Asegun Henry

Asegun Henry is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he directs the Atomistic Simulation & Energy (ASE) Research Group. His work bridges fundamental science with applied engineering to address climate change through innovative energy technologies.

Professor Henry received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University in 2004, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from MIT in 2006 and 2009, respectively. His career path includes postdoctoral research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Northwestern University, a fellowship at ARPA-E, and an Assistant Professor position at Georgia Tech before joining MIT in 2018.

• Research Interests

Professor Henry's primary research focuses on heat transfer with an emphasis on understanding energy transport, storage, and conversion at the atomic level. His work spans from fundamental studies of phonon transport in ordered and disordered materials to the development of industrial-scale energy technologies. Key research areas include thermal energy grid storage using multi-junction photovoltaics (TEGS-MPV or "Sun in a Box"), high-temperature concentrated solar power using liquid metals, methane pyrolysis for CO₂-free hydrogen production, and atomistic modeling of phonon transport. His research combines molecular dynamics simulations, supercell lattice dynamics calculations, and first-principles approaches to understand thermal transport phenomena.

• Publication Trends

Professor Henry's publications demonstrate a clear progression from fundamental phonon transport research toward applied energy systems. His early work focused on thermal conductivity in polymers and nanostructures, while more recent publications address high-temperature energy systems and grid-scale storage solutions. The research shows increasing integration of fundamental physics with practical engineering applications, particularly in developing technologies that can mitigate climate change. A significant portion of recent work focuses on liquid metal systems for high-temperature energy applications, culminating in the development of the world-record-setting ceramic pump for molten metal.

• Scientific Awards

Professor Henry has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to energy research and heat transfer, including:

• The Alan T. Waterman Award from NSF (2023)
• Physics World Top 10 Breakthroughs for super-efficient electricity generation (2022)
• Bell Labs Prize Winner (2021)
• ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer (2018)
• World Technology Award for Energy (2018)
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2016)

He has also been awarded multiple fellowships including the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, UNCF-MERCK Postdoctoral Fellowship, and DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship.

Professor Henry's research has led to significant technological breakthroughs, most notably the development of the highest-temperature pump on record (capable of pumping liquid metal above 1400°C), which earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. This innovation has enabled new high-temperature energy systems concepts, including the "Sun in a Box" grid-level energy storage approach that promises to be cheaper than pumped hydro. His work on phonon transport has also advanced understanding of heat transfer in disordered materials and at interfaces.

• Labs and Teams

Professor Henry directs the Atomistic Simulation & Energy (ASE) Research Group at MIT, which maintains laboratory space on the 3rd floor of building 31, with offices distributed across buildings 3, 31, and 35. The ASE Group works on both fundamental science (studying phonon transport in various materials) and applied engineering (developing novel energy systems for climate change mitigation). The group has achieved multiple world records, including the highest-temperature liquid metal pump (2082°C) and thermophotovoltaic efficiency exceeding 40% in collaboration with NREL.