Evelyn Wang ’00 was profoundly influenced by water shortages during her childhood in Los Angeles, Southern California. “I was very young, maybe in first grade,” she shares. “But I recall that we weren’t allowed to activate our sprinklers. Additionally, disinfectant tablets for toilets were provided to everyone in the neighborhood to encourage minimal flushing. I didn’t fully grasp the situation, but I noticed that our community was impacted by the limited availability of this essential resource.”
Now, as extreme weather patterns continue to disrupt communities globally, Wang is spearheading MIT’s initiative to confront the interconnected issues of climate change and increasing global energy demand. Last April, following a two-year tenure leading the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), she returned to the campus where she had been both a student and educator to assume the role of the first vice president for energy and climate.
“The accelerating issue of climate change and its myriad effects represents the foremost scientific, technical, and policy challenge of our time,” wrote MIT President Sally Kornbluth in a January 2025 letter to the MIT community regarding the appointment. “We are incredibly fortunate that Evelyn Wang has committed to lead this essential effort.”
A time to lead
For decades, MIT has tackled climate and energy issues. Recently, with rising temperatures, more intense storms, and increasing energy needs, that focus has expanded and intensified, giving rise to numerous research initiatives, policy suggestions, academic papers, and startups. The urgency of the challenges led MIT to initiate several institute-wide efforts, such as President Rafael Reif’s Climate Grand Challenges (2020) and President Kornbluth’s Climate Project (2024).
However, Kornbluth maintains that MIT must escalate its efforts. The establishment of the new VP position now held by Wang highlights that determination.
Wang is remarkably equipped for this role. As the Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT and the former leader of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, she became part of the faculty in 2007, shortly after receiving her PhD from Stanford University. Her research primarily involves thermal management and energy conversion and storage, yet she also delves into nano-engineered surfaces and materials, alongside water harvesting and purification. Wang and her collaborators developed a device utilizing nanophotonic crystals that may double the efficiency of solar cells—recognized as one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 breakthrough technologies of 2017. Moreover, the device she co-created with Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi for extracting water from arid air was acknowledged as one of 2017’s top 10 emerging technologies by Scientific American and the World Economic Forum, earning her the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in 2018. (See story on this water harvesting research in the January/February issue of MIT Technology Review.)
Wang possesses a profound understanding of the Institute—and even deeper connections here. (See “Family Ties,” MIT Alumni News, March/April 2015.) Her parents, who met as PhD students from Taiwan at MIT in the 1960s, were married at the MIT chapel. When Wang arrived at MIT in 1996 as a freshman, her brother Alex ’96, MEng ’97, had just graduated and was pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering. Her other brother, Ben, completed his PhD at MIT in 2007. She even met her husband, Russell Sammon ’98, at MIT. Except for her time at ARPA-E, a brief period at Bell Labs, and a sabbatical at Google, her entire professional journey has been at the Institute. Thus, she possesses a unique perspective on the resources MIT can utilize to respond to the climate and energy challenges.
“Innovation is the very core of MIT,” she asserts. “We are innovators, and this creativity will assist us in overcoming potential obstacles as we strive for solutions to climate and energy challenges. Our innovative capabilities can help us achieve energy security and foster sustainable resource development and usage.”
The prevailing spirit of innovation at MIT is fueled by an intense commitment to addressing the issue. Many individuals on campus are deeply invested in climate and energy, Wang expresses. “This passion is why President Kornbluth made this her central initiative. We are lucky to have a wealth of talented students and faculty, along with our established infrastructure. I believe they will all rise to meet these challenges.” However, she is quick to emphasize that these issues are too vast for any single entity—including MIT—to tackle independently. Therefore, she aims to promote greater collaboration among MIT researchers and with external institutions.
“If we wish to address the climate change crisis, adjusting our trajectory in the next decade, we cannot continue with the status quo,” she states. “This is what’s most exhilarating about this challenge and, honestly, the reason I returned to campus for this position.”
Hand in hand
The integration of climate and energy within Wang’s responsibilities is deliberate. “Energy and climate represent two facets of the same issue,” she clarifies. “A significant factor contributing to climate change is our failure to implement solutions at the necessary scale to reduce CO2 emissions from the energy sector. The methods by which we produce energy and manage emissions are crucial to any strategy intended to combat climate change. Concurrently, global energy demand continues to rise—an appetite we cannot fulfill through a singular approach.”
“Zero-emissions and low-carbon strategies alone will not suffice to provide the requisite energy or to reverse our impact on the climate … We must pursue something genuinely transformational. That is the essence of the challenge.”
