Future fuels center director named

Following a national search, Ken Reifsnider, a University mechanical engineering professor, has been named director of the Future Fuels Center, effective July 1.

The center will serve as an umbrella for all of the University's energy research programs. Reifsnider also directs the Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Program, which has been recogized as a S.C. Center of Economic Excellence.

"The accelerated rise in energy costs in our nation must be met by an accelerated push for technological breakthroughs," said Harris Pastides, vice president for research and health sciences. "Carolina has the scientific talent and business partners to gain a global foothold in this area. With the added support of the Centers of Economic Excellence program and, now, with Ken Reifsnider's leadership, I am even more confident in our chance of success."

Specifically, the center will be involved in promoting and helping to raise funds for three Centers of Economic Excellence that focus on hydrogen storage, catalytic materials, and hydrogen production; development of laboratories for the Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Program, including recruitment of four or more faculty members; recruitment of three faculty members for photovoltaic energy research; development of a new degree program in nuclear engineering and recruitment of three new faculty members; development of the Center for Clean Coal Research and recruitment of two new faculty members; and development of the University's biomass and environmental sustainabilty research.

"There's quite a bit of energy research being conducted at Carolina, so the Future Fuels Center is really a University-wide initiative to focus those efforts," Reifsnider said. "We're going to promote all of the Centers of Economic Excellence that are related to energy, as well as our research programs in solar, nuclear engineering, clean coal, biomass, and environmental sustainability. The center will also be a mechanism for fundraising for our energy research initiatives."

Reifsnider also outlined several general goals for the new center, including development of:

• new partnerships and agreements and faculty recruitment
• new and existing shared equipment and facilities; completion and outfitting of new laboratory facilities
• research in multi-university programs; technical leadership; and international conferences
• existing degree programs and possible additions of new degrees.

Looking farther down the road, Reifsnider envisions the center becoming an Institute for Next Generation Energy, with a larger outreach effort and research presence.

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