The useful transformation of energy from one form to another drives the engine of civilization. Access to plentiful, inexpensive, and environmentally benign resources would free nations to pursue their greatest human and economic potential. In the modern era, the appetite for energy is convoluted, with a recognition of diminishing fossil fuel resources and of dramatic negative impacts on global climate. The interdisciplinary program in Energy Science and Technology (EST) aims to foster revolutionary methods of harnessing carbon-free energy sources while advancing related technologies in carbon sequestration and further drawing connections to policy and economic considerations. The program brings together traditional topics in thermodynamics and kinetics with modern topics in biomolecular engineering, charge and mass transport, and photoelectrochemistry. Faculty and students in the EST program are drawn from a broad range of academic options, including materials science, chemistry, applied physics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and environmental science and engineering. Areas of emphasis reflect this breadth of disciplines and include photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical cells, bio-fuels, fuel cells, batteries, thermoelectrics, hydrogen generation and storage, and nuclear energy.
Published Date:
March 22, 2026