relationships in disordered rocksalt lithium-ion battery cathode materials synthesized using solid-state and sol-gel methods.
Outside of school and research, she enjoys hiking, playing video games, and spending time with her three cats.
Joyce Kim is an undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering who joined the Butala Research group in Fall 2024. Since then, they have assisted in synthesizing lithium-based cathodes with disordered rocksalt structures using solid state methods. While simultaneously characterizing the phase purity and formability of DRXs using XRD.
When not in the lab, they enjoy a good soup and a soft cat.
Marisa has Bachelors degrees in Materials Science and Engineering and Music from Auburn University (2024). She started as a graduate student at UF in Fall of 2024. Her work focuses on multi-length scale measurements of atomic structure in electronic materials, including developing data processing approaches leveraging machine learning.
When she’s not pushing scattering science boundaries, she might be playing violin or searching for coffee shops in Gainesville.
John has a Bachelors degree in Materials Science and Engineering from UF. He began his PhD in the Butala Research Group in 2021. His research involves studying structure-property relationships in disordered electrode materials and phase-change materials. His focus on X-ray and neutron scattering/absorption has brought him to various national laboratories across the country.
When not poring over X-ray data spaghetti, John enjoys petting his cat, cooking and collecting, listening to, and playing music.
Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
Megan grew up in southern California and completed her B.S. in Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She did her graduate work at University of California, Santa Barbara with Prof. Ram Seshadri, completing her Ph.D. in Materials in 2017. She then spent two years at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, and started as an Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at University of Florida in November 2019.
When she isn’t working with great students, Megan likes to cook, hang out with her dog and friends, and take modern dance classes.
