Meet the woman turning air into drinkable water
Evelyn N Wang, an MIT professor, is MIT's Vice President for Energy and Climate as of 2025.
She's leading research on devices that literally turn air into drinkable water—even in super dry places.
Wang's team built a device that works
Wang's team built a device made with MOF-801 that pulls water vapor from the air overnight and uses sunlight to release it as liquid.
It can make about 2.8-liter of water per kilogram daily at low humidity—no plug or power required.
Tests at MIT and in Arizona show it really works where water is hard to find.
Wang's group has developed new prototypes
With support from J-WAFS, Wang's group has developed new prototypes that harvest more water than before.
These smaller, passive systems could help bring safe drinking water to remote areas where traditional sources just aren't available.
Wang's inventions could be a lifeline for communities facing shortages
Wang's inventions could be a lifeline for communities facing serious water shortages around the world.
Alongside her research, she also leads MIT's Device Research Lab and serves as the university's Vice President for Energy and Climate—showing how science can drive real-world change.