Meta PHoDcast #14: Rok Rudež, chemist

What this episode covers

Chemist and materials expert Rok Rudež discusses thermoelectric micro-generators. #MetaPHoDcast Subscribe to Meta PHoDcast via iTunes or our RSS feed.   ROK RUDEŽ graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School. He is a Junior Researcher at the Department for Nanostructured Materials at the Jožef Stefan Institute. His research focuses on electroceramics: thermoelectric micro-generators are screen-printed elements that generate voltage from the disparity in temperature between the two sides. It was immediately clear to me that Rok was both a researcher and a teacher, as he welcomed me to the Institute surrounded by a cloud of nitrogen fog, barely giving me a chance to greet him before demonstrating the uses of the device. In his work, he uses materials that can convert heat into electricity at temperatures as high as 500°C and above, and he believes these preliminary studies are sure to find commercial uses in the near future.   Author: LUKA AUSEC, holds a doctorate in biosciences and can fluently read DNA – and sometimes literature. Enthusiastic about bending the body and the mind in all directions – and sometimes inwards. Enjoys spreading inspiring ideas – sometimes as tweets.   Translated by: Urša Klinc.