Graduate Student, DMSE
caraf@mit.edu
Cara graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2019 with majors in Mechanical Engineering and Environmental Studies. Following her research investigating the degradation of photovoltaic components with Dr. Roger French, she transitioned to working in energy storage at the Battery Innovation Center (BIC), an Indiana-based non-profit, from 2019 to 2024. There she enjoyed prototyping lithium-ion and other batteries as well as developing curriculum, lectures, and labs for a Purdue-accredited Energy Storage Shortcourse serving industry professionals. While the BIC was focused on lithium-ion batteries, Cara also secured funding to initiate the company’s current sodium-ion battery efforts. As an independent contractor, Cara has continued her work in battery education for industry teams focused on non-toxic and abundant materials. She consults regarding battery electrochemistry fundamentals, testing, manufacturing processes, theory of design, second life planning and circularity strategies, and data management. In the Brushett Group, Cara pursues her research interests in scaling energy storage technologies for grid resilience and energy security. Cara regularly engages in mentoring and takes an active interest in policy.