Marta Hatzell is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology with a joint appointment in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Prior to starting at Georgia Tech in August of 2015, she was a Post-Doctoral researcher in the Department of Material Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign. During her post doc, she worked in the Braun Research group on research at the interface between colloid science and electrochemistry. She completed her PhD at Penn state University in the Logan Research Group. Her PhD explored environmental technology for energy generation and water treatment. During graduate school she was an NSF and PEO Graduate Research Fellow.
Currently her research group focuses on exploring the sustainable catalysis and separations, with applications spanning from solar energy conversion to desalination. She is an active member of the American Chemical Society, the Electrochemical Society, ASEEP, and ASME. Dr. Hatzell was awarded the NSF Early CAREER award in 2019 for her work on distributed solar-fertilizers, attended the 2019 US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium through the National Academy of Engineering, and was awarded the 2020 Sloan Research Fellowships in Chemistry.
Research:
Combustion and Energy Systems, Electrochemical energy conversion, generation, and storage, Hydrogen production, Renewable energy, Waste conversion, Waste heat recovery, Desalination, Water treatment, Electrochemical energy production from natural and engineered salinity gradients
Professor Hatzell’s teaching interests include core materials science and engineering principles at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She emphasizes energy storage materials, sustainable materials engineering, and electrochemical systems. Her instruction integrates fundamental and applied aspects of materials behavior and processing. Professor Hatzell actively involves students in laboratory and research settings to enhance learning through hands-on experiences and critical analysis.
- Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2014
- M.Eng Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2014
- M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2010
- B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2009
HJ Choi, H Song, M Tahmid, H Choi, J Oh, M Hatzell, Integrated Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis and Electrolysis for CO2 Capture and Conversion, ChemRxiv 2026 (0109), 2026
PV Kamat, F De Angelis, K Hatzell, MC Hatzell, L Polavarapu, DD Sarma, ..., A Decade of Excellence Driving the Next Wave of Energy Research, ACS Energy Letters, 2026
Z Zhang, M Tahmid, HJ Choi, MC Hatzell, RH French, C Yuan, Techno-economic modeling and carbon footprint analysis of electrodialysis technology for ammonium ion recovery, Journal of Cleaner Production 541, 147505, 2026
ST Ganapavarapu, DJ Weber, AV Sankaran, E Zhou, T Dao, M Tahmid, ..., Modeling and optimization of electrodialysis for nutrient recovery from wastewater, Journal of Water Process Engineering 83, 109540, 2026
Z Zhang, M Tahmid, HJ Choi, MC Hatzell, RH French, C Yuan, Cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of electrodialysis for ammonium recovery, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 227, 108716, 2026