President

Cockrell School of Engineering

Samuel Mercer

Sam is a PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and advised by Dr. Michael Baldea. He uses computational applied mathematics and dynamic programming to design, model, and optimize electrified chemical manufacturing processes. Prior to UT, Sam worked on IoT sensor networks with Amazon Web Services and catalysis research for energy and battery applications at the University of Florida, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and his alma mater—the University of New Hampshire (2023). In Austin, Sam has been involved with Texas Venture Labs on business model innovations that reduce supply chain disruptions in power systems. He also collaborates with climate-/deep-tech entrepreneurs in Houston and Boston as a TEX-E Fellow. Sam has been recognized as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow (GRFP), Barry Goldwater Scholar, and national winner of the 2023 AIChE Student Design Competition as well as a U.S. Finalist for both Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. After hours, he enjoys watching college sports, playing piano, and kayaking on Lady Bird Lake in Austin.

Vice Chair

College of Liberal Arts

Leila Wald

Leila is an undergraduate Economics major in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. She is involved with UT's Campus Environmental Center volunteer programs as well as the University Yoga and Craft clubs. She is passionate about renewable energy, energy finance, data analytics, and sustainability. Leila hopes to one day contribute to sustainable changes in the business world. In the meantime, she enjoys volunteering, crocheting, and attending concerts with friends.

Vice President of Events

Cockrell School of Engineering

Alex Choi

Alex is an undergraduate Computational Engineering major (with a minor in business) in the Department of Aerospace & Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin. His academic interests lie in the computational aspects of the energy industry, including computational fluid dynamics and energy systems modeling. His dedication to energy is evident through his involvement as a Student Advisory Council member for the KBH Energy Center. Additionally, Alex is keenly interested in nuclear fission and fusion energy. During the spring of 2024, he interned at a MedTech start-up, where he performed data collection and analysis as an engineering intern. This summer, he is interning at KLA, focusing on semiconductor manufacturing software and assisting Dr. Loveland with numerical modeling research of coastal ocean circulation and compound flooding. Furthermore, Alex serves as the technical lead at a MedTech start-up called TeachBack, as the secretary at AIAA, and as an officer in the Machine Learning and Data Science Club.