Karan Bhuwalka

Karan Bhuwalka serves as a Research Engineer at STEER, Stanford University's research group dedicated to techno-economic analysis for global energy transition investment and policy. He leads materials supply chain modeling initiatives focused on sustainable scaling of critical minerals production systems.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2024)
• MS in Technology & Policy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2021)
• MS in Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2021)
• BTech in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science from Indian Institute of Technology (2018)

His research synthesizes economics, statistical modeling, manufacturing processes, and materials science to develop pathways for decarbonizing mineral supply chains. Current work centers on graphite production systems, while prior projects analyzed lithium and nickel supply chains, recycled plastics ecosystems, and Bayesian demand forecasting models. STEER's systems approach connects engineering process simulations with market dynamics and policy frameworks to navigate uncertainty in energy transition scaling.

As part of STEER's core team, he contributes to cross-disciplinary collaborations examining life-cycle impacts and technological feasibility across emerging energy supply chains.