09.01.15
Dr. Dan E. Arvizu was honored at the 16th annual Wirth Chair Sustainability Awards Luncheon in Denver for his longtime leadership at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The longest-serving director and chief executive in the research organization’s history, Arvizu is retiring after 10 years at its helm.
The Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development, part of the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs, annually honors someone who has made an impact on environmental, economic and social sustainability issues.
During Arvizu’s tenure, NREL’s research portfolio has nearly doubled. High-performance computing, electricity grid integration and fundamental research in materials and biological science have emerged to complement major technology research and development programs in renewable generation, renewable fuels and buildings energy efficiency. NREL has increased commercial and public partnerships.
“During the 10 years I’ve spent at NREL, we have - along with countless others - cleared a path for a transformation in the way all of us make and use energy,” Arvizu said. “We’ve done so in a way that will guarantee coming generations a chance at a future in which energy is affordable, available to all, and environmentally friendly.”
In addition to his role as NREL director, Arvizu was appointed by two successive U.S. presidents to serve six-year terms on the National Science Board, which governs the National Science Foundation and advises the president and Congress on science policy. Before joining NREL, Arvizu was a chief technology officer with CH2M. Previously, he was an executive with Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. He started his career and spent four years at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories.
The Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development, part of the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs, annually honors someone who has made an impact on environmental, economic and social sustainability issues.
During Arvizu’s tenure, NREL’s research portfolio has nearly doubled. High-performance computing, electricity grid integration and fundamental research in materials and biological science have emerged to complement major technology research and development programs in renewable generation, renewable fuels and buildings energy efficiency. NREL has increased commercial and public partnerships.
“During the 10 years I’ve spent at NREL, we have - along with countless others - cleared a path for a transformation in the way all of us make and use energy,” Arvizu said. “We’ve done so in a way that will guarantee coming generations a chance at a future in which energy is affordable, available to all, and environmentally friendly.”
In addition to his role as NREL director, Arvizu was appointed by two successive U.S. presidents to serve six-year terms on the National Science Board, which governs the National Science Foundation and advises the president and Congress on science policy. Before joining NREL, Arvizu was a chief technology officer with CH2M. Previously, he was an executive with Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. He started his career and spent four years at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories.