Spotlight in SWE
This segment seeks to spotlight a member of Yale SWE community and share their story.
This week, we are following Professor Lea Winter, an Assistant Professor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering and a New Haven native. Her research focuses on developing sustainable, electrified processes and materials to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
What inspired you to pursue engineering?
I love creating new solutions that can address grand challenges facing society. Chemical and environmental engineering allow me to apply science and engineering to develop technologies that can help safeguard people, animals, and the environment.
Can you tell us more about the research going on in your lab?
We are working on mitigating climate change and increasing access to essential resources by developing electrified processes and materials. We use electron-driven chemical reactions at engineered interfaces to address challenges at the food, energy, water, and climate nexus. Currently, we’re developing ways to turn air, water, and renewable energy into fertilizer; converting CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels; and destroying recalcitrant environmental contaminants.
What advice would you give to young women engineers?
You can do anything with the right tools! I spent my PhD bending pipes and wrenching open tight valves on my reactors; even though I heard early on that strong men were best suited to that type of work, I learned that engineers who know how to use physics, tools, and a bit of creativity can accomplish anything no matter their background or physical makeup.
Can you briefly speak on the importance of science or engineering outreach in New Haven?
My first “research” experience was a high school project for the New Haven Science Fair, carried out at Wilbur Cross, a public high school in New Haven. I learned effective communication and public speaking from my Yale undergrad coaches in the high school Urban Debate League. I became inspired to learn about evolution through wandering the halls of the Peabody Museum as a local New Haven student. My path as a young scientist in New Haven was shaped by students, faculty, and resources at Yale. At the same time, my more recent experiences working with New Haven students teach me how to look at my research with fresh eyes. We all have so much that we can learn from each other!
What is your favorite spot on campus?
The outdoor area behind the President’s house and the anthropology buildings. The sloping grass, expansive tree, and quiet benches have provided space for me to think, write papers, and take a break with fresh air.
What is an inspiring moment in your research journey?
During my PhD, I spent weeks trying to figure out how to resolve strange wavy artifacts showing up in my spectrometer data. I then went on a weekend trip to the beach. Standing in the ocean waves, I realized that my legs blocked the waves, making the water flat behind me. Then it hit me: a faraday cage would stop the electrical interference from my high voltage reactor and block the waves from interfering with my data. While it’s important to have focus and perseverance in problem solving, sometimes a beach vacation is the most efficient way to reach a much-needed breakthrough in your research!
We believe stories of women engineers from all career stages are important!
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