The Laboratory for Low-Carbon Energy and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Wyoming promotes a long-term vision for the role of both technology and policy to cope with complex energy, environmental and natural resource challenges. The laboratory conducts systems research that addresses technical, economic, and policy issues related to energy and environmental systems. Current interests of research mainly include carbon capture and storage, clean hydrogen, low-carbon energy systems, and the energy-water nexus under carbon constraints for climate change mitigation. The laboratory has constantly published in top-tier journals, such as Environmental Science & Technology, Nature Communications, Nature Sustainability, and Nature Water. The laboratory pioneers the development of the Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM), a computer tool used worldwide for energy system modeling and assessment. The principal investigator is Prof. Haibo Zhai, the Roy & Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering and a Wyoming Excellence Chair at UW.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is a key option for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors. While developing shared facilities and infrastructure through industrial clusters offers economies of scale, designing and operating these complex networks presents major technical, economic, and environmental challenges. My research team is recruiting a motivated PhD student for Fall 2027 entry to address these challenges. The successful candidate will develop AI-driven multiscale optimization frameworks to guide the cluster-based deployment of deep CCUS (achieving up to 99% CO₂ removal) across hard-to-abate industries.
The team welcomes applicants with a strong academic background in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, energy systems, operations research, or a related discipline. Desirable skills include process simulation, supply chain optimization, infrastructure planning, and machine learning. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Prof. Zhai at hzhai@uwyo.edu.