Communication Fellow Alum
Román Lab
Dr. Julie Rorrer was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Yuriy Román lab. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University in 2014, and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2019. Her thesis was centered around the catalytic conversion of biomass-derived small molecules to fuels and specialty chemicals. At MIT, she is applying her fundamental knowledge of heterogeneous catalysis to the depolymerization and chemical upcycling of plastic waste. Julie is also the founder and illustrator of the ongoing outreach initiative, ColorMePhD, a coloring book that communicates current PhD-level research to a general audience. She is excited to work with the Comm Lab and MIT community, especially on visual science communication strategies. When she’s not in the lab or engaging in SciComm, she also enjoys painting, baking, hiking, and playing the violin.