Press Releases

Dr. Thomas Edgar, professor of chemical engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering and interim director of the Energy Institute, will lead a new project to develop the nation’s first open smart-manufacturing technology platform for industrial networked information applications. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition a $7.8 million contract toward the $10 million project. To learn more, read the Cockrell School of Engineering press release.

Dr. Michael Webber, a well-known energy researcher and teacher, has been appointed to serve as deputy director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin effective April 1, 2013.

Read more: Michael Webber Joins Energy Institute as Deputy Director

AUSTIN, Texas — A research project on solar power led by Varun Rai, assistant professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a grant award as part of the Energy Department's SunShot Initiative.

The three-year UT Austin project, with a proposed budget of $492,096, will use a data-driven integrated modeling approach to better understand customer needs and systematically identify opportunities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of utility solar programs in Texas.

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Professor Thomas F. Edgar, a chemical engineer with extensive teaching, administrative, research and industry experience, has been named interim director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin.

Edgar’s appointment as interim director, effective Jan. 15, will be for a period of one year, during which time the university will determine the appropriate timing for the launch of a national search for a permanent director.

“I’m confident Dr. Edgar will work with faculty across campus to leverage the deep expertise of the university in areas of energy policy and research,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Steven W. Leslie.

Read more: Provost Appoints Interim Director to Lead Energy Institute