U Starts Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute

The University Record Online - September 25, 2006

By Laura Bailey

The University will expand efforts significantly in energy research with the creation of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.

The institute will coordinate activities, serve as an international authority and resource in energy-related issues, assist in developing funding sources and attracting faculty, manage the facilities, engage industry and provide a unified voice and focal point on energy research, policy and education.

"Finding renewable sources of energy is one of our most urgent global problems, and the University of Michigan is in a unique position to make an immense contribution to finding solutions," President Mary Sue Coleman says.

"Our exceptional programs in nuclear engineering, automotive engineering, as well as our longstanding industry partnerships, will provide the scope and scale of expertise to make a real difference in areas such as advanced nuclear power systems, solar power, hydrogen technology, fuel cells, battery research and low-power electronics."

The University, which will launch the institute with $9 million, plans to recruit top-tier energy research faculty. Additionally, initiative funds will be combined with commitments from the College of Engineering (CoE) and LSA to establish several new chaired faculty positions. A number of graduate fellowships in energy research will be created by a partnership between the initiative and the Rackham Graduate School.

The new institute will be housed in the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory. The building will be renovated with $11 million in state capital outlay and University funding.

"The University of Michigan has top schools in business, medicine, law, public policy and engineering, among others," says Stephen Forrest, vice president for research. "The interdisciplinary culture compared to other top research institutions gives us a big advantage, because energy research is interdisciplinary in nature and draws upon disparate fields. This institute will bring together U-M's energy research activities to achieve maximum impact."

Under the leadership of faculty member Gary S. Was, the institute will coordinate existing energy research that is distributed across campus in a variety of disciplines and locations. The lab, now under renovation, will provide resources and a common space for faculty pursuing energy-related research in facilities currently spread across campus. The third floor of the Phoenix Laboratory will house the Hydrogen Energy Technology Lab, led by Professor Levi Thompson.

Was is the former research associate dean for the CoE, and former chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from U-M and his master's and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the University in July 1980. In addition to his research at U-M he has been an affiliate staff scientist at Pacific Northwest Laboratories since 1994.

He also was a guest scientist at Kernforschungsanlage Jülich GMBH, Institut für Schicht-und Ionentechnik, from September 1988 through May 1999 and has had a guest appointment at Argonne National Laboratory since 1982. He was a Presidential Young Investigator and is a fellow of ASM International, NACE International and the American Nuclear Society. His research focuses on the effect of radiation and the environment in the development of materials for the aggressive conditions encountered in power-generation systems.

"This institute demonstrates University of Michigan's continued commitment to developing clean, affordable energy sources and providing the knowledge base to help formulate responsible energy policy," Was says. "The establishment of the MMPEI means we now have the support and funding, and a central base from which to coordinate and dramatically ramp up efforts in energy research."

U-M's existing energy research portfolio includes $35 million in ongoing projects in areas of clean energy, advanced power generation and advanced powertrain systems. U-M was selected by the Alcoa Foundation as the sole North American academic partner for its six-year Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Program. In November the Graham Foundation and the University created a $10.5 million Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute to advance research and teaching. The MMPEI is considered a key complement to the Graham Institute.

The University's long history and commitment to energy research began in May 1948 when the Board of Regents created a war memorial to honor the 585 students and faculty who lost their lives during WWII. Called the Phoenix Project of the University of Michigan, the goal was to examine peaceful uses of atomic energy.

In 2003, a faculty group was commissioned to investigate ways to strengthen research in hydrogen generation, storage and use. During those months the group, called the Michigan Energy Research Council, led by President Emeritus James Duderstadt, expanded its role to include all energy research. One of the council report's key findings was to establish the MMPEI.