 Elam pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of Colorado where he developed ALD thin film growth methods.Elam co-invented the Oleo Sponge, a polyurethane foam engineered to absorb oil from water.Researchers engineered the material to be oleophilic and hydrophobic using sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS), a patented-material synthesis method Elam co-invented that has been cited by multiple companies.