Chemical engineering is a demanding STEM major, but for Martina Hove, it serves as a gateway to discovery. As a City College undergraduate majoring in chemical engineering, Hove has spent her summer in a research lab developing new battery electrolytes in collaboration with NASA. Her path demonstrates how meaningful research experiences can shape a student’s goals, confidence, and connection to science, extending beyond the classroom.
Martina Hove. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hove.
Hove graduated from Queensborough Community College in 2024, where she majored in engineering science. It was there that she began developing her interests in chemistry and research through the CUNY Research Scholars Program. Her experiences led her to CCNY to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.
This summer, Hove is a research assistant in a chemical engineering lab under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Biddinger, an associate professor leading a collaborative project with NASA. The project, part of the NASA- CCNY Center for Advanced Batteries for Space, focuses on developing ionic liquid-based electrolytes for lithium metal batteries, which are critical components for high-efficiency and long-duration energy storage.
Describing her typical day in the lab, Hove shared, “I try to be in the lab around nine, and what I do ranges from having to work in a glove box to synthesize and characterize electrolytes using techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, to some days I focus on literature review.”
For Hove, the experience has been both intellectually enriching and personally affirming. Despite not having a background in electrochemistry, she has found confidence in navigating challenging scientific material.
“Sometimes the literature review isn’t very easy to understand, but there are a lot of really helpful people I get to work with,” Hove said. “Being a scientist means you don’t have to understand everything beforehand, but you are open to learning and accepting that some things take time.”
Hove emphasizes that her work this summer has also clarified her academic ambitions.
“I would say that this is a very important opportunity for me as a person who is potentially interested in going to grad school after getting my bachelor’s at CCNY,” Hove said. “Doing extensive research, waking up early in the morning to go and prepare in the lab, this is the kind of stuff you end up doing as a grad student, so I enjoy getting to experience it a little now.”
Hove and other students from Dr. Biddinger’s lab. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hove.
Hove is particularly interested in the intersection of organic chemistry and sustainability as one of the areas she will focus on in the future.
“I’m interested in organic chemistry the most, even though I’m in chemical engineering,” Hove explained. “I’m also interested in sustainability and developing any kind of technology that is going to be helpful for the environment.”
In fact, the electrolytes she works with this summer are chosen for their environmentally friendly properties.
“We work with ionic liquid-based electrolytes that are non-volatile and that are considered to be benign to the environment, unlike the organic-based electrolytes that are currently being used,” Hove shared, connecting her research to larger environmental goals.
Looking ahead, Hove is considering graduate school but is open to gaining industry experience first. Whether she continues into a PhD program or not, she sees her current research in electrochemistry and sustainability as potential pathways and beneficial experience.
When asked what advice she’d give to students considering summer research, her response was immediate.
“Do it and don’t get discouraged or intimidated before you even apply,” Hove said. “It’s okay if you don’t get the opportunities that you want immediately. Just make sure the professors know that you are interested and eventually you’ll get the opportunity.”
Sofia is a graduate student at CUNY Brooklyn College, where she’s pursuing her M.S. in Media Studies. Her work centers on cultural affairs, capturing people’s lived experiences, and producing work that is not only compelling and polished but also intentional, inclusive, and aligned with meaningful public impact. In addition to writing for The RICC, she’s a dedicated writer for the Brooklyn News Service.