University Of Delaware: Winners Of 2022 Böer Awards Announced

Wilmington DE

07 April, 2022

4:46 AM

Description

Press release from the University of Delaware: April 6, 2022 Fthenakis, Weidenkaff recognized for distinguished contributions to quest for sustainable energy Two prominent researchers — one a pioneer of solar energy research, the other a mid-career champion of renewable energy and sustainable technology — have been selected for 2022 Karl Böer awards, endowed by the late solar pioneer Karl Böer at the University of Delaware. Vasilis Fthenakis, a pioneer in studies of large-scale deployment of solar power and the founding director of the Center for Life Cycle Analysis at Columbia University, was selected for the 15th Karl Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit. The medal comes with a $100,000 prize. Anke Weidenkaff, executive director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies (IWKS) in Germany and a professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, was selected for the first Karl Böer Renewable Energy Mid-Career Award. The award comes with a $25,000 prize. The awards will be presented May 3 at the University of Delaware. "These two distinguished scientists demonstrate the wide range of scientific contributions needed to advance our transition toward carbon-free energy," said William Shafarman, director of the Institute of Energy Conversion, founded by Dr. Böer in 1972, and professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Delaware. "The visionary work by Professor Fthenakis at the interface between energy and the environment has been critical to overcoming barriers and perceptions needed to advance large-scale deployment of solar energy systems. Professor Weidenkaff's contributions in materials for a range of sustainability applications set an incredibly high bar for excellence as the inaugural winner of the Renewable Energy Mid-Career Award. "Together, these awardees personify the intent of the Böer Medals to celebrate extraordinary and enduring contributions to a more sustainable future for our planet." It is the first time since the founding of the Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit in 1993 that two different Böer awards have been presented. The Award Committee is composed of the presidents of the International Solar Energy Society, the American Solar Energy Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Physical Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, or their designated representatives, a representative of the Böer family and the executive director of the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit Award Trust. This press release was produced by the University of Delaware. The views expressed here are the author's own.