Kyu Taek Cho, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
• M.S., Advanced Material Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, South Korea

Research Interests

• Brain-Computer-Interface (BCI) technologies for the research of autism spectral disorder, counseling, athletes' mental-health problems, and bi-directional communication between human and machine
• Digital synthesis of electrode structures for the next-generation batteries by advanced machine learning algorithms
• Machine-learning supported research for optimization of processes in thermal fluid systems such as additive manufacturing and wastewater treatment systems
• Modeling study of alloying process during a ball milling process for battery electrode synthesis
• Effect of surface roughness on thermo-mechanical performance of heat exchangers
• Additive manufacturing: melt pool dynamics, surface and porosity control, grain size control, analysis of metal powder flow, artificial neural network
• Electro-coagulation wastewater treatment system: effect of processing conditions and process optimization
• Physico-chemical adsorption mechanism, autocatalytic reaction, and kinetics: electrocoagulation to treat wastewater, electrolysis to produce the renewable fuels (H2)
• Physical electrochemistry at the interface between electrode and electrolyte: mechanism of growth/breakdown of oxide layer (metal-air batteries), active control of SEI layer (lithium-ion batteries), dendrite growth and interfacial resistance (all solid-state batteries)
• Transport phenomena in porous structure in electrochemical system: capillary, phase-induced, and forced flow in porous material (fuel cell and redox flow batteries)
• Design of heat and mass transfer system

Professional Activities

• NSF Panelist (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023)
• A guest editor in "process" journal (2019 – 2021)
• Reviewer: Journal of Power Sources, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Journal of Energy Storage, Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, etc.

Selected Journal Publications

• H. Penmetsa, R. Abbasi, N. Yellamilli, K. Winkelman, J. Chan, J. Hwang, K. Cho. Investigating Brain Activity of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder During STEM-Related Cognitive Tasks, Information, (2025), 16, 880.
• Kyu Taek Cho, Adam Cotton, and Tomoyuki Shibata. "A Framework for Optimal Parameter Selection in Electrocoaguation Wastewater Treatment Using Integrated Physics-Based and Machine Learning Models.", Sustainability, (2025), 4604.
• Tayebati, S.; Cho, K.T. Machine Learning Framework for Hybrid Clad Characteristics Modeling in Metal Additive Manufacturing. J.Manuf. Mater. Process. (2025), 9, 49.
• Christopher Welch, Kyu Taek Cho, Venkat Srinivasan, “Modeling Analysis of Ball Milling Process for Battery-Electrode Synthesis, Chemistry of Materials, 36(14):6748–6764 (2024).
• Swachwa Dey, Adebayo Adejinle, and Kyu Taek Cho, “Modeling Study of Aluminum-Based Electrocoagulation System for Wastewater Treatment”, J. Environ. Eng., (2024), 150(2).
• Kyu Taek Cho, Luis Nunez, John Shelton, Federico Sciammarella, “Investigation of Effect of Processing Parameters for Direct Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing Technologies”, J. Manuf. Mater. Process, (2023), 7, 105.
• C. Welch, A. Mohammad, N. Hosmane, Lu Zhang, and K.T. Cho, "Analysis of Oxide Film in Ionic Liquid Based Aluminum Air Battery", Energies (2020), 13, 2014.
• Michael C. Keblusek and Kyu Taek Cho, "Implementation and Optimization of a Variable Speed Coolant Pump in a Powertrain Cooling System", SAE Int. J. Commer. Veh. 12(4): (2020).
• C. Zhou, K. Bhonge, K.T. Cho, “Analysis of the effect of hydrogen-evolving side reaction”, Elect Acta, 330 (2020) 135290.
• Deva perugupalli, Tao Xu, K.T. Cho, “Activation of Carbon Porous Paper for Fuel Cells”, Energies (2019), 12, 3207.
• K. T. Cho, T. Razaulla, “Redox-Mediated Bromate Based Electrochemical Energy System” JES (2019) 166 A286-A296.
• J. Kolli, K. Marma, K. T. Cho, “Membrane-less Hydrogen Iron Redox Flow Battery” J. Electr. Ener. Conv. and Storage (2019) 16 011005-1 to 9.

Selected Patent Applications

• Paul Albertus, Edward Knudsen, M.C. Tucker, K. T. Cho, A.Z. Weber, US 11594749.
• Edward Knudsen, Paul Albertus, M.C. Tucker, K. T. Cho, A.Z. Weber, US 10,326,153 B2.
• M.C. Tucker, K. T. Cho, A.Z. Weber, US 2017/0244127 A1.
• Y. Yang, Y. Kim, S. Kim, M. Song, H. Shin, J. Lee, S. Chin, K. T. Cho, US Patent 7572540 B2.
• K. T. Cho, T. Lim, K. Lee, S. Kim, J. Lee, and S. Cho, US Patent 7537855 B2. 
• K. T. Cho, “Gasket structure for fuel cell and fabrication method of the same”, US Patent 7,121,558 B2.         
• K. T. Cho, T. Lim, Y. Yang, and J. Lee, “New structure of fuel cell stack”, US Patent Application Number 11/636699.
• K. T. Cho, J. Yoon, S.W. Kim, J. Lee, T. Lim, and M. M. Mench, US 8685584B2.
• S. Kim, J. Yoon, K. T. Cho, J. Lee, B. Ahn, and M. M. Mench, US 8535843 B2.           
• K. T. Cho, J. Yoon, J. Lee, M. M. Mench, and A. Turhan, US 8685584B2.

Work Experience

• Joint Appointee, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, (2022-present)
• Associate professor, Mechanical Engineering, Northern Illinois University (2020 to present)
• Assistant professor, Mechanical Engineering, Northern Illinois University (2014 to 2019)
• Principal research associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley (2010 to 2014)
• Research professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2010)
• Senior researcher, Hyundai/Kia Motor Company, Korea (1997 to 2009)