Welcome to SEAR Lab:
Sustainable and Efficient Allocation of Resources
Building the Future of Energy, Infrastructure, and Supply Chains Systems
About SEAR Lab
The Sustainable and Efficient Allocation of Resources (SEAR) Lab, led by Dr. Erick C. Jones Jr., studies energy and critical mineral systems end to end and back — from extraction through manufacturing and deployment to end-of-life recovery. The lab treats infrastructure as three inseparable layers — physical, digital, and institutional — combining analytics and rapid prototyping so organizations can allocate limited resources sustainably, efficiently, and resiliently.
The lab’s work spans Physical Infrastructure (critical-mineral recovery, battery repurposing, and microgrid prototyping), Digital Infrastructure (mathematical optimization, simulation, AI/ML, and specialized analytics including GIS, LCA, and TEA), and Institutional Infrastructure (policy analysis and community-based deployment) — with ancillary work in RFID-enabled digital twins, operations management, and health.
Vision
Advance innovation to drive sustainable resource abundance that elevates the human condition; here and among the stars.
Mission
Build the Integrated Infrastructure of the Future: Physical, Digital, Institutional
Methods
Analytical methods: Mathematical Optimization, Simulation, AI / ML, and Specialized Analytics (GIS, LCA, TEA).
Rapid Prototyping and Piloting informed by Mechanical, Electrical, and Chemical Experiments guided by Systems Engineering principles conducted with interdisciplinary teams.
Want to join our Team?
Interested in applying analytics, building prototypes, or both, to energy and critical mineral system problems?
Do you want to explore technologies like microgrids, RFID-enabled digital twins, and critical mineral recovery and recycling?
Join the SEAR Lab, where we build the physical, digital, and institutional infrastructure of the future — developing data-driven, mathematically rigorous frameworks to help stakeholders make sustainable and resilient decisions under uncertainty.
Led by Dr. Erick C. Jones Jr., we combine bench-scale experimentation, data analytics, and optimization to create impactful, scalable solutions for a better future.
For more information, please [Join Us] to explore how the SEAR Lab is building the infrastructure of the energy transition. Discover our research and opportunities to contribute to impactful solutions for a better future.