HARTFORD, CT —UConn President Michael Hogan, Lt. Governor Michael Fedele and Senate President Donald Williams today announced that the University of Connecticut has hired six top alternative energy researchers associated with the state’s 21st Century Jobs Act – including the new director of UConn’s Global Fuel Cell Center.
The 21st Century Jobs Act became law in 2006 and $4 million in state funding has been provided to create a public-private partnership called the Eminent Faculty program, which has enabled UConn to hire national experts in alternative energy technology.
The program was designed to attract researchers skilled in commercialization and technology transfer to UConn to promote economic development and help foster a training ground for the 21st century energy workforce and entrepreneurs in the state. In addition to hiring new faculty members and their research teams, the program also allows UConn to purchase equipment for their laboratories.
As part of the partnership, three major Connecticut energy companies – UTC Power of South Windsor, the Northeast Utilities Foundation and FuelCell Energy of Danbury – contributed a combined $2 million as an industry match.
“The Eminent Faculty program has given Connecticut the opportunity to provide national leadership in the development of sustainable and environmentally-sound energy alternatives,” said UConn President Michael Hogan.
“This new research team in sustainable energy will build upon the strength of UConn’s Global Fuel Cell Center and bolster Connecticut’s emerging alternative energy industry. We owe a great deal of thanks to our elected representatives here as well as our generous corporate partners.”
“Connecticut has taken significant steps to remain at the forefront of the hydrogen and fuel cell industry,” said Lieutenant Governor Fedele.
“With UConn’s Eminent Faculty program, students will graduate as highly trained professionals in a cutting edge industry. Governor Rell’s commitment to the program underscores the importance of this partnership with our flagship university. Currently twenty percent of the fuel cell industry’s workforce is located here in Connecticut. This program will only help grow the workforce and encourage economic development.”
“Connecticut has a proud history of innovation that has helped revolutionize our national and regional economies and improve the quality of life for its citizens: we are the birthplace of the Cotton Gin, the submarine and even rubber tires,” said Senate President Donald Williams. “Now it is our turn again. The Eminent Faculty program is planting the seeds of innovation that can help us achieve energy independence. Not only that, it will help Connecticut find its niche in the 'green economy', enabling us to grow jobs and create wealth.”
One of the new faculty members is Dr. Prabhakar Singh, who has been selected to be the director of UConn’s Global Fuel Cell Center. Singh is currently with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he directs advanced fuel cell development activities. He will begin at UConn on January 1.
All six faculty members hail from throughout the nation and the world, bringing with them a diverse array of experiences – among the institutions represented in their collective backgrounds are the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, FuelCell Energy, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the NASA Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, among others.
The initiative is also expected to help Connecticut meet the state’s goal of reducing fossil fuel consumption by 20% and replacing it with clean or renewable energy sources by 2020.
About the CT Global Fuel Cell Center: http://www.ctfuelcell.uconn.edu/
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