Albert Dato

Albert Dato, Professor of Engineering, researches the synthesis and applications of nanomaterials to address energy, climate, and environmental challenges.
Dato directs the Energy & Nanomaterials Lab at Harvey Mudd College, where students investigate advanced materials designed to tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems. His team works at the intersection of science and innovation to turn nanoscale discoveries into solutions for a cleaner, more sustainable world. Their projects include developing strong, lightweight composites to make vehicles more energy-efficient, membranes that capture carbon dioxide from the air, materials that store clean energy, and surfaces that collect drinking water from the atmosphere.
Dato earned his PhD in Applied Science and Technology from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining Harvey Mudd, he worked in industry as a scientist at Air Liquide Electronics and as a process development engineer at Novellus Systems (now part of Lam Research). He also founded and served as CEO of Graphene LLC, a company dedicated to advancing next-generation carbon-based materials. His ongoing collaborations with Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory give students unique opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research that connects academia, industry, and national research programs.
Further ResourcesLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-dato-1163b553
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WkcDnxkAAAAJ&hl=en
Media Appearances
- Chemical & Engineering News article on water-repellent graphene discovered by HMC students Weston Miller ’21 and Makenna Parkinson ’23
- Feature on The Academic Minute titled “Can Tiny Carbon Flakes Solve Big Environmental Problems” that was broadcast on NPR
- Mudd Magazine article titled “A Lighter, Stronger Polymer”
- hmc.edu, 10/22/2025 Clinic Team’s Barium Titanate Findings Published in MRS Communications
- hmc.edu, 10/8/24 Harvey Mudd Students’ Work on Energy Storage Published in Scientific Journal
- VOA Korea Service College Tour Harvey Mudd College episode
- hmc.edu, 8/9/17 Engineering by (Re)Design
- Small Material, Big Impact (video about Albert Dato’s lab)