Executive Board

2026-2027

Strategy

Samuel Mercer
President

  • Sam is a PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering, advised by Dr. Michael Baldea. His research focuses on the design, modeling, and optimization of electrified chemical manufacturing processes. He is an Associated Fellow at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany, where he has worked under Dr. Alexander Mitsos on global dynamic optimization theory. In Texas, Sam has been involved with Texas Venture Labs on business model innovations for power system supply chain disruptions and serves on the KBH Energy Center Student Advisory Board. As an undergraduate, he developed catalysts for energy and battery applications at the University of Florida, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (now National Laboratory of the Rockies), and his alma mater – the University of New Hampshire (2023).

    Sam has been recognized as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow (GRFP), Barry Goldwater Scholar, Lead TEX-E Fellow, S&P Global CERAWeek NextGen Fellow, and national winner of the 2023 AIChE Student Process Design Competition. He was also a U.S. Finalist for Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. After hours, he enjoys watching college sports, playing piano, and kayaking on Lady Bird Lake.  

PhD in Chemical Engineering ‘28

Administration

Thomas LaMotte
Vice Chair

  • Thomas is an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering major with a focus on Energy Systems Engineering and Sustainable Engineering. His academic interests lie in the energy market and emerging renewable energy technologies. Thomas has interned with Nexus PMG, a low-carbon infrastructure and engineering advisory firm focused on scaling energy and recycling facilities. On campus, he is involved with the Longhorn Energy Club and the Longhorn Rocketry Association. He is passionate about leadership and the environment, and aims to pursue a career in the new energy space. Outside of school, Thomas is interested in fitness, film, hiking and spending time with family.

BS in Mechanical Engineering ‘28

Briefing

Letzter Zhang
Briefing Chair

  • Letzter Zhang is a second-year PhD student in UT-Austin's Government Department. His research interests lie at the intersection of energy, commodities, alongside the enabling legal and financial instruments. Previously, he worked as an attorney on a range of issues including voting rights, civil rights, and immigration detention at a nonprofit organization. He holds a B.A. from Grinnell College and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law.

PhD in Government ‘30

Damjan Zechevikj
VP of Research

  • Damjan Zechevikj is a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, specializing in power systems and power electronics. His research investigates the grid impacts of large electronic loads, including AI data centers, with an emphasis on power quality. He is currently contributing to an Energy Institute–funded project with his lab, where the team is developing flexible generation solutions – such as gas turbine generators – for reliably supplying large AI data center loads. Beyond research, Damjan helps organize interdisciplinary, energy-focused events through the Longhorn Energy Club and is involved in energy entrepreneurship through TEX-E (Texas Exchange for Energy & Climate Entrepreneurship). 

Mahathi Harith
VP of Events

  • Mahathi is an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin studying Chemical Engineering Honors in the Cockrell School of Engineering. She conducts research in the Korgel Research Group, where she synthesizes silicon quantum dots and develops scalable production methods for next-generation optoelectronic applications. Her broader research background spans AAV purification modeling and independent research on the biochemistry of Alzheimer's disease. On campus, Mahathi mentors students at Austin-area Title I schools through the SEEK program and is a member of AIChE and ISPE. She is passionate about sustainable energy, materials innovation, and expanding access to STEM education. Outside of school, she enjoys playing violin, traveling, hiking, and baking and has a particular weakness for anything involving sugar and chocolate.

Cecilia Castillo
Energy Markets

  • Cecilia is an undergraduate student majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus on Software and Data Analytics and minoring in Global Sustainability Leadership. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of energy systems, sustainability, and data science. She currently interns at Siemens as a Grid Software Technical Consultant, where she develops interactive models to analyze regional power supply and pricing forecasts, supporting scenario planning and reliability assessments. On campus, Cecilia founded and leads the Sustainability Team for the Longhorn Racing Electric car, focusing on resource tracking and grant acquisitions for energy-efficient technologies. She also serves on UT's Green Fund Committee and is part of the TexUS Lab where she collaborates with the City of Austin to research the impacts of extreme weather on urban systems using dynamic modeling. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, playing guitar, and practicing yoga.

