Scientific and Technological Innovation Partnerships for Clean Energy Development
Dr. Suresh V. Garimella
Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Associate Vice President for Engagement
Director, NSF Cooling Technologies Research Center
Access to energy is a complex issue that extends over different scales ranging from basic, off -grid subsistence levels to bulk power for cities, factories and transportation networks. Providing electricity to the 1.5 billion people around the world currently without access is a daunting development challenge. It also poses urgent questions regarding unprecedented increases in greenhouse gas emissions. I will briefly explore the tension between the seemingly contradictory but equally critical needs of energy security and climate change mitigation, and discuss the role of clean energy technologies including challenges in the widespread use of renewables. I will present some thoughts regarding the role of universities in promoting academic-public-private partnerships to address this grand challenge.
Biographical Information
Suresh Garimella received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989, his MS from The Ohio State University in 1986, and his Bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 1985. His areas of expertise include thermal management and energy efficiency in electronics systems, micro- and nano-scale engineering, renewable and sustainable energy systems technology and policy, and global academic-public-private partnerships. Dr. Garimella has supervised over 80 PhD and MS students, and co-authored over 500 refereed journal and conference publications and 15 patents and patent applications. Fifteen alumni from his research group are faculty members in prestigious universities around the world.