IMPACTS — FROM BATTERIES TO CAREER CHOICES

When Sofia Verdi was deciding on a university, her top two choices were UNC Charlotte and Virginia Tech. 

“One deciding factor was Charlotte’s rapid growth and the resources invested in the engineering program,” Verdi said. As she would soon discover, her decision was on target and would provide direct, positive impact for her college career. 

“I’m glad I chose UNC Charlotte because I got to join a research group at its inception, which allowed many research areas from which to choose. I was excited to learn UNC Charlotte had a research area aligned to my passion for safety and sustainability,” she said. 

Verdi now applies that passion to her work with Anthony Bombik’s research team in BATT CAVE, the North Carolina Battery Complexity, Autonomous Vehicle and Electrification Research Center, where she is studying lithium-ion batteries.