Shir Tabac-Agam

Shir is a PhD student, researching biomass-derived carbons at the Eisenberg Lab of Electrochemistry and Energy at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion. She joined the lab in mid-2018 as part of a project that its goal was to explore porous carbons from sustainable biomass sources. She finds the fields of electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry and science communication all to be highly interesting.

During her first 18 months at the Technion, she volunteered in a non-profit organization by adopting Chai, a service-puppy in training. Before starting her master's degree, she was working as a tour guide at the Technion  visitors center, where she guided delegations from all around the world and told the story of the Technion. In February 2019, she represented the Technion at the Dean of Students US delegation.

In March 2020, Shir began her graduate studies at the Eisenberg Lab of Electrochemistry and Energy, researching the use of ZnO-templated macroporous carbons for a variety of energy and environment applications. Her PhD research topic is waste-coffee-dervied carbons as electrocatalysts for direct hydrazine fuel cells and other environmental applications.

In March 2021, Shir established the Technion branch of ProWoman organization, which helps promoting women to senior influential positions. The organization provides unique programs for outstanding and ambitious female students in more than 15 universities in Israel.

From November 2021, Shir volunteers as a scientist and content writer for "Little, Big Science", a non-profit which goal is to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public in a direct and straightforward way.

In July 2023, Shir took part in Epistimi program: a young womem's in STEMM leadership program, established by MIT researcher, Prof. Angeliki Diane Rigos, in Athens, Greece.

In September 2023, Shir presented a poster in the annual conference of the International Society of Electrochemistry in Lyon, France on the subject of "Disciplining Biomass".

Her dream is to make the world a better place simply by doing good – whether it is by researching sustainable and renewable fuel sources, or by making science accessible and interesting, especially for young women.

Distinctions:

• Recipient of the 2020 Jacobs Fellowship Award for Excellence

Papers in the group:

• S. Tabac, D. Eisenberg, “Pyrolyze This Paper: Can Biomass Become a Source for Precise Carbon Electrodes?”, Curr. Opin. Electrochem., 100638, 2020