George W. Crabtree, distinguished fellow and division director, Argonne National Laboratory, guest speaker
DETROIT-The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Wayne State University is hosting the 2009 Vaden W. Miles Memorial lecture on March 26, 2009, featuring guest speaker, George W. Crabtree, Ph.D. Crabtree, distinguished fellow and division director of Argonne National Laboratory, will present, "The Sustainable Energy Challenge." Crabtree, one of the top energy experts in the United States, will discuss opportunities that would enable the production, storage, and use of electricity and hydrogen as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel.
The lecture will be held in WSU's Spencer M. Partrich Law School Auditorium. Refreshments will be served at 3 p.m.; the lecture will follow at 4 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public; registration is required. Reserve a seat by visiting https://events.wayne.edu/view/14900/date/53732/?y=2009&m=3&d=26.
The global dependence on fossil fuel is among the greatest challenges facing our economic, social and political future. The uncertainty of imported oil threatens global energy security, the pollution of fossil combustion threatens human health and the emission of greenhouse gases threatens global climate. Meeting the demand for double the current global energy use in the next 50 years without damaging security, environment or climate requires finding alternative sources of energy that are clean, abundant, accessible and sustainable. Electricity and hydrogen, once produced, meet these criteria and are among the most versatile of energy carriers.
Crabtree is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors given to a scientist/engineer in the United States. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), and has served as chairman of the APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics. As an esteemed expert in energy research and policy, Crabtree has chaired or served on many scientific committees or advisory/oversight boards, most recently a member for the 2008 APS Energy Future Report committee, co-chair and editor for the 2008 Energy Challenges report of U.S. Department of Energy, an organizer and spokesperson for the Department of Energy's Workshops on Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy and for Solar Energy, among many others. Crabtree also has been a congressional witness for energy issues in the hearing of the House Science Committee, Subcommittees on Energy and Research.
"We are very pleased and honored to have Dr. Crabtree delivering our 2009 Vaden W. Miles Memorial lecture on Sustainable Energy Challenge," said Dr. Ratna Naik, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. "This is particularly timely and crucial for all of us in the Detroit area as we have been greatly affected by the recent energy crisis. This will be a wonderful experience for our students at Wayne State as well as the public to meet and discuss with one of the top energy experts in the country."
For additional information, contact Professor Zhi-Feng Huang at huang@physics.wayne.edu.
Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting, ranking in the top 50 in R & D expenditures of all public universities by the National Science Foundation. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.