Lea R. Winter

Lea R. Winter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University's School of Engineering & Applied Science. Her research focuses on electrified processes at the nexus of food, energy, water, and climate, with emphasis on sustainable CO₂ conversion, green nitrogen fixation, wastewater valorization, and plasma-electrochemical systems. She leads an active research group and mentors multiple PhD students, postdocs, and undergraduates.

• Ph.D., Columbia University
• B.S., Yale University

Dr. Winter's research interests lie at the intersection of sustainability and chemical engineering. She pioneers electrified membrane technologies, plasma-activated reactions, and catalytic processes for converting waste streams (CO₂, nitrates, wastewater) into valuable fuels, chemicals, and fertilizers. Her work integrates electrochemistry, plasma chemistry, and heterogeneous catalysis to develop distributed, circular solutions for environmental challenges. Key themes include green ammonia production, on-demand fertilizer synthesis, and electrified water treatment with resource recovery.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on electrified membranes for nitrate and CO₂ conversion, plasma-activated co-processing of N₂ and C₁ gases, and single-atom catalysis for environmental applications. Her research spans fundamental reaction mechanisms to scalable engineering solutions, often published in high-impact journals such as Nature Water, PNAS, and Joule. The work demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward enabling a distributed hydrogen and nitrogen economy through sustainable electrochemical and plasma-driven technologies.

Scientific Awards:

• Beckman Young Investigator Award (2024)
• Department of Energy Early Career Award (2024)
• Caltech Young Investigators Lecture Series Award (2022)
• NEWT Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020)
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2015)
• North American Catalysis Society Kokes Award (2019)

Dr. Winter actively mentors students and has advised several who have gone on to PhD programs and faculty positions. Her lab receives significant research funding, as evidenced by her early-career awards from DOE and NSF. She leads projects on mining nontraditional water sources for hydrogen, plasma-based fertilizer synthesis, and electrified membrane systems. The Winter Lab fosters a collaborative, creative, and safe research environment centered on the principles of CRISP: Creativity, Respect, Investment, Safety, and Partnership.

She also contributes to scientific discourse through invited viewpoints on climate education and critiques of emerging technologies like seawater electrolysis. Her lab collaborates widely, including with researchers at Columbia, Caltech, and international institutions.