Mechanical engineer Max Zhang researches the intersection of energy and the environment. “There are a lot of ambitious goals of where we want to be in 2030. To me, that’s fascinating,” he said. “Everything has to be accelerated, but we have to be thoughtful in how we pursue this transition to sustainable energy. It must be just and equitable… We need to benefit society and leave nobody behind.” The work excites him and his students, who can see the impact of their research quickly because of the rapid movement toward climate solutions. Energy of the future will hopefully be more democratized; Zhang imagines a “highly electrified” society where most people are prosumers, both producers and consumers of electricity. “We’re making progress every day,” said Zhang.