PhD in Electrical Engineering ‘29

BS in Chemical Engineering ‘29

BS in Petroleum Engineering ‘28

Angel Zepeda
VP of Entrepreneurship

Annabelle Harvey
VP of Events

Jack Radosevich
Energy Markets

  • TBD

  • Angel is an undergraduate majoring in Economics with a minor in Computer Science. He is a TEX-E Innovation Fellow and is actively involved in the startup and climate tech communities. Angel has founded and worked with early-stage startups, where he’s led growth strategy, developed internal tools, and built app features from the ground up. He combines technical skills in data analysis, financial modeling, and coding with a passion for helping ventures scale. He aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of entrepreneurship and technology-driven innovation.

  • Anna is an undergraduate student majoring in Geology with a focus on energy systems, green energy, and resource security. Her academic interests combine the geosciences and the evolving energy sector, particularly in supporting sustainable energy development and responsible resource management. She is interning at TRC as an Environmental Intern, where she is gaining experience in environmental analysis and applied geoscience through compliance and regulation. Her research interests include the energy transition, rare earth mineral extraction, carbon capture and decarbonization, and nuclear waste disposal. On campus, she is involved in the Campus Environmental Center, the Outdoors Club, and the Longhorn Energy Club. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, and traveling.

BS in Economics ‘27

BS in General Geology ‘28

BS in Petroleum Engineering ‘29

Sophia Shi
VP of Sponsorships

Samanvita Kasibhatla
VP of Socials

Ahmad Hassan
Energy Markets

  • Ahmad is an undergraduate student in the Business School planning to major in Finance. In his free time, he likes to hop between different organizations to see what UT has to offer. His interests lies in energy, global markets, and geopolitics. This has led him to focus his future on commodities trading, specifically energy. In his free time loves to read books of all genres, play board games with friends, and ponder over what to play next.

  • Sophia is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering, co-advised by Dr. Brian Korgel and Dr. Michael Baldea. Her research applies optimization methodologies to energy systems to conduct techno-economic analyses on infrastructure planning and operation scheduling, specifically, on the long-term design and dynamic operations of hydrogen gas pipeline networks. Currently, Sophia is a TA for the Energy Ventures Practicum. Sophia worked as an summer intern (2024) at the National Renewable Laboratory (now the National Lab of the Rockies) and investigated the role of hydrogen in the future power sector for continental U.S. She also participated in a variety of international projects that are energy-related, including projects in renewable generation in Iceland (2022), solar microgrid installation in Nepal (2023), carbon credits and climate finance in Indonesia (2025), and desalination in Singapore (2025). Other than energy, Sophia is passionate about being active and spending time outdoors. She loves to dance, paint, snowboard, and is a member of the Texas Triathlon Team and the Texas Wake Surf & Wake Board Club.

  • Samanvita is a rising sophomore Chemical Engineering student excited to explore novel energy technology and applications to secure a sustainable future. She loves investigating sophisticated systems, from UT EcoCAR’s autonomous electric vehicle to her research in molten salt nuclear reactors, and is devoted to translating complex concepts into digestible information, hoping to contribute to the ever-dynamic energy technology industry one day. As VP of Socials, she hopes to gain exposure into the detailed planning and execution of events to successfully navigate inquisitive UT students to explore their interests in the diverse energy industry. Aside from her academic interests, she enjoys painting, watching TV shows, and spending time with friends.

PhD in Chemical Engineering ‘27

BS in Chemical Engineering ‘29

BBA in Finance ‘29

AJ Cott
VP of Sponsorships

Sunishka Bera
VP of Socials

Andrew Igdal
Geopolitics

  • Hailing from the foothills of North Carolina, Andrew is a PhD student in Public Policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He is part of the Webber Energy group where he researches quantifying the costs and benefits of transmission infrastructure. His academic interests include grid expansion and modernization, beneficial electrification, and general equilibrium modeling of energy cooperation in a southeast asian context.  His focus is on energy infrastructure and efficiency in the United States because he believes Americans deserve the cheapest, cleanest, and most reliable energy system on the planet. He is currently an intern at ERCOT as part of the economic analysis and long term studies team. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys reading, writing, playing basketball, and spending time with friends.

