Lucas is a Chemical Engineering PhD student in Prof. Shu Hu’s Lab at the Yale Energy Sciences Institute since 2023. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2019. His undergraduate research specialized in the metallurgical recycling of neglected wastes including solar panels, computers, cell phones, batteries, and other electronic wastes.
Through the success of his research, Lucas has become the co-founder of start-up companies Verdant Beneficiated Resources and its subsidiary American Solar Recycling Company. For his innovations in recycling, Lucas holds multiple patents. In the Hu Lab, he is continuing his efforts by converting materials recovered from solar panel waste into photocatalysts for methane capture and conversion.
By leveraging synergies from addressing multiple planetary challenges, Lucas seeks to actualize a holistic solution that successfully encompasses environmental, social, and economic dimensions.