Steven Barrett Director, MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment and Lead, MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Steven Barrett (@StevenRHBarrett on twitter) is a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is director of the MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment and leads the MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative. He is also a Visiting Professor at University College London's Energy Institute, and at Seoul National University's Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Departments. Before joining MIT in 2010 Steven was a faculty member at Cambridge University's Engineering Department, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering. 

The aim of Steven’s research is to make aviation cleaner and quieter. This includes developing low emissions and noise propulsion technologies for aircraft, improving scientific understanding of the atmospheric impacts of aircraft pollution, and evaluating the sustainability of biofuels and electric aircraft. Steven also has research interests in ground vehicle electrification and broader climate change and air pollution topics. His work in these areas spans fundamental technology development through to environmental policy assessment. 

Steven has written approximately 85 journal publications and is current or former supervisor of about 60 graduate theses. Steven’s current teaching at MIT includes the undergraduate jet and rocket propulsion course, and a graduate-level course on aerospace, energy, and the environment. He has contributed to STEM outreach activities since 2003.