  • AJ is a sophomore majoring in finance at the McCombs School of Business. He serves as Vice President of Sponsorships and is actively involved in UT’s energy and finance communities. Passionate about the intersection of technology and finance in energy, AJ actively tracks new startups and financial trends driving the industry. Outside of class, he enjoys exploring Austin’s running trails and playing golf.

  • Sunishka is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business. Her academic interests are focused on the nexus of energy, policy, and business. Previously, she has interned with HDR Inc. as a Power Resources Intern, contributing to projects predominantly related to solar design. This past year, she interned with TechnipFMC, getting involved in the oil and gas industry, working on improvement projects on subsea equipment as a Product Performance Intern. This summer, she will be at ExxonMobil as a Subsea Intern. She is also the President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, where she has helped collaborate with other student organizations, sought out and maintained corporate partners, and aided her team in accomplishing their goals to encourage a welcoming culture and provide resources to members. She is an Engineering Ambassador for the Cockrell School, communicating often with prospective students, admitted students, and donors to share her experiences. In her spare time, she loves to work out, read, paint, and try new foods!

BBA in Finance ‘29

BS in Mechanical Engineering ‘27

PhD in Public Policy ‘28

Kamp Davis
VP of Sponsorships

John (Jack) Grove
VP of Finance

Indigo Keener
Geopolitics/Policy

  • Indigo is a senior studying Geoscience with a minor in Energy Management; she will continue at UT this fall in the Energy and Earth Resources (EER) graduate program. Her academic interests include critical mineral supply chains and commodity geopolitics between the US and adversarial states. She is well-versed in energy geopolitics and has given a student talk on lithium extraction at the LEC's Green Futures meeting. As the briefing team's geopolitics/policy analyst, she hopes to use her passion for both topics to keep others up to date on current energy events all around the world. In her free time, she enjoys reading the news, cosplaying at anime conventions, and being a homebody.

  • Kamp is a student majoring in Petroleum Engineering with a Business minor. With a strong passion for the intersection of energy and finance, Kamp is pursuing a career in energy investment banking, where he hopes to have an active role in the energy industry through financial strategy and advisory work. On campus, Kamp is involved in several academic and professional organizations, including Texas Energy Capital, Longhorn Banking Group, and Engineers in Business. Through these groups, he continues to develop his understanding of both the technical and financial aspects of the energy industry, while also mentoring younger students and building relationships with professionals across sectors. Outside of school, Kamp enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and spending time with friends.

  • John is an undergraduate Chemical Engineering student with a strong interest in the financial side of the energy industry. On campus, he is involved in organizations focused on energy and finance, where he continues to build his understanding of financial analysis and the broader energy landscape. John hopes to pursue a career in energy investment banking after graduation. Outside of school, he spends much of his time training for Ironman triathlons. He also enjoys following motorsport and European football, reading, and finding out where to travel to next.

BS in Petroleum Engineering ‘28

BS in Chemical Engineering ‘29

MA in Energy and Earth Resources ‘28

Hamad Alsaiari
VP of External Relations

Parnian Ebrahimi
VP of Finance

Ava Russell
Tech/Investments

  • Ava is an undergraduate Geophysics major at the University of Texas at Austin, pursuing a minor in Statistics and Data Science. She is interested in the intersection of energy, data analysis, and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on climate tech and applied machine learning. In addition to her involvement in the Longhorn Energy Club, she is a member of the Campus Environmental Center’s Trash2Treasure team. Outside of academics, Ava enjoys running, spending time outdoors, and reading.

  • TBD

  • Parnian is an undergraduate student majoring in Finance with a concentration in Energy, Finance, and Law, along with a minor in Real Estate. She is actively involved in Women in Energy, the KBH Energy Center, and the Real Estate Center, and serves as a junior editor for the Developing Economist, where she spends time engaging with new ideas and insights on economic trends and policy. Her interests are centered around energy economics, capital markets, and the intersection of finance and innovation. Rather than focusing on the technical side, she is drawn to questions like how projects are financed, how risk is priced, and how investment can develop an idea. She is especially interested in energy infrastructure development, the scaling of clean energy projects through new technologies, and emerging markets such as carbon credit systems. She aspires to work at the intersection of energy and venture capital, where she can help bridge the gap between innovation and implementation. Outside of her academic and professional interests, Parnian is an avid sports fan, supporting the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia Eagles, and enjoys boxing and reading.

