Texas A&M University has appointed Mark Barteau (pictured), current director of University of Michigan’s Energy Institute, as vice-president of research, the Eagle reported on Saturday.
Mark Barteau was named after a seven-month recruitment process and will take charge of Texas A&M’s Division of Research. He will take on his new job on February 15.
Barteau will concurrently perform academic duties in chemical engineering at Texas A&M’s College of Engineering, and in chemistry at the College of Science.
His responsibilities will include growing the institution’s access to government funding, building its research infrastructure and fostering commercialisation partnerships.
Barteau said that he would like to encourage interdisciplinary work in his new position to carry out energy research and capitalise on Texas’s position as an energy hub.
Barteau was elected to the US-based non-governmental organisation National Academy of Engineering in 2006 and has had research funded by state-backed bodies including National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
His research at University of Michigan has focused on chemical reactions at solid surfaces and whether they can be applied in energy processes. Barteau was also involved with initiatives such as Beyond Carbon Neutral, which seeks to tackle greenhouse gas concentrations with complementary approaches to technology, biology and policy.
Michael Young, president of Texas A&M University, said: “Dr Barteau’s extraordinary experience in energy research and reputation collaborating across disciplines will be a welcome addition to Texas A&M.”
– Image courtesy of University of Michigan
