<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><p class="MsoNormal"><b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Status and Technological Challenges for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Options: An Overview of R&D at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory</span></font></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><b>Dr. Robert McGrath</b>, Deputy Laboratory Director for Science & Technology, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO</span></font></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; ">Friday, November 20th</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><b>2:30 PM - </b><i>Light refreshments to follow</i></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://whereis.mit.edu/?selection=E19&zoom=16">E19-319</a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><b>Abstract</b></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Achieving dramatic reductions in fossil fuel utilization and associated greenhouse gas emissions will require major transformations of our electricity generation and transportation infrastructures. While there is great enthusiasm and promise for renewable energy options, at present renewable sources account for only 2% of our nations total energy and less than 4% of the nation’s non-hydro electricity production. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are advancing Wind, Solar, Biofuels, Building Efficiency and other technologies required to enable generation of 20-40% of the nation’s electricity and 15 -20% of our transportation fuels from renewable sources over the next two decades.</span></font></o:p></p><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><b>About the Speaker</b></span></font></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Dr. Robert McGrath presently serves as Deputy Laboratory Director for Science & Technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. In this role, he oversees NREL’s research and development portfolio which includes the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV), the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) and the National Bioenergy Center (NBC), along with extensive programs in Renewable Transportation, Renewable Electricity, Building Efficiency, Smart Grid, and supporting basic chemical, biological and material sciences for energy applications.</span></font></o:p></p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="3"><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Prior to joining NREL, Bob served as Senior Vice President for Research at The Ohio State University from 2004 through 2008 where he was responsible for research strategic planning and investment; interdisciplinary research; regulatory compliance for human subject and animal research, and Technology Transfer and Commercialization. From 1996 through 2004, Dr. McGrath worked at Penn State University where he simultaneously served as Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Interdisciplinary Programs, Director of the Marine Corps Research University and Professor of Engineering Science. </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">From 1981 through 1998, Dr. McGrath worked for Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he served in various research and management roles supporting a variety of R&D efforts. He worked extensively with SEMATECH on plasma chemistries and development of thin film processing equipment for microelectronics manufacturing, and supported numerous other Cooperative R&D Agreements (CRADAs) with industry. His was responsible for high performance computing applications and other selected programs under the National Nuclear Security Agency. Designated by the U.S. Department of Energy as U.S. Coordinator for magnetic fusion plasma-material collaborations with the European Union, Russia, Former Soviet Union States, and Japan, Dr. McGrath working extensively with the Japanese National Institute for Fusion Science, The Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Kernforshungsanlange, the Max Plank Research Institutes, Commissariat á L’Energie Atomique, Kurchatov National Lab and Efremov National Laboratory, as well as nearly every U.S. national laboratory. </span></font></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Additional employment also includes shorter periods working with Argonne National Laboratory, HRB Division of Raytheon, Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs, Exxon Research, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and TRW.</span></font></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Robert McGrath received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Science & Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1980. He earned Baccalaureate and Masters degrees from Penn State Engineering Sciences (BS - 1972), Physics (MS - 1974) and Mathematics (MA - 1975). <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Dr. McGrath has authored over fifty journal publications, many co-authored by the numerous graduate students, post docs or junior researchers that have worked under his mentorship. He has similarly authored over eighty published abstracts and conference presentations, in addition to numerous technical reports and seminars. Dr. McGrath was also co-author on the Brookings Institute Policy Brief entitled </span></font><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Energy Discovery Innovation Institutes – A Step Toward America’s Energy Sustainability </span></font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">published in February 2009.</span></font></span></span></font></p><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "></span></span></font></span></font><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></font><div></div></body></html>