Name: Jon-Edward Stokes; Institution: University of Chicago; Program: GEM Fellowship; Education Level: Graduate Student
October 4, 2024
minute read time
“What do you do when you create the science, but it’s not up to you how it’s used?”
For Jon-Edward Stokes, a molecular engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago, this question is like a beacon—or a mushroom cloud. “Oppenheimer is one of the prime examples,” Stokes continued. “He created the science, but at what cost?” J. Robert Oppenheimer might be known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” but he didn’t decide how or when to drop it.
That’s one reason why Stokes, who recently completed a GEM Fellowship with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), isn’t keen on a lab-bound life. Instead, he admires scientists like Albert Einstein who tackled both the mathematical and political equation.
"You don’t have to have it all figured out, but figure out which type of science interests you most. Be open minded and try out different things."
- Jon-Edward Stokes, GEM Fellow
At AMMTO, Stokes helped researchers develop better ways to manufacture batteries using different chemical compositions. But, like his icon, Einstein, his mind often turns to global human rights issues, too. Some batteries leak toxic chemicals, Stokes explained. And in some cases, mining companies exploit workers (and our planet) to source materials for the lithium-ion batteries that power everything from electric vehicles to smart phones and laptops. He wants to work to prevent that.