Etosha Cave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Etosha N. Cave
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![]() Cave at 2016 Women in Clean Energy Symposium at Stanford University
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Alma mater | Olin College Stanford University |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Twelve, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
Etosha R. Cave is an amazing American mechanical engineer. She lives in Berkeley, California. She is a co-founder and the Chief Scientific Officer of a cool company called Twelve. This company has a special way to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2).
Etosha's Early Life and Learning
Etosha Cave grew up in Houston, Texas. Even when she was young, she was interested in recycling oil and gas. In high school, she joined the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). This group helps young Black engineers.
She went to Olin College and was part of its very first graduating class in 2006. She even received a scholarship from NSBE. After college, Etosha worked at McMurdo Station in Antarctica! There, she fixed heating and cooling systems. She also helped build a special laser diode for future NASA missions.
Later, Etosha went back to school. She earned her PhD at Stanford University. Her studies focused on turning carbon dioxide and water into useful things. These could be plastics or even household cleaners! She created a system to watch these chemical reactions as they happened. She earned her PhD in 2015.
Turning Carbon Dioxide into Useful Things
While at Stanford University, Etosha Cave helped start Twelve. This company uses special metal tools, called catalysts, to recycle carbon dioxide. At first, it was hard for Twelve to get money from investors. But now, the company is based at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It has also partnered with universities and received funding from groups like the National Science Foundation.
Etosha hopes that one day, Twelve will be able to make diesel fuel from recycled carbon dioxide and water. She talked about this idea at a TEDx Stanford event. She explained that recycling carbon dioxide can help reduce our carbon footprint. It could also help with future space travel!
Twelve has won several awards. It received the Forbes magazine Change the World Award. It was also chosen for the Cyclotron Road program in 2016. Etosha was even a finalist for the Carbon Xprize in 2018. This prize is for big ideas that help the planet.
Awards and Recognitions
Etosha Cave has received many awards and honors, including:
- 2016 Echoing Green Fellow
- 2017 7x7's Hot 20 Perennial Bay Area Innovators
- 2017 Smithsonian Institution Innovators to Watch
- 2018 Grist Top 508
- 2018 Vanity Fair 26 Women of Color Diversifying Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, Media, and Beyond
She has also spoken at important events like the Aspen Ideas Festival. She is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Etosha also serves on the advisory board for the Berkeley Startup Cluster.