News

31 July 2009

 

Raffaelle appointed director of NREL’s National Center for Photovoltaics

Dr Ryne P. Raffaelle has been appointed director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), effective 31 August 2009. Prior to the appointment, Raffaelle was academic director for the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and director of the NanoPower Research Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Raffaelle has over 20 years experience leading laboratory research teams, and has co-founded two photovoltaic and power system start-up companies: Wakonda Technologies Inc, in 2008 and Alpha V Inc, in 2002. While directing the two institutes at RIT, he also served as a professor of physics, microsystems engineering and sustainability and was responsible for more than $20m in research grants in photovoltaics, thin-film processing, and nanomaterials research.

“With Dr. Raffaelle on board, we expect to build on our leadership position in solar research and accelerate photovoltaics technology research, development, and deployment to make solar energy a significant part of our energy future,” said Robert Hawsey, NREL associate director of renewable electricity and end use systems.

Raffaelle’s career includes working as a visiting scientist at the NASA-Glenn Research Center; the NASA Lewis Research Center; and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has a Ph.D. in physics from University of Missouri-Rolla, and bachelor of science and a master of science degrees in physics from Southern Illinois University.

Raffaelle has authored or co-authored over 100 refereed publications and books, and he is also co-editor of Progress in Photovoltaics.

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