Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability


Showing 141-160 of 170 Results

  • Zhi-Xun Shen

    Zhi-Xun Shen

    Paul Pigott Professor of Physical Sciences, Professor of Applied Physics, of Physics and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Shen's main research interest lies in the area of condensed matter and materials physics, as well as the applications of materials and devices. He develops photon based innovative instrumentation and advanced experimental techniques, ranging from angle-resolved photoemission to microwave imaging, soft x-ray scattering and time domain spectroscopy and scattering. He has created a body of literature that advanced our understanding of quantum materials, including superconductors, semiconductors, novel magnets, topological insulators, novel carbon and electron emitters. He is best known for his discoveries of the momentum structure of anisotropic d-wave pairing gap and anomalous normal state pseudogap in high temperature superconductors. He has further leveraged the advanced characterization tool to make better materials through thin film and interface engineering.

  • Nicholas Siemons

    Nicholas Siemons

    Research Engineer, Precourt Institute for Energy

    BioNicholas began his academic career by studying integrated Masters at University College, London. During this time he published his first article, "Multiple exciton generation in nanostructures for advanced photovoltaic cells" - a review of how to produce photovoltaics with greater than 100% internal efficiencies. Following this Nicholas began research into solar voltaics and organic batteries in the group of Prof. Jenny Nelson at Imperial College, London. During this time Nicholas developed his keen interest in how to relate the chemical design of polymers to their ability to function as battery electrode materials. To achieve this goal, Nicholas applies atomistic simulation methods to such polymer systems, and relates the simulated findings to experimental results, bridging the gap between chemistry and device properties. As well as linking molecular chemical design to device performance, Nicholas applies novel simulation and analysis methodologies to study these systems, including Molecular Dynamics, Density Functional Theory, Molecular Metadynamics and Network Analysis.

  • Olav Solgaard

    Olav Solgaard

    Audrey S. Hancock Professor in the School of Engineering

    BioThe Solgaard group focus on design and fabrication of nano-photonics and micro-optical systems. We combine photonic crystals, optical meta-materials, silicon photonics, and MEMS, to create efficient and reliable systems for communication, sensing, imaging, and optical manipulation.

  • Maksim Sonin

    Maksim Sonin

    Visiting Scholar, Precourt Institute for Energy

    BioDr. Maksim Sonin is an energy executive who drives global investments and executes large-scale capital developments valued at over $15B across major sectors and geographies, from the Arctic to the desert, with teams spanning five continents.

    Dr. Sonin has held executive roles and served on the boards of UCC (with a capital projects portfolio exceeding $10B), Silleno ($7B+ world-scale petrochemical complex), KMG Petrochem ($2B+ gas processing facility), and other organizations. He has led world-scale petrochemical, ammonia, and fertilizer complexes representing a significant share of global production and traded supply. This includes some of the world's largest plants, setting new benchmarks for single-train production capacity. He has worked with Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil in consortium ventures and collaborated with other players.

    As a Visiting Scholar at Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy, his current work focuses on the technical, economic, and execution challenges associated with developing and scaling energy and industrial infrastructure. A Sloan Fellow with an MS in Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), Dr. Sonin also holds a PhD in Engineering from the Scientific Research Institute of Natural Gases and Gas Technologies, and an MS in Finance. He is an elected Fellow of the Energy Institute (UK) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK).

  • Alfred M. Spormann

    Alfred M. Spormann

    Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of Chemical Engineering, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMetabolism of anaerobic microbes in diseases, bioenergy, and bioremediation

  • Jonathan Stebbins

    Jonathan Stebbins

    Professor of Geological Sciences, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly Interestsstructure and dynamics of crystalline, glassy, and molten inorganic materials and how these relate to geologically and technologically important properties and processes; solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resoance (NMR); mineralogy; igneous petrology; glass science

  • James Sweeney

    James Sweeney

    Professor of Management Science & Engineering, Emeritus

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDeterminants of energy efficiency opportunities, barriers, and policy options. Emphasis on behavioral issues, including personal, corporate, or organizational. Behavior may be motivated by economic incentives, social, or cultural factors, or more generally, by a combination of these factors. Systems analysis questions of energy use.

  • Joel Swisher

    Joel Swisher

    Adjunct Professor, Atmosphere and Energy Operations

    BioJoel N. Swisher, PhD, PE, is Consulting Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, where he teaches graduate-level courses on greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation (covering technical and business strategies to manage GHG risks) and electric utility planning methods (covering supply and demand-side resources, resource integration and expansion planning). His current research at Stanford addresses the integration of plug-in vehicles with the power grid and the barriers and synergies related to metering, tariffs, load management, customer incentives, and charging infrastructure.

