Although Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month has ended, we're still celebrating in June by honoring one of the top winners of the Women of Color STEM Award, as we recognize Immigrant Heritage Month. (Photo credit: Jenny Risher Photography ©

Mei Cai, Ph.D., was honored as the Technologist of the Year at the 2021 WOC STEM Conference for her excellent contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Mei's story is inspiring, having come to the United States nearly 30 years ago as a spouse. She had to learn English and prepare for graduate school testing, which makes her achievements all the more impressive.

Mei was nominated by General Motors (GM) due to her outstanding innovations in research and development. As the director of battery cell systems research in the Chemical & Materials System Laboratory of GM Research and Development, Mei is among the few scientists who have contributed to the development of advanced battery materials.

Mei's remarkable contributions to advanced energy storage materials include lithium-ion and advanced battery chemistries, fuel cells, hydrogen and compressed natural gas storage, and battery charging and hydrogen production technologies.

She played a pivotal role in developing GM's Ultium battery chemistry, which will power vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq.

GM's Ultium batteries have a unique pouch-style cell design that can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack. This allows engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design.

Mei and her team have secured 49 patents in this technology area. The rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) for the Chevrolet Bolt EV is a battery pack developed by GM.

Mei is a member of several organizations related to her field, including the Materials Research Society, Detroit Engineer Association, Electrochemical Society, and the International Academy of Electrochemical Energy Science.