People

Dr. Anthony Bombik
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

Dr. Anthony Bombik is the director of the Battery Integration Lab and Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Sciences department. His research interests include structural batteries, electric vehicle pack optimization, lithium-ion battery modeling and estimation, aerospace structures, and design optimization. He obtained his PhD in Aero Astro Engineering at Stanford University managing a research team on structurally integrated Li-ion batteries. Previously, he has worked as a flight control engineer intern at Boeing, a vibrations and loads engineer intern on Space Launch System, an adjunct lecturer at Santa Clara University, and a design engineer at Afton Chemical.

John Sherman
Ph.D. Candidate
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

John is expanding upon his undergraduate research experiences in impact dynamics and mechanistic battery modeling by pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering within the BILDE research lab. With a specialty in FEA and Multiphysics modeling, he is working to further understand and optimize electric vehicle battery packs. 

Education 

  • Ph.D. student, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science  
  • B.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering, 2022 
Ivana Barski
Ph.D. Candidate
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

Having recently moved to Charlotte from Puerto Rico with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Ivana is starting her first year as a Ph.D. student in our MEES department. She is joining BILDE to conduct research focused on Multifunctional Structural Battery Designs with a special interest in its applications in the field of Marine Energy.

Education

  • Ph.D. student, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science  
  • B.S., University of Puerto Rico, Mechanical Engineering, 2021 
Anirudh Rohit Chandrasekar
Ph.D. Candidate
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science
BATT CAVE

With a background in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Anirudh is in his first year as a PhD student in the MEES departmentAt BILDE, he conducts research on Battery health degradation modeling with a focus on ML-driven SOH estimation algorithms. 

Education 

  • Ph.D. student – University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Sciences, December 2026* 
  • MR – North Carolina State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering, May 2019 
  • BTech – SRM University, Mechanical Engineering, May 2017 
Hamza Waheed
Master’s Level Research Assistant
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

Hamza is a second-year master’s student in mechanical engineering with a concentration in Solid Mechanics. He came to UNC Charlotte in the Fall 2019 semester as a bachelor’s student, ultimately completing his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering degree in the Spring of 2022. Hamza joined the BILDE team in January 2023 with a research interest in Battery Health Optimization, focusing on determining better methods for the estimation of battery state of health.

Education

  • Master’s in Mechanical Engineering Student, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, December 2023
  • B.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering, May 2022
Sofia Verdi
Master’s Level Research Assistant
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science

Sofia is a mechanical engineering master’s student focusing on electric vehicles within the Motorsports concentration. She joined the BILDE team as an undergraduate in January of 2023. Her research and master’s thesis focus on structural batteries and their ability to withstand impact. She has special interests in safety, sustainability, and forensics/failure analysis.

Education

  • M.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, December 2024
  •  B.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mechanical Engineering, December 2023
Colin Shinn
Master’s Level Research Assistant
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science
BATT CAVE

Colin has a background in Mechanical Engineering, having worked an internship at EPRI, worked on a research project overseas in Germany, and has been a member of the BILDE team since the beginning of 2023. He recently graduated from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is continuing his education to get his Master’s. At BILDE, he works as a support to the PhD students working on pack optimization modeling and degradation. 

Education 

  • Bachelor of Science 2023 (UNC Charlotte) – Mechanical Engineering, Concentration – Energy Engineering, Minor – Mathematics 
  • Master of Science 2024 (UNC Charlotte) – Mechanical Engineering, Concentration – Thermal Science & Fluid Mechanics 
Andrew Boctor
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science
BATT CAVE

Andrew is a senior pursuing his Mechanical Engineering degree while enrolled in the early entry program for his master’s in mechanical engineering. He completed a Co-Op at Keller Technology Corporation, a contract manufacturing firm, as well as an internship at Highwoods, where he worked as a Sustainability and Energy Intern. At BILDE, Andrew will work alongside PhD students, conducting research on pack optimization modeling and degradation. 

 

Education 

  • Bachelor of Science 2024 (UNC Charlotte) – Mechanical Engineering, Concentration – Energy  
  • Master of Science 2024 (UNC Charlotte) – Mechanical Engineering