Katherine Latosinsky of UBC Okanagan is a Master’s student in Electrical Engineering and the recipient of the 2025 John Tiedje Fellowship in Clean Energy and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation. Her research focuses on developing new technology for lightweight and flexible solar panels using solution-processed materials, with the goal of accelerating innovation in clean energy. She also helps organize the Solar Energy Ambassador high school outreach program at UBCO and was featured in a School of Engineering student spotlight interview in Fall 2025. As her supervisor, Dr. Alexander Uhl, noted, “Katherine’s talent and dedication to advancing solar cell technology have made her an invaluable member of our team. She represents the very best of the next generation of researchers.”
Portrait of Katherine Latosinsky
What does receiving this recognition mean to you personally and professionally at this stage of your work?
I am grateful to receive the John Tiedje Fellowship, which supports my research on clean energy technology. This award encourages and affirms my academic and research work, and the recognition will support me as I pursue a career in the Canadian energy sector after graduating.
How does this award connect to your current research or projects? Are there particular areas of your work that it highlights?
My research focuses on developing new technology for efficient, lightweight, and low-cost solar panels using solution-processed, or “printed,” materials. This technology could simplify manufacturing and unlock new applications for solar panels, for example, in consumer electronics, which can accelerate the clean energy transition.
In what ways does this recognition contribute to your field or community more broadly?
The John Tiedje Fellowship and similar research funding are essential for promoting the development of clean energy technology and for retaining graduate students in Canada. I also believe this award strengthens the UBC ecosystem by being offered to students across both campuses.
Has receiving this award opened any new opportunities, collaborations, or directions for your research?
The funding allows me to focus more fully on my graduate research and gives me the time to explore my research questions in greater depth than I would otherwise be able to.
Solar cell technology in the lab UBC Okanagan
What are you hoping to focus on next as you continue building on this momentum?
I hope to take the research skills and knowledge of renewable energy that I’ve gained during my Master’s and apply them to a career in industry, likely with a power producer or technology startup. The clean energy transition is happening now in Canada, and there is incredible potential for innovation and growth. That is what I would like to contribute to.
What advice would you offer to other engineering students who hope to achieve similar milestones in their academic or professional journey?
Research, and academia more broadly, requires persistence. I think the key to sustaining that effort is to believe in what you are doing and to surround yourself with people who believe in you as well.
” I think the key to sustaining that effort is to believe in what you are doing and to surround yourself with people who believe in you as well.”
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge who supported you along the way?
I would like to thank my Master’s supervisor, Dr. Alexander Uhl, and the professors who supported my award application: Dr. Jonathon Holzman and my undergraduate thesis supervisor, Dr. Stephen Julian at the University of Toronto.