PANEL INTRODUCTION
A sustainable society cannot be part from innovation in finding new energy sources as well as its storage and conversion. The depletion of fossil fuel, coupled with the ever-increasing energy consumption, keeps posing new demands in novel regenerative energy. It is expected that the cost for wind energy and solar energy will be lower than natural gases, coals and nuclear energy by 2020. The development and use of these novel types of energies put new challenge in materials for energy storage. So what would be the next generation energy conversion and storage techniques? Can they meet the demand of energy consumption on earth? Will the development of advanced manufacturing techniques and architects design be able to keep up with new energy requirements, if not human living requirements?
In this panel, we are honored to have some of the best brains from both academia and industry. They will share with us their experience and vision, about the latest development in energy, new materials and advanced manufacturing.
2017 HIGHLIGHT SPEAKERS
Ju Li (Moderator)
Ju Li is BEA Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering and a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. Using atomistic modeling and in situ experimental observations, his group (http://Li.mit.edu) investigate mechanical, electrochemical and transport behaviors of materials, often under extreme environments, as well as novel means of energy storage and conversion. Ju was a winner of 2005 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the 2006 MRS Outstanding Young Investigator Award, and 2007 TR35 award from Technology Review magazine. In 2014 Thomson Reuters listed Ju as a Highly Cited Researcher (highlycited.com), among 147 scientists worldwide in Materials Science category based on papers published between 2002-2012.
Mark Goulthorpe
Mark Goulthorpe is an Associate Professor at MIT Dept of Architecture, teaching in undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate programs, and undergoing research in digital design and fabrication. He is currently Head of the new Design Stream in the SMArchS program. Current research centers on robotic fabrication and a variety of composite fabrication methodologies, as well as a new iteration of the dynamically reconfigurable HypoSurface. He has two published books, many published essays and articles. Goulthorpe is also a practicing architect, acting as creative and technical director of 3 groups of networked inter-disciplinary teams: dECOi Architects, HypoSurface, and Zero+. His current projects probe new modes of materializing architecture via digital technologies, pressing to innovating design, fabrication and material logics to attain new formal sophistication and technical efficiencies.
Fikile R. Brushett
Fikile Brushett joined the Chemical Engineering Department at MIT in January 2013, where he presently holds the Raymond A. (1921) & Helen E. St. Laurent Career Development Chair. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the supervision of Professor Paul J.A. Kenis. His doctoral research focused on microfluidic fuel cells. At Illinois, Brushett was the recipient of a GEM Fellowship, a SURGE Fellowship, and a Harry G. Drickamer Research Fellowship. From 2010 to 2012, Brushett was a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) working with Dr. Jack Vaughey. At ANL, his research focused on non-aqueous redox flow batteries and developing in-situ imaging techniques for lithium-ion batteries. In 2017, Prof. Brushett is described as the "Baron of batteries" in C&EN's Talented Twelve.
Hongmei Zhang
Dr. Hongmei Zhang is the Director in Center for Technology Strategy and Development at ENN Group. She is also co-founder and CEO of ST New Energy Company. Dr. Zhang has been committing on the advances of new energy and materials, as well as strategy development and investment in relating fields. She currently focus on working with ST New Energy to develop, manufacture and commercialize novel lithium ion battery and electrode materials. Dr. Zhang previously worked as lead mechanical engineer and project leader at GE and associate director in portfolio strategy and corporate venture at Dow. She was appointed as expert in clean energy field for 863 project and involved in strategy development and major projects assessment. Dr. Zhang has published many articles in international journals and conferences. She holds several patents in China and US.
Frank van Mierlo
Frank van Mierlo is the CEO of 1366 Technologies, a solar technology company he started together with a team of engineers from RPI and MIT in 2008. The goal of 1366 Technologies is to make silicon based solar competitive with coal generated electricity.
Van Mierlo’s previous venture was Bluefin Robotics Corp., a company that enjoyed double digit growth and was always profitable under his leadership. Bluefin became the leading robotics company in its field and is known for its technical competence and a customer-centric approach. The company maintained a strong balance sheet, a healthy cash flow and a team of highly qualified engineers. In May 2005 the company was sold to Battelle.
Frank holds engineering degrees from MIT and Stanford and a business degree from Insead.