Joint Lecture hosted by ChBE Co-Sponsored by WISER, C2ST, and MMAE - Should America Launch a Major Push into Solar Energy?

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is hosting a seminar co-sponsored by Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (WISER), Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST) and the Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering featuring (Retired) Founder and Senior Executive of SunGard Data Systems, Philip Dowd. The topic of the lecture will be Should America Launch a Major Push into Solar Energy?

Abstract:

Many Americans want to start now to develop alternatives to burning fossilized carbon. Solar energy is one of those options. This presentation will provide a back-of-the-envelope analysis of what it would take to power the entire U.S. economy with solar energy.

Biography:

Philip Dowd is retired founder and senior executive of SunGard Data Systems―a large specialized provider of software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education, and the public sector. He received a B.S. degree in materials science and engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Currently a trustee at Carnegie Mellon University, Dowd is an active philanthropist in the Chicago area, as well as an avid golfer and sailor.