"I knew I was in the right field when chemistry started to feel like an old friend."

"My parents were dedicated to science, and it didn’t take me long to develop an interest in it."

"I enjoy gaining a deeper understanding of our universe and working with cutting-edge technology to develop new and innovative solutions."

"Science is an endless loop of experiments, failures, successes and discoveries that can revolutionize the way we live and see life."

"I want to advance our understanding of the world around us, though I’m not yet sure where my scientific journey will take me over the course of my career."

Carbon is an exceptionally useful element, but too much of it in the wrong place can be a problem. That's what we face with the Earth's carbon cycle—a term that refers to the exchange of carbon among the planet's oceans, atmosphere, plants and soil.

ORNL’s combined carbon capture–separation–conversion focus area will coordinating physical experiments with one another and with the lab's formidable computing muscle. The goal is to develop technology to—in the same process—remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, separate it from other gases and convert it into valuable products.