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2022 Fellow

Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao

PhD Institution
Cornell University
Postdoctoral institution and lab

Hatton Group, MIT

Elvis completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on microscopic precision in the simultaneous delivery of light and fluids by optofluidics, with advances relevant to sustainability and health applications. His work on a solar-powered optofluidic reactor for converting CO2 into fuels has led to commercial adoption to tackle climate change.

As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Elvis has pivoted from mechanical engineering to chemical engineering to focus on the integration of upstream carbon capture and its downstream utilization processes. Working with Professor T. Alan Hatton at MIT and Professor Ted Sargent at Northwestern University, Elvis will explore integrated carbon capture and utilization from molecular to process levels, machine learning to inspire smart carbon capture and utilization, and considerations for upscaling carbon capture and utilization at the nexus of technology, policy, and business.

Elvis aims to unlock new economic opportunities while mitigating global climate change through the integration of carbon capture and utilization.