The past year has been a busy one for Mei Cai, Ph.D., who heads General Motors’ Battery Cell Systems Research and has served as Women of Color magazine’s 2021 Technologist of the Year.

In addition to taking on new responsibilities at the auto giant, Cai has participated in numerous online gatherings as Technologist of the Year, sharing her insights and experiences.

“It was truly an amazing experience,” said Cai. “The title carries a lot of responsibility.” She takes such responsibility seriously. “I believe our responsibility is to help educate the younger generation,” she said, adding it’s important to guide them in “better planning.”

As director of Battery Cell Systems Research at General Motors Global Research and Development Center, Cai is responsible for innovations in advanced battery technologies for future electric vehicles. She has more than 25 years of industrial research and development (R&D) experience including extensive experience in novel materials processing for automotive applications.

She has managed multimillion-dollar R&D projects in the development of low-cost and durable vehicular energy storage materials and systems. Her new responsibilities also include multiscale modeling and virtual design.

“This is a new role with a lot of responsibility as well as a lot of excitement because the work we’re doing has the potential to impact the future of electric vehicles,” she said. “I feel very fortunate to be part of GM’s all-electric journey, practicing the full gamut of innovation: from idea generation to technology development, to product implementation. How we remove barriers to success and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry will make the world more accessible to all.”

One of the experiences from this past year that was most meaningful for Cai was when a group of elementary school girls who had just finished a show asked if they could take a photo with her.

“You could see their eyes light up. I remember when I was at that age,” she said, adding the importance of role models and recalling who inspired her when she was young—physicist Marie Curie, who was awarded the Nobel Prize twice. “She made me believe women could do anything,” Cai said of Marie Curie.

While Cai’s term as Technologist of the Year was affected by an inability to travel due to the pandemic, she encourages the next Technologist of the Year to use all available platforms—in-person meetings, teleconferences, and virtual meetings—to communicate and connect with audiences.

“We do need to influence the younger generation and partner with teachers about careers and discuss opportunities for young girls in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math],” she said.

Believing in oneself is one of the characteristics Cai finds lacking in many young people today. “Generally, a lot of students—they don’t fully realize their power, what they are capable of doing. They lack confidence… They need somebody to give them some coaching.” “It’s very important for us as professionals or employers to give those young students opportunities to demonstrate what they can do,” she said.

Cai, who has worked at GM for 27 years, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University in China. She also earned a master’s degree and a doctor of philosophy degree in chemical engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She is the author or co-author of more than 100 scientific publications and holds 125 U.S. patents. Some of her patents have been licensed and commercialized by industry.

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