Additionally, she asserts that transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, while imperative, is merely a fraction of the solution. “Zero-emissions and low-carbon strategies will not be adequate to meet energy demands or to mitigate our climate impact,” she remarks. “We must account for the environmental repercussions of the new fuels we develop and employ. We need to leverage data analytics to transport goods and energy more proficiently and intelligently. We should explore methods for raising more food in aquatic environments while utilizing food by-products and waste to aid in carbon sequestration. In summary, we need to endeavor towards something truly transformational. That is the heart of the issue.”
This challenge appears poised to become even more daunting in the coming years. Wang points out that there still exist regions experiencing “energy poverty”—areas lacking sufficient energy to maintain their quality of life. Yet, addressing this matter will only escalate global energy production and consumption. The rapid advancement of AI is likely to contribute similarly, as the substantial data centers powering this technology require vast amounts of energy for both computation and cooling.
Wang believes that while AI will persist in increasing electricity demand, it can also play a role in fostering a more sustainable future. “We can leverage AI to devise climate and energy solutions,” she declares. “AI can be instrumental in solution development, offering novel and improved methodologies for managing intermittent loads within the energy grid. It can aid us in creating new catalysts and chemicals or assist in stabilizing the plasma needed for nuclear fusion. Moreover, AI could enhance climate and geospatial modeling, enabling us to predict the consequences of potential climate solutions prior to their implementation. We could even utilize AI to minimize computational requirements and reduce cooling demand.”
Change the narrative, change the culture
Long before Wang returned to campus in 2025 after concluding her tenure at ARPA-E, MIT was already a hub of climate and energy research. Nearly 400 researchers from 90% of MIT’s departments engaged in response to President Reif’s 2020 Climate Grand Challenges initiative. The Institute allocated $2.7 million to 27 finalist teams and identified five flagship projects, including one aimed at creating an early warning system to mitigate climate disaster impacts, another project to anticipate and prepare for extreme weather events, and an ambitious initiative to halve industrial carbon emissions.
Approximately 250 MIT faculty members and senior researchers are currently engaged in the Climate Project at MIT, a campus-wide initiative launched in 2024 focused on generating and implementing climate solutions, tools, and policy proposals. Designed to enhance MIT’s already significant contributions as a leading provider of technological, behavioral, and policy solutions to global climate challenges, the Climate Project has pinpointed six “missions”: decarbonizing energy and industry; protecting the atmosphere, land, and oceans; empowering community action; designing resilient and prosperous cities; enabling innovative policy approaches; and wild cards, a category that encompasses the development of unconventional solutions outside the other missions’ parameters. Faculty members oversee each mission.
Given the extensive climate research currently underway, a significant aspect of Wang’s role involves supporting and deepening existing initiatives. However, to fully harness MIT’s distinctive capabilities, she aims to encourage cultural transformations. This begins with identifying methods to promote collaboration—both within the Institute and with external partners—at a scale capable of effecting “something truly transformational,” she states. “At this juncture, facing the challenges of energy and climate, we must pursue something ambitious.”
In Wang’s perspective, achieving significant outcomes necessitates a comprehensive, holistic strategy that will demand unprecedented levels of collaboration. “MIT faculty have always valued their independence and autonomy,” she notes. “Traditionally, we’ve aimed to let a thousand flowers bloom, and historically, we’ve succeeded, often with remarkable results. However, climate and energy are systemic challenges, meaning we require a systemic solution. How do we unite these varied faculty members? How do we align their endeavors, not just in technology, but also across policy, science, finance, and social sciences?”
To motivate MIT faculty to collaborate across departments, schools, and disciplines, Wang recently declared that the MIT Climate Project will offer grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to collaborative faculty teams engaged in climate research projects lasting six to 24 months. Student teams may also apply for research grants of up to $15,000. “We can’t afford to operate in isolation,” she insists. “Individuals from vastly different fields are addressing similar challenges and using distinct professional languages. We must integrate efforts so we can tackle the issue in a comprehensive manner.”
Wang also encourages her colleagues to reach beyond campus. MIT, she asserts, must establish real, defined partnerships with other universities, as well as with industries, investors, and philanthropists. “This extends beyond just an MIT issue,” she states. “Isolated efforts alone will not suffice to confront these challenges.”
A holistic, systems-oriented mindset will help concentrate endeavors on areas that will deliver the most substantial impact. During a Climate Project presentation in October, Wang proposed an approach that would focus on enhancing well-being within communities. This will commence with initiatives to bolster coastal resilience, decarbonize ports and shipping, and conceptualize and construct data centers that integrate seamlessly and sustainably with surrounding communities. She urged her colleagues to envision comprehensive solutions for the future, then work on the necessary components to realize that vision.
