Mr. Nolan Theaker, Research Engineer at the University of North Dakota, leads the Institute’s projects in extractive metallurgy and high-value element recovery, including at the bench and pilot scale. He specializes in utilization of unconventional resources for critical mineral recovery as Co-PI on the DOE-NETL funded REE Pilot Scale Extraction demonstration of UND’s technology, as well as solution chemistry modeling. Mr. Theaker’s other research interests include improving the overall coal value chain, improving fossil and renewable energy systems, and development of low-cost, grid-scale energy storage.