Jay Whitacre
Trustee Professor in Energy, Engineering and Public Policy, Materials Science and Engineering
Jay Whitacre is the Trustee Professor in Energy with a joint appointment in the Departments of Engineering and Public Policy and Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He examines the materials science of synthesizing, characterizing, and implementing promising materials and device architectures for energy storage and generation technologies such as Li-ion batteries, fuel cells, and photovoltaics. He will concurrently be addressing the policy implications involved with selecting and implementing these renewable technologies. Other research topics for Whiteacre include hybrid power systems for distributed and mobile platforms, high throughput materials selection methods, and ultra fast laser modification of materials for solid-state electrochemical devices.
Whitacre has authored or co-authored over 60 peer review papers and is an inventor on over 30 patents that are issued or pending. He has numerous honors to his name, including the 2014 Caltech/Resnick Sustainability Institute Resonate Award, was listed as one of the top 25 Eco-Innovators in the world by Fortune Magazine in 2014, and was the 2015 winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for Innovation.
Education
1999 Ph.D., Materials Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1997 Master of Science in Engineering, Materials Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1994 BA, Physics, Oberlin College
Media mentions
NPR
Whitacre featured for entrepreneurial endeavors
MSE’s Jay Whitacre was featured on “Midwest Moxie” on NPR affiliate WUWM 89.7, as he spoke about his entrepreneurial endeavors, most recently with Stratus Materials.
Green Car Congress
Whitacre’s start-up reaches notable milestone
MSE’s Jay Whitacre discussed a key performance milestone in his start-up, Stratus Materials Inc., a company focused on the development and commercialization of advanced cathode active materials (CAMs) for lithium-ion batteries.
Engineering and Public Policy
Charged to make change
Hannah Morin, a dual Ph.D. major in materials science and engineering and engineering and public policy, began her tenure in GSA as a representative in the assembly for EPP, and has since progressed to vice president of campus affairs, and has now been president of the organization since December 2022.
CMU Engineering
Powering a vision for the future
Ankur Gupta (MSE’10) is working to develop the battery technologies needed to bring augmented and mixed reality products to market at Meta.
The Pittsburgh Business Times
Whitacre’s start-up Stratus Materials featured in The Pittsburgh Business Times
MSE/EPP’s Jay Whitacre’s start-up company Stratus Materials was featured in The Pittsburgh Business Times for its advancement toward a cobalt-free cathode manufacturing plant.
Business Wire
Whitacre comments on his cathode materials company emerging from stealth
MSE’s Jay Whitacre comments on his cathode materials company, Stratus Materials, coming out of stealth-mode in Business Wire.
Materials Science and Engineering
Joint MSE/EPP Ph.D. degrees enable energy access research
It was Katrina Ramirez-Meyers’ experience serving as a high school teacher in a small West African town without electricity that sparked her interest in batteries and energy storage.
Instigators of Change
Whitacre interviewed on environmentally friendly batteries
Scott Institute Director Jay Whitacre was interviewed in a podcast on how batteries can still have a negative impact on the environment.
The Daily Beast
Whitacre quoted on lithium-ion batteries
Scott Institute Director Jay Whitacre was quoted in The Daily Beast on lithium-ion batteries and their effect on climate disaster.
CMU Engineering
Team builds tools, innovations to support federal investment
With major investments in infrastructure and innovation pending, a multi-disciplinary initiative lead by EPP’s Erica Fuchs is building the tools and innovations to inform government decisions.
CMU Engineering
AI-fueled batteries
A team of CMU mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering researchers are using AI to optimize battery electrolyte designs, and they found new electrolytes that researchers hadn’t thought of.
Carnegie Mellon University Africa
EST&P project course responds to Africa’s energy access challenges
This past spring semester, about a dozen master’s students in Carnegie Mellon University’s Energy Science, Technology and Policy (EST&P) Project Course worked hands-on with batteries to potentially identify re-use applications that could improve Africa’s energy access problem.