“As researchers, we sometimes rush to a solution before fully defining the problem,” she clarifies. “Consider the issue of decarbonizing transportation. The prevailing solution has been to electrify our vehicles. When we encounter the challenge of these vehicles’ range, our immediate response is to create higher-density batteries. However, the core issue we’re facing isn’t about batteries; it’s about extending these vehicles’ range. And the solution to that problem doesn’t solely lie in a more powerful battery.”
“Frequently, the narrative surrounding climate is saturated with despair … The objective of any climate project should be to nurture and sustain well-being. How can we help communities flourish, enabling individuals to live as they desire, even amidst climate change?”
Wang is confident that her MIT colleagues possess both the capability and the willingness to adopt the holistic approach she envisions. “When I was accepted to MIT as an undergraduate and visited the campus, the aspect that convinced me I wanted to enroll here was the people,” she reminisces. “They were not only skilled but had myriad interests. They were deeply committed to addressing significant issues and eager to learn from each other. That spirit remains unchanged. And it’s the ethos I and my team can harness.”
Wang believes that MIT and other institutions engaged in creating climate and energy solutions must also transform how we discuss the challenge. “Too frequently, the climate narrative is laden with negativity and despair,” she remarks. “The fundamental concern here is our well-being. That is our priority, not the climate. The goal of any climate project is to build and safeguard well-being. How can we assist communities in thriving, empowering individuals to live as they choose, even with climate change occurring? How can we establish conditions of resilience, sustainability, and prosperity? This forms the framework I would like us to explore.” For instance, in regions where extreme weather jeopardizes homes or rising temperatures threaten human health, we should be developing cost-effective technologies that enhance housing resilience and keep people cooler.
Wang’s colleagues at MIT share her view regarding the task ahead. They also hold her work and leadership in high regard. “I cannot think of a better representative for MIT’s diverse and potent capability to confront climate issues,” states Susan Solomon, the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at MIT and recipient of the US National Medal of Science for her contributions to the Antarctic ozone hole research. “Effectively communicating MIT’s strengths to fulfill the nation’s needs—not just in engineering but also across … economics, the physical, chemical, and biological sciences, and much more—is a colossal undertaking.” Yet, she expresses confidence that Wang will rise to the occasion. “Evelyn is an exceptional communicator,” she comments.
“She possesses an astounding ability to rapidly grasp new fields and focus on the crucial aspects that need addressing to resolve complex challenges,” notes Elsa Olivetti, PhD ’07, the Jerry McAfee Professor in Engineering and director of the MIT Climate Project’s Decarbonizing Energy and Industry mission. “Her direct, meticulous thinking and leadership approach allow her to guide her office teams to perform the most impactful work at scale.”
Wang’s experience at ARPA-E is anticipated to be particularly beneficial. “The current geopolitical context and the limited research funding relative to the enormity of the climate crisis pose significant hurdles for harnessing MIT’s strengths to address the issue,” notes Rohit Karnik, director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) and a long-time collaborator of Wang since they both joined the mechanical engineering faculty in 2007. “Evelyn’s leadership experience at MIT and in governmental roles, her capacity to distill complex situations into clear visions, and her dedication to fostering change will benefit her greatly in her new role.”
Wang’s latest appointment at MIT is viewed positively beyond the Institute as well. “A position like this necessitates a skill set that is rare to find in a single individual,” remarks Krista Walton, vice chancellor for research and innovation at North Carolina State University. Walton and Wang have collaborated on several projects, including the DARPA initiative that produced the device for extracting water from arid air based on Wang’s original prototype. “You need deep scientific expertise, an understanding of federal and global landscapes, collaborative intuition coupled with the ability to convene, and a strategic vision,” Walton asserts—and she cannot envision anyone better suited for the role.
“Evelyn possesses an extraordinary talent for linking fundamental science with practical application,” she observes. “She approaches collaboration as a genuine partnership rather than a transactional endeavor.”
A challenging funding climate
Climate scientists investigate extensive temporal periods, observing patterns in temperature, greenhouse gases, volcanic activity, vegetation, and more across hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years. Even average temperatures and precipitation levels are assessed over thirty-year intervals.
