Dear Faculty and Staff,
I am delighted to announce that Dr. Jay Whitacre, professor of materials science and engineering and engineering and public policy, has been named the new director of the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, effective May 1. Whitacre will succeed Dr. Jerry Cohon, president emeritus and University Professor in the departments of Engineering and Public Policy and Civil and Environmental Engineering, who has led the Scott Institute with distinction since 2014 and will continue to pursue research at the heart of the institute’s mission.
Jay began his career at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he studied the use of materials and devices for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Since arriving at CMU in 2007, he has become an indispensable part of this institution’s pioneering leadership in the field of energy innovation. After developing a novel battery chemistry and design that uses only non-toxic, non-flammable chemicals, he founded Aquion Energy in 2009 to bring low-cost stationary energy storage solutions to the marketplace. As an institutional leader, he has served on the boards of multiple energy technology companies, as well as on committees for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. In 2015, in recognition of his contributions toward a more sustainable energy future, he received the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventing the first mass-produced, low-cost and eco-friendly battery.
The Scott Institute was established in 2012 thanks to the generosity of Carnegie Mellon alumni Sherman Scott (E’66), president and founder of Delmar Systems, and his wife, university trustee Joyce Bowie Scott (A’65). Their founding gift, along with additional support for research in energy provided by a generous grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation of Pittsburgh in 2013, has allowed Carnegie Mellon to accelerate research and innovation in energy technology, a key strategic priority in our energy-constrained world.
Jay’s leadership will help the university build upon the initiatives began by Dr. Cohon and further promote next-generation research focused on improving energy efficiency, creating innovations in energy technologies and policies, and broadening the world’s mix of energy sources in a way that is sustainable, reliable and affordable.
On behalf of university leadership, I wish to express my deep and profound appreciation for the distinguished leadership of Dr. Jerry Cohon and his exemplary record of service to the Scott Institute. The CMU community will continue to benefit from Dr. Cohon’s invaluable contributions as a member of our faculty.
As we look ahead to an exciting and transformative future for energy research at Carnegie Mellon, please join me in congratulating Jay on this exciting appointment.
Sincerely,
Farnam Jahanian
Provost and Chief Academic Officer