MS in Operations Research ‘27

BBA in Finance ‘28

BS in Geophysics ‘28

Sam Rogers
VP of External Relations

Nischal Konduri
VP of Marketing

Akshat Singh
Tech/Investments

  • Akshat is a PhD Candidate in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, advised by Prof. Delia J. Milliron and Prof. Joaquin Resasco. His research focuses on understanding the role of microenvironment and support interactions in electrocatalysis, with applications in green hydrogen production and fuel cells. His work combines advanced electrochemical techniques and spectroscopy to uncover how catalyst structure and electrolyte environments influence reaction performance. Akshat is broadly interested in the intersection of energy, technology, and business, particularly in accelerating the transition to renewable energy through scalable innovations. Prior to his PhD, he earned his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, where he graduated among the top of his class. He has also worked as a program manager at Zomato and completed an R&D internship at Unilever. In his free time, Akshat enjoys hiking in national parks, playing soccer or chess, and listening to rock music.

  • Sam is an undergraduate Plan II Honors major in the College of Liberal Arts. He is currently interning at Fulcrum Capital where he assists in the trading of distressed debt claims. He also serves as the President of IPO Investing at UT, where he leads discussion of Initial Public Offerings and is involved in the UT Finance community. He is interested in working at the intersection of capital raising, growth strategy, and energy innovation.

  • Nischal is a sophomore undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin studying Chemical Engineering. He is interested in battery technologies, energy systems, and process engineering. He works on creating a cube-based system to directly sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as a member of the AIChE ChemE Cube team. Along with a keen interest in low-carbon solutions, his research interests include dendritic growth, battery materials, and electrochemical energy storage. He is enthusiastic about making difficult energy subjects understandable and using digital channels to increase participation in UT’s energy community. Nischal’s goals as part of LEC are to increase the club’s outreach, showcase industry and student initiatives, and create a unified brand presence on social media.

BA in Plan II Honors ‘28

BS in Chemical Engineering ‘29

PhD in Chemical Engineering ‘27

Christina Al Tawil
VP of Professional Development

  • Christina is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering advised by Dr. Brian Korgel. Her research focuses on the development and optimization of perovskite-based solar cells, with an emphasis on improving stability, scalability, and performance for next-generation renewable energy technologies. Prior to UT Austin, she earned her M.S. in Chemistry from the American University of Beirut, where she conducted research on perovskite nanocrystals. She is passionate about advancing clean energy solutions through material innovation and sustainable processes. As a TEX-E Fellow, she is part of a network driving innovation and entrepreneurship in energy and climate technologies. She is also actively involved in promoting a strong culture of laboratory safety through leadership roles and initiatives at UT Austin. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys cooking, traveling, weightlifting, and spending time with family and friends.

Jeremy McMahan
VP of Communications

  • Jeremy McMahan is a senior at University of Texas at Austin majoring in Corporate Communication  with a focus on energy, real estate, and deal strategy. As Vice President of Communications for the Longhorn Energy Club, he leads outreach and industry engagement initiatives, increasing event visibility and strengthening connections between students and energy professionals.

    Jeremy serves on the KBH Energy Center Student Advisory Council and is an upcoming Tex-E Fellow, where he works alongside industry leaders and gains exposure to upstream, midstream, and emerging energy markets. He supports an all-of-the-above energy approach, advocating for oil and gas development alongside renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear, to help strengthen the Texas energy economy for future generations.

    He is particularly interested in land and mineral roles, with a focus on acquisitions, leasing, real estate, solar, data centers, and is actively pursuing opportunities to build experience in land, energy finance, and deal execution. 

PhD in Chemical Engineering ‘27

BA in Communications ‘27

Bradley Moraes
VP of Professional Development

  • Bradley is a Mechanical Engineering major at UT Austin with an interest in sustainable energy production and distribution. He is passionate about finding innovative approaches in engineering to address energy topics. He is currently leading a research project to optimize heat engines for waste heat utility in power plants. He aims to scale his research and bring it to industrial applications. In his free time he enjoys working on creative projects including music, fashion and art. He serves as Vice President of Professional Development and is committed to bringing opportunities to LEC members.

BS in Mechanical Engineering ‘28