- About Us
- Recent Publications
- Recent Lab News
- Socials
- Principle Investigator: Matthias T. Agne
- Members
About Us
The Agne Lab was established in the Chemistry Department at the University of Oregon in 2023 with a mission in research to advance the development of next generation energy and environmental technologies.
Thermodynamic principles and microscopic models inform engineering design. We are a theory group who use computational and experimental methods to test hypotheses and build understanding.
Humanity faces unprecedented environmental challenges that require the adoption of sustainable technologies. Clean energy production, storage and utilization are key components to a green future.
The world around us is ringing! Atoms vibrate at terahertz frequencies that are imperceptible to human hearing, but what if you could hear them? Our project called "The Sound of Solids" is led by Alicia Lancaster in collaboration with Prof. Jon Bellona from the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance and maps the vibrational spectrum of different materials to the audible range. Check it out here: https://pages.uoregon.edu/aalanc/upload-sounds-of-solids-mixer-filter/
Recent Publications
How do structural changes to a unit cell effect phonon anharmonicity? Elana, Alicia, and Zoe performed an analysis of the vibrational structures and mode Grüneisen parameters of nine alkali halide rock salt structures demonstrating the importance of phonon eigenvectors in anharmonic analysis: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c02430
Phase diagrams can be a useful starting point to understanding the underlying energy landscape of solid-solid interfaces: https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202500800
Read our newly published paper on heat capacity at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.102054
Recent Lab News
3rd paper published! --- 23 January 2026
Our group's second paper has been accepted! --- 20 October 2025
Alicia goes off to UCSD for her REU! --- 20 June 2025
Matthew graduated with a BS in chemistry! --- 15 June 2025
Our first paper has been accepted! --- 11 June 2025
Alex Advanced! --- 29 May 2025
Socials
Principle Investigator: Matthias T. Agne
Matthias T. Agne is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oregon. He received his Bachelor and Master degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Drexel University in 2015. While at Drexel, Matthias spent 4 years researching MAX phase ceramic composites under Professor Michel Barsoum. He completed his Ph.D under the advisory of Professor Jeffrey Snyder and graduated from Northwestern University in 2020. There, his research was concentrated in thermodynamics and materials physics with applications to thermal and electronic transport, thermoelectric materials and measurements. From 2020-2023, Matthias studied solid-state ionics as an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow in the Chemistry Department at the University of Münster in the group of Professor Wolfgang Zeier. At the University of Oregon, Matthias is a member of the Materials Science Institute, the Oregon Center for Electrochemistry, and is affiliated faculty of the Physics Department.
Members
Dr. Riley Hanus is a Courtesy Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Agne Research Group at the University of Oregon. He mentors Ph.D. students in transport physics and computational materials science, helping conceive research directions and guiding projects from initial formulation through publication. He contributes to proposal development and strategic planning within the group. Riley is a key consultant guiding the groups computational materials science efforts and spearheads research initiatives in quantum biology, applying theoretical and computational approaches to understand transport and quantum phenomena in complex systems. Previously, he developed widely cited theoretical models of charge and thermal transport in disordered materials, phonon scattering, and interfacial thermal resistance, with publications in leading journals across materials science and applied physics. More information is available at rileyhanus.com/science.
Ph.D Students
Ph.D Rotation Students
Master's Students and Post-Bach Researchers
Undergraduate Researchers
Alumni
Ph.D Rotation Students Fall 2025 - Katie Snyder Spring 2025 - Ben Andrews + Michaela Vacca Spring 2024 - Dario Nunez + Stern, E Winter 2024 - Casey Clark + Ryder Hales Master's Students Arya Saboori-Amleshi