    Dr. Swisher is also an independent consultant with over 30 years experience in research and consulting on many aspects of clean energy technology. He is an expert in energy efficiency technology and policy, carbon offsets and climate change mitigation, and electric utility resource planning and economics. He has consulted with numerous utilities, manufacturers and technology companies on resource planning, energy efficiency, vehicle electrification and clean energy deployment strategies. He has also helped consumer-oriented firms design strategies to expand simple cost-saving energy investment programs into brand-building corporate sustainability campaigns.

    Dr. Swisher is a thought leader in several areas of clean energy technology and business strategy. As Director of Technical Services and CTO for Camco International, Dr. Swisher helped develop carbon offset projects in reforestation, agriculture, renewable energy and building energy efficiency, and he has authored emission inventories, baseline studies and monitoring and verification plans for multilateral banks and private offset buyers. Starting in 1989, Dr. Swisher performed seminal research on carbon offset baselines and technical and economic analysis of carbon offsets in the energy and land-use sectors.

    Dr. Swisher was managing director of research and consulting at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), where he led RMI’s consulting team in work for numerous high-profile clients, including electric utilities and producers of goods ranging from semiconductor chips to potato chips. At RMI, he created the concept of the Smart Garage, which explores the energy system synergies in which vehicle electrification helps enable zero-emission vehicles and a cleaner power grid. He led an RMI team that convened an industrial consortium (including Alcoa, Johnson Controls, Google, etc.) to develop a new, lightweight, plug-in hybrid vehicle platform for Class 2 truck fleet applications. Collaborating with the design firm IDEO to conduct interdisciplinary design workshops, the RMI team initiated a working design to attract funding and move toward production, which proceeded as a spin-off company, Bright Automotive in Indiana.

    Dr. Swisher holds a Ph.D. in Energy and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. He is a registered Professional Engineer and speaks five languages. He is author of over 100 professional publications including The New Business Climate: A Guide to Lower Carbon Emissions and Better Business Performance and a bilingual (English and Portuguese) textbook on energy efficiency program design and evaluation and integrated energy resource planning.

  • Katie Taflan

    Katie Taflan

    Assistant Director, Explore Energy, Precourt Institute for Energy

    Current Role at StanfordAssistant Director for Explore Energy, Precourt Institute for Energy

  • William Abraham Tarpeh

    William Abraham Tarpeh

    Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Engergy and, by courtesy, of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    BioReimagining liquid waste streams as resources can lead to recovery of valuable products and more efficient, less costly approaches to reducing harmful discharges to the environment. Pollutants in effluent streams can be captured and used as valuable inputs to other processes. For example, municipal wastewater contains resources like energy, water, nutrients, and metals. The Tarpeh Lab develops and evaluates novel approaches to resource recovery from “waste” waters at several synergistic scales: molecular mechanisms of chemical transport and transformation; novel unit processes that increase resource efficiency; and systems-level assessments that identify optimization opportunities. We employ understanding of electrochemistry, separations, thermodynamics, kinetics, and reactor design to preferentially recover resources from waste. We leverage these molecular-scale insights to increase the sustainability of engineered processes in terms of energy, environmental impact, and cost.

  • Clyde Tatum

    Clyde Tatum

    Obayashi Professor in the School of Engineering, Emeritus

    BioTatum's teaching interests are construction engineering and technical construction. His research focuses on construction process knowledge and integration and innovation in construction.

  • Hamdi Tchelepi

    Hamdi Tchelepi

    Max Steineke Professor and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCurrent research activities: (1) model and simulate unstable miscible and immiscible fluid flow in heterogeneous porous media, (2) develop multiscale numerical solution algorithms for coupled mechanics and multiphase fluid flow in large-scale subsurface formations, and (3) develop stochastic solution methods that quantify the uncertainty associated with predictions of fluid-structure dynamics in porous media.

  • Tiziana Vanorio

    Tiziana Vanorio

    Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and, by courtesy, of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsRock Physics, Fossil Energy Exploration, Volcanic and Geothermal Environments and Microseismicity

  • Shan X. Wang

    Shan X. Wang

    Leland T. Edwards Professor in the School of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Radiology (Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsShan Wang was named the Leland T. Edwards Professor in the School of Engineering in 2018. He directs the Center for Magnetic Nanotechnology and is a leading expert in Edge AI, biosensors, information storage and spintronics. His research and inventions span across a variety of areas including Edge AI, magnetic biochips, in vitro diagnostics, cancer biomarkers, magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic sensors, magnetoresistive random access memory, and magnetic integrated inductors.