Events & Opportunities

Critical Minerals Symposium

Join the Critical Minerals Hub at Duke University for a day of conversations around building resilient supply chains.

This event is free and open to the public but registration is required.

A full schedule is available on the event page.

Past Events

POSTPONED: Supply Chain Security with Anna Shpitsberg

Supply Chain Security – The Not-So-Quiet Challenge to Energy Growth and its Impact on Policy and Industry

Join us for a discussion on how raw materials and supply chain security rose to the top of national priorities, how rapid cleantech growth intensifies their importance, and what today’s supply chain realities mean for future energy development.

POSTPONED. Check back for a new date & time.

Anna Shpitsberg serves as the Head of Global Power and Renewables Research at Wood Mackenzie. She specializes in power markets, clean energy investment, and supply chains. Throughout her career, she has advised companies on market expansion, conducted investment reviews, identified blended finance opportunities, facilitated energy reforms and procurements for utilities and regulators across 30+ countries, and partnered with policymakers to advance clean energy deployment and strengthen supply chains. Her prior roles include Chief Climate Officer at the Development Finance Corporation, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Transformation at the U.S Department of State, Director of Global Power and Renewables at IHS Markit, as well as positions at the Department of Energy and Morgan Stanley.

Shpitsberg led U.S. representation at IRENA, Global Offshore Wind Alliance, and UN Secretary General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. She also served on the leadership team of the Federal Consortium of Advanced Batteries and the Hydrogen Interagency Task Force.

Contact: Erika Weinthal

Establishing a Resilient Manufacturing Supply Chain for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets

Joe Croteau, Vice President for Research and Development, Vulcan Elements

March 18, 2026 | 12pm-1pm | Fitzpatrick Schiciano A

A Duke Materials Institute, Critical Minerals Hub, Office of External Partnerships Seminar. Hosted by Miaofang Chi.

In-Person Only

Vulcan Elements has established a full supply chain to manufacture rare earth permanent magnets in the United States. This includes a network of raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and a growing talent pool. These magnets are used in all critical industries, like aerospace and transportation, data centers and telecommunications, industrial equipment and power generation, and robotics. To produce the highest-performing and most cost-competitive magnets in the world, Vulcan Elements is utilizing multi-scale computational materials engineering to optimize composition, employing the most environmental conscious methods to refine metals from primary ore and recycled materials, and integrating AI and machine learning to create a fully connected factory. Vulcan Elements has broken ground on a 1.1 million square foot manufacturing facility – the largest outside of China – right here in North Carolina.

Bio: Joe Croteau is the Vice President for Research and Development for Vulcan Elements. Joe was previously a research and engineering lead for Kymera International—one of the world’s largest powder metal producers. He has over 15 years of experience in powder metallurgy. He earned his MS in Materials Science and Engineering from Boise State University, where he was a Research Fellow for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Critical Minerals Hub Networking & Kickoff Event

Oct 3, 2025 | 1pm-3pm | Durham, NC

Science-Based Governance of Critical Minerals

Saleem H. Ali, Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environment, University of Delaware.

Sept 16, 2025 | 9am-10am | Grainger Hall 2102

Demand for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements continues to increase worldwide. But how can countries work together to manage and share resources fairly and sustainably?

This seminar will consider how we can have more science-based approaches to governance of critical minerals with featured speaker Saleem Ali, Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environment at the University of Delaware. Ali’s experience in working on various initiatives with the United Nations have led to his recently published paper in Science (along with a U.N. policy brief) on the concept of a ‘minerals trust’ for the green transition.

Bio: Saleem H. Ali is Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environment at the University of Delaware. He also serves as Lead for Critical Minerals at the United Nations University and is a member of the United Nations International Resource Panel. His books include Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford Univ. Press, 2025); Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability (Columbia University Press, 2023); and Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life (Oxford Univ. Press, 2022).

This event is part of the UPEP Environmental Institutions Seminar Series, organized by the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and the University Program in Environmental Policy (UPEP), a doctoral degree program jointly offered by the Nicholas School of the Environment and Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. It is co-sponsored by the Duke Critical Minerals Hub.

For more information, visit the NIEES calendar listing.

Contact: Erika Weinthal

The Geopolitics of Critical Minerals Supply Chain

Clara Park, senior research political scientist, and Kyle Beardsley, professor of political science, will present research addressing how the critical minerals supply chain shapes US-China relations. They’ll also identify some of the vulnerabilities and strategies to enhance resilience.

September 9, 2025 | 12pm-1:30pm
Sanford 223 Rhodes Conference Room
Light lunch provided

Sponsored by the Duke Center for International Development, Triangle Institute for Security Studies, and the Department of Political Science.

Recent Progress on Batteries (Mainly Li and Na)

Aug 27, 2025 | 12pm-1pm | Fitzpatrick Schiciano A
DMI/MEMS Seminar, hosted by Miaofang Chi

Dr. John Zhang and Dr. Wenbin Yin
Celgard, LLC, Charlotte, NC

Clean energy, electric vehicles (EVs), and electric energy storage (ESS) are becoming increasingly common topics of discussion worldwide, alongside technologies like cell phones and notebook PCs. At the heart of these advancements are batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, which play a critical and essential role. In this talk, we will begin with an overview of the fundamentals of lithium-ion batteries, followed by a discussion of current trends in battery systems. We will then discuss the key components, i.e. cathode, anode, and electrolyte, before moving on to separators, which will be presented by Wenbin Yin. Next, we will address liquid battery safety mechanisms and conclude with a discussion on solid-state electrolyte batteries and their associated safety considerations.

Bios:

Dr. Zhang is the CTO/CSO of Polypore International (Celgard)/Asahi Kasei. He received IBA (International Battery Association) Technology Award 2024 for his invention of Ceramic Coated Separator and Outstanding Contribution in Understanding of Internal Shorts Events of Li-ion Cells that lead the broad application of Ceramic Coated Separator (CCS). This technology has made a significant contribution to the evolution of humanity (SVP/CTO Panasonic). He is recognized as the leading authority on lithium-ion battery safety and separators. Through IEEE, he leads in establishing lithium-ion battery industry standards (P1625, P1725). John pioneered the Sulfide SSE with ~ 40 papers (1984-1991). He has chaired and/or organized more than 60 international conferences and delivered more than 120 invited keynote or plenary speeches at various international conferences. John has published more than 300 patents, papers, and books. John received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also attended Sloan School of MIT.

Dr. Yin is a Senior Research Engineer and R&D Coating Team Leader at Celgard, where he spearheads advanced coating technologies for next-generation lithium battery separators. Holding both of MS and Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, he has 10+ years of research experience in energy storage materials, specializing in high-performance coated separators, solid-state electrolytes, and fuel cell innovation. His work bridges fundamental science and industrial applications, with 30+ granted patents and publications advancing the field.

For more information, visit the DMI calendar listing.

Contact: Liana Igescu | liana.igescu@duke.edu