February 10, 2016
Building for Environmental Teaching and Research
Carmichael Auditorium, 85 Waterman St
Biography
Sun worship is at the center of ancient Indian traditions, and it is epitomized in the yogic surya namaskar (sun salutation) and the vedic Gayatri mantra (c. 1700 BCE). Revered as the giver of life and thought in ancient scriptures, the sun is attracting renewed attention for addressing the modern day global energy and environmental crises. While harnessing solar energy to produce electricity is not new, an unprecedented gathering of environmental, ecological, geo-political, economic, scientific and technological forces is putting us at the cusp of a possible solar energy revolution. Professor Padture will discuss the nature and complex interplay of these forces, and present exciting research on a new type of solar cell (photovoltaic) based on ‘perovskite’ materials offering hope for the efficient and inexpensive generation of solar power, together with a discussion of challenges and opportunities.
Nitin P. Padture is a Professor of Materials Science in the School of Engineering at Brown, and Director of the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation (IMNI). He came to Brown four years ago from the Ohio State University, where he was the College of Engineering Distinguished Professor. Professor Padture’s research and teaching interests are in the broad areas of synthesis/processing, characterization, and properties/performance of advanced materials and nanostructures used in applications ranging from jet engines to computer chips to solar cells. He has published 175 papers and patents, which have been cited about 10,000 times, and he has presented 180 invited/keynote/plenary talks in the US and abroad. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Padture is the recipient of several awards.
This event has received a platinum rating with the Green team.