Although the physical foundations of the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment are still being laid, the center’s work has begun in earnest, thanks, in no small measure, to the talent and passion of its founding director, physical chemist and the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment Emily Carter. I have invited Emily, who joined our faculty in 2004, to share her aspirations for the center with you, along with some of the steps that she and her colleagues are taking to fulfill its crucial mandate. — S.M.T.