Dr. Elizabeth J. Biddinger is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at The City College of New York. Her research lies at the intersection of green chemistry, electrochemistry, and sustainable engineering, with a focus on decarbonizing the chemical industry through electrification and the use of renewable resources.
Dr. Biddinger leads a research group that explores catalytic and electrochemical strategies to convert waste and renewable feedstocks into valuable fuels and chemicals. Her work includes developing electrochemical systems that utilize ionic liquids and alternative solvents for improved efficiency, performance, and safety. Current projects span a range of topics such as biomass electroreduction (DOE), hydrogen storage and release using liquid organic hydrogen carriers (DOE & NSF), CO₂ electroreduction with ionic liquids (NSF), ionic liquid electrolytes for space batteries (NASA), and critical material recovery from waste-to-energy ash (ARPA-E). She is also conducting research funded by the Sloan Foundation to develop electrification strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of the chemical industry.
Dr. Biddinger has received multiple awards recognizing her contributions to sustainable electrochemical systems, including the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award (2018), the Electrochemical Society–Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship (2016–2017), and the CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering (JFRASE) sponsored by the Sloan Foundation (2014).
She actively serves the professional community through leadership roles, including positions within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the Electrochemical Society (ECS). She is currently an Associate Editor for ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and has served on technical committees and award panels for ECS and AIChE.
Before joining City College in 2012, Dr. Biddinger was a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she researched alternative solvent systems for green chemistry applications. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 2010 and her B.S. from Ohio University in 2005. Her doctoral work focused on nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials as electrocatalysts for fuel cells and ammonia electrolysis for hydrogen production.