Conversely, political transformations occur at a much faster pace, triggering abrupt and sometimes surprising shifts in culture and policy. The current US administration has suggested substantial budget reductions in climate and energy research. These cuts include over $1.5 billion from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the cancellation of several climate-related initiatives at NASA, and the disbandment of the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), the agency responsible for producing the National Climate Assessment. The Trump administration’s budget request proposed a reduction of the National Science Foundation budget from over $9 billion to roughly $4 billion for 2026. The New York Times indicated that NSF grant funding for STEM education from January through mid-May 2025 plummeted 80% compared to its 10-year average, while NSF grant awards for fields such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and materials science saw a 67% decline. In September, the US Department of Energy announced it had terminated 223 projects that “did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs, were not economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.” This also impacted ARPA-E, the agency Wang directed before her return to MIT. Simultaneously, MIT’s research endeavors contingent on government funding will similarly feel the effect of these reductions.
While Wang acknowledges the formidable challenges she faces alongside MIT in the current landscape, she still prefers a forward-thinking approach. “Indeed, this is a difficult juncture,” she affirms. “We have impending challenges as well as long-term ones. Our focus must be on the latter. As President Kornbluth has stated, we must persist in advocating for research and education. We need to seek long-term solutions, adhering to our principles in tackling energy and climate issues. Additionally, we must be prepared to seize opportunities embedded within these long-term challenges.”
Wang also identifies potential areas for short-term cooperation—spaces where MIT and the present administration can align their interests and objectives. “There remains a vast expanse of opportunity for us to synchronize our goals with this administration’s,” she states. “Together, we can advance energy, national security, mineral resources, and economic competitiveness. All these are shared interests, and there exist pathways we can pursue to collaboratively tackle these challenges facing our nation. MIT is a significant player in the nuclear field, encompassing both fission and fusion. These, along with geothermal energy, could provide the foundational power necessary to satisfy our energy requirements. Significant opportunities exist for collaboration with this or any administration to unlock and implement these innovations.”
A moonshot factory
Though she sees herself as a researcher and an academic, Wang’s relevant governmental experience is anticipated to be especially valuable in her VP position at MIT. During her two years as director of ARPA-E, she coordinated a wide range of the US Department of Energy’s early-stage research and development in energy generation, storage, and usage. “I believe I held the most fulfilling position in government,” she reflects. Designed to function independently of the Department of Energy, ARPA-E seeks high-risk, high-reward energy innovation endeavors. “Several observers have termed ARPA-E a moonshot factory,” she notes.
Identifying and fostering “moonshot”-worthy projects on both a national and sometimes global scale provided Wang with a broader perspective on energy and climate dilemmas. It also taught her that grand ideas do not inherently translate into substantial solutions. “I grasped what is necessary to make an impact on energy technology at ARPA-E, and I will forever be thankful,” she remarks. “I witnessed how transformative ideas can require a decade to progress from concept to real-world application. I learned to value the diversity of talent and innovation within the national ecosystem composed of laboratories, startups, and institutions. I observed how this ecosystem could effectively pinpoint genuine issues, envision diverse solutions, and develop prototypes. Additionally, I realized just how challenging that journey can be.”
Climate and energy research at MIT
MIT researchers are addressing climate and energy challenges from various angles, working on everything from decarbonizing energy and industry to constructing resilient and prosperous cities. Discover more at climateproject.mit.edu.
Although MIT already plays a crucial role in that ecosystem, Wang and her colleagues aim for the Institute to have an even more significant presence. “We can serve as a convenor and collaborator, first across all of MIT’s departments, and subsequently with industry, the financial sector, and government institutions,” she emphasizes. “We need to pursue proactive outreach and discover partners who share our vision.”
“While the issues of climate change are universal, the most effective way for MIT to address them is locally,” Wang remarked during the October presentation of the MIT Climate Project. “Through collaboration across schools and disciplines and engaging with external partners, we will devise targeted solutions for specific locations and communities—solutions that can subsequently serve as models for others.” However, she also warns against adopting one-size-fits-all solutions. “For instance, solar panels perform exceptionally well, but only in regions with adequate space and sunlight,” she explains. “Institutions like MIT can highlight a variety of approaches and determine the optimal strategy for each unique context.”
Above all, Wang encourages her peers to adopt a proactive stance. “Since MIT serves as a hub for innovative ideas, perhaps even a moonshot factory, we must think boldly and persist in doing so to create a timely impact,” she asserts. She also desires her colleagues to remain optimistic and not feel overwhelmed by a challenge that can sometimes seem insurmountable. “We will establish pilot projects, one at a time, and demonstrate that these initiatives are not only feasible but also practical,” she notes. “This will be our means of constructing a future everyone aspires to inhabit.”
