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New energy chair funded
Engineering students passionate about the environment will have a new home—and be positioned to solve a critical need—under a new endowed chair in secure and renewable energy.
SunPower Corp. CEO Tom Werner, Eng ’86, and his wife, Suzanne, pledged $5 million to establish the chair, which is the third engineering faculty chair endowed in the past three years. “Our gift will have a lasting impact in attracting new talent to the pursuit of renewable energy/sustainability solutions at an institution we believe will make a difference,” Werner says.
The new focus will allow Marquette students to fill a critical need, says Opus Dean of Engineering Stan Jaskolski. “Sustainable energy is fundamental to our quality of life,” he says. “We must, from an industrial and educational perspective, address the issues of energy consumption and find ways to facilitate energy production from renewable energy sources.”
The new chair will lead a multidisciplinary research cluster of four to six faculty and develop cutting-edge curriculum. Students will work with faculty on practical applications such as solar electric energy generation, modern electric drives and the design of products that make energy consumption more efficient.
It’s a fitting legacy for Werner, who was named the college’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2007. His company designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar electric systems worldwide. — NSE
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