Vineet Nair : Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Vineet will graduate from UC Berkeley in Spring 2018 with simultaneousdegrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics and a minor in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences.Although born in India, he spent most of his life in Bahrain and Dubai. This made him aware of the inequalities between oil-rich regions like the Middle East and resource-constrained developing nations, in energy security and access to clean technologies. Thus, he developed a passion for solvingcomplex, multifaceted issues surroundingenergy and environmental sustainability. By engaging in diverse activities ranging from honors research to environmental consulting, he gained exposure and worked on technologies including (1) Organic solar cells (2) Low-cost home energy monitors for smart, efficient grids and (3) Novel energy storage solutions such as printed batteries and high-capacity Lithium-ion cells. During his MPhil in Energy Technologies at Cambridge, Vineet hopes to gain more in-depth technical insight into various energy systems and strategies to combat climate change, ranging from carbon capture and abatement to renewable power sources. As part of his thesis, he alsoplans to specifically research how optimization principles and control theory might be applied to energy harvesting, storage, and distribution. Outside of school, Vineet enjoys hiking, playing tennis, traveling, and volunteering. Vineet is honored to be a Gates-Cambridge scholar and grateful for this opportunity to contribute towards making sustainable energy more efficient, affordable, and globally accessible.
