Feature Stories 2025: Elijah Facchiano '26: Researching real-life Iron Man

Studying chemistry

Like a true scientist, Elijah Facchiano '26 tested a few different majors before concluding that chemistry was the correct path for him.

"Initially I was a psychology major, then I tried biology. I kept switching because I'm a very curious person and am interested in everything. But once I took a chemistry class, I knew it was the right fit. I like that chemistry connects to biology and physics, so I can explore a variety of topics all within my field of study," he said.

"Chemistry is fun because it covers everything I'm interested in. The more I study it, the more I make connections to other scientific disciplines. It's cool to see how topics relate to each other, especially as someone who's so curious and wants to know everything!"

Accelerated BS to MS program

Facchiano is part of the accelerated BS to MS program, which allows him to take graduate courses during his senior year as an undergrad. Through this program, he will finish his master's in chemistry in one year instead of two.

Conducting multiple semesters of lab research as an undergraduate gives Facchiano an early advantage during his master's program. He'll have a head start on his graduate courses due to the knowledge and experience he gained during his BS.

Conducting undergraduate research

Facchiano's pursuit of curiosity has led him to complete four semesters of laboratory research so far. "Being able to conduct research as an undergraduate is a huge benefit of the chemistry program," he said.

Last summer, Facchiano won the Undergraduate Research Award, receiving a $3,000 stipend to study pharmaceutical drug development in Professor Sivappa Rasapalli's lab.

He currently works in Professor Maricris Mayes' lab, where he researches batteries and materials science. "My project is on structural energy storage, such as batteries in the chassis of cars or in the walls of buildings. They store large amounts of energy while acting as structural components. It's useful for renewable energy, especially wind and solar," said Facchiano.

"I also research wearable electronics, like structural batteries or capacitors within body armor. I'm basically working on Iron Man!"

Data analytics minor

Facchiano supplements his chemistry classes with a minor in data analytics. "My data analytics minor helps with my research. No matter what I'm researching, there's always data, and I need to know how to represent it."

"My data classes cover statistics in multiple fields, including economics, psychology, and business. It's an interesting way to see how different disciplines portray their data, which can be useful as I'm representing my own findings."

"It's a great minor for STEM students, but it's helpful for any major. Being proficient at Microsoft Excel is huge when applying to jobs."

Creating connections as an orientation leader

In addition to classes and research, Facchiano also works as an orientation leader, where he helps incoming first-years with the basics of being a UMassD student.

"For me, the most important part of orientation is making sure that the students learn familiar faces and make friends. Then they'll know someone they can sit with on the first day of class."

"As an orientation leader, it's nice to foster those relationships. It's amazing when I introduce two people in the morning and then see them still talking and exchanging information at the end of the day."

Making the most of UMassD

"Before becoming an orientation leader, I was really introverted. Now I'm more extroverted, all because of that experience," he said.

"College becomes a lot easier when you force yourself to be extroverted. Networking with your professors, students, and faculty members is a huge part of success. I've grown a lot since starting as a first-year. I used to just go to class and go home. Now I'm making connections and getting more out of my college experience."

Advice for future students

Networking and making connections are Facchiano's biggest pieces of advice for creating a successful college career.

"Just talk to people! If you're interested in a topic, go talk to a professor who specializes in it. When they see how passionate you are, they'll probably be glad to let you into their lab. All you have to do is ask, even if you don't know anything about the topic. That's the beauty of being an undergrad—you're here to learn."

A future in chemistry

"After getting my master's, my dream is to pursue a PhD, become a professor, and run my own lab. I always want to be thinking, researching, and coming up with new ideas." 

"I'm basically working on Iron Man!"