Undergraduate students
Kate Wattenbarger
Undergraduate Researcher (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Fall 2025)
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Expected-2026
Kate is from Oklahoma. She is a senior at the University of Oklahoma, and in the Gunasooriya Lab, her research focuses on the effects of acid electrolyte anions on metal surfaces and oxides through computational methods. In her free time, she enjoys baking and cooking.
Daryl Tan
Undergraduate Researcher (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Spring 2026)
B.Sc. Petroleum Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Expected-2029
Daryl is curios about how energy systems shape everyday life, from enabling economic activity to keeping communities connected and electrified. He joined He joined the Gunasooriya Lab under the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) to learn more about sustainability and particularly how catalyst design influences activity and selectivity at the atomic scale. In his free time, Daryl enjoys listening to podcasts, going to musicals (especially Hamilton and Hadestown), and playing basketball and soccer.
David Castellanos
Undergraduate Researcher, co-advised with Prof. Steven Crossley (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Spring 2026)
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Universidad industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia Expected-2026
David is from Bucaramanga, Colombia. He is currently pursuing a Chemical Engineering degree at the Universidad industrial de Santander, Colombia. He is an exchange undergraduate researcher co-advised with Dr. Gunasooriya and Dr. Crossley.
Brooke RufF
Undergraduate Researcher (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Spring 2025)
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Expected-2027
Brooke is from the Houston, Texas area. She is passionate about making discoveries in the physical world through chemical and mathematical computations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, and playing tennis.
Oghenetega Botti
Undergraduate Researcher (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Summer 2025)
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Expected-2027
Tega grew up in eSwatini and moved to Norman in 2023. She is passionate about sustainable forms of energy and is interested in exploring innovative ways to improve industrial processes and product development. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and shows with friends, spending quality time with family, crocheting, and drawing.
Matthew Suarez
Undergraduate Researcher (joined the Gunasooriya Lab, Fall 2025)
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Expected-2029
Matthew is from Oklahoma. He is interested in developing sustainable energy solutions. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing tennis, and chess.