Mai Tran (Fed)

Mai Tran, Ph.D. (known as “Kimmai”), is an Industry Analyst in the Policy and Strategy division at NIST's Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM). Kimmai has a bachelor’s in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Florida and a doctorate in Materials Science and NanoEngineering from Rice University, where she focused on sustainable materials and manufacturing in the energy storage sector.

Prior to NIST, Kimmai conducted research in thermochromic nanoparticle manufacturing for Argonne National Laboratory, leading to her stint at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office as a Science, Technology and Policy Fellow. At DOE, she supported office strategy and co-managed RD&D and analysis projects in the energy-water-food nexus. Her interests vary from sustainable technologies and their market dynamics to STEM education and communication, leading her to conduct research at various institutions in the U.S., Japan, and Australia.

At OAM, Kimmai hopes to apply a wholistic approach in her role as an Industry Analyst to develop integrated strategies measuring the value and impact of the Manufacturing USA institutes as well as other programs on a local, regional, national, and global landscape.