WPI Experts

Headlines are swirling about efforts by countries to shore up their supply chain of critical minerals, such as rare earths.  What are they and why the attention? Rare earths are the invisible backbone of modern technology. Their powerful properties make innovation possible, but their extraction presents both environmental and geopolitical challenges. 

At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, researchers are developing cleaner processing techniques, data-driven recovery methods, and circular-economy solutions to reduce environmental impacts and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in this critical sector.

WPI experts are available to share context, analysis, and insight on rare earths:

Brajendra Mishra, the Kenneth G. Merriam Distinguished Professor, Director, MPI & Donald M. Zwiep Distinguished Fellow, has extensive knowledge and research experience around rare earths. As director of the Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling, he can speak about rare earths, and efforts to increase materials reuse, recovery, remanufacturing, and recycling.

Adam Clayton Powell, associate professor of mechanical & materials engineering, conducts research on cleaner and more energy efficient metal process development. He has studied the demand for and challenges to implement rare earth magnet recycling.

A WPI experiment focused on a new way to prevent electronics from overheating flew into space Sept. 18, 2025, aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, giving researchers led by Jamal Yagoobi, the George F. Fuller Professor of Mechanical Engineering, a critical opportunity to advance their technology by testing it in zero-gravity and multi-gravity settings.