$2M Raised to Match State Funding
From the fall 2007 issue of UConn Momentum
At a press conference in September, UConn announced the launch of the Eminent Faculty Initiative in Sustainable Energy, an ambitious new campaign at the School of Engineering supported by $2 million from the state and $2 million in matching funds from corporate partners FuelCell Energy, the Northeast Utilities Foundation and UTC Power.
“This is an exceptional opportunity to build a results-oriented, visionary research and development program in renewable green energies, at a time when the nation is just beginning to grapple with its precarious dependence on fossil fuels,” said Erling Smith, Ph.D., interim dean of the School of Engineering.
The impetus for the program was a permanent $2-million annual appropriation from the state contingent on the University securing one-time matching funds from industry. The special partnership among UConn, the state, and industry is designed to support economic and workforce development and propel Connecticut onto the international stage in the development of sustainable energy.
“The partnership exhibited today represents not only an investment in the fuel cell industry, but also serves as an example of how government, higher education, and industry, working together, can be a catalyst to improving Connecticut’s overall economy and truly building jobs for the twenty-first century,” said Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams, Jr.
The funding will be used to recruit senior-level faculty and staff and enhance programs at the school and its centers, including the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center and the Biofuels Consortium. The school also will immediately launch a national search for a scholar of international stature and reputation who will effectively leverage and expand the school’s research and development activities.
University President Michael J. Hogan said the state has the opportunity to take the lead in developing sustainable energy sources and make significant breakthroughs.
“Connecticut has a rare opportunity to provide national leadership in the development of viable, sustainable and environmentally sound energy alternatives, including fuel cells and biofuels,” said Hogan.
