Yale University

Thomas A. Kwan is a former tour manager and sound engineer in the music business; he left Hollywood to pursue a career which would serve the planet, not just entertain it. While earning a B.S. in Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, he worked as an Engineer Technician for the U.S. EPA. In 2012 he was awarded the Intel Environmental Innovation and Sustainability Award for developing an industrial, reusable storm drain filter from recycled materials. He is now a NSF Graduate Research Fellow whose research centers on developing sustainable technologies for the production of bioenergy using supercritical fluids. As part a PhD candidate in Yale’s Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, he developed curriculum which integrates maker spaces and sustainability. He has traveled to all 50 United States, is passionate about sustainable design, and is known for his enduring commitment to a strong cup of coffee.