Research Fellows
Our research fellows advise on the strategic direction of science and technology research at NREL and ensure our work meets the highest standards for quality and objectivity.
Find all research staff by visiting our various research program areas.
Mowafak Al-Jassim
Senior Research Fellow
Mowafak Al-Jassim has worked at NREL for more than 30 years and has contributed greatly to world-record efficiencies in various photovoltaic technologies.
Gregg Beckham
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Gregg Beckham's research at NREL focuses on conversion of biomass to fuels, chemicals, and materials including in the areas of metabolic engineering, fermentation, separations, chemical catalysis, biopolymer production, cellulase enzyme improvements, renewable carbon fiber production, theory and simulation to design biological and chemical catalysts, and lignin valorization.
Maria Ghirardi
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Maria Ghirardi's work at NREL involves photobiological hydrogen production and covers metabolic, biochemical, and genetic aspects of algal metabolism.
David S. Ginley
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
David S. Ginley's current activities are in the areas of the general class of defective transition metal oxides including high temperature superconductors, LiTMO2 rechargable Li battery materials, ferroelectric materials, transparent conducting oxides and electrochromic materials.
Michael Himmel
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Michael Himmel is a biochemist whose work on cellulase greatly simplified and lowered the cost of converting biomass to fuel. Dr. Himmel manages the award-winning cellulase enzyme technology effort.
Sarah Kurtz
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Sarah Kurtz is a world-renowned expert in the fields of multijunction PV, concentrator PV, and PV reliability.
Robert McCormick
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Bob McCormick’s research is focused on end-use issues and fuel-engine interactions with alternative fuels, primarily biofuels—including ethanol and biodiesel, as well as next generation and futuristic fuels.
Mark O'Malley
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Mark O'Malley is a world authority on energy systems integration, and grid integration of renewable energy in particular.
Garry Rumbles
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Garry Rumbles is widely recognized for his research in photochemistry and photophysics of conjugated molecular systems, energy conversion in organic light emitting diodes and organic photovoltaic devices, and nanoscale morphology.
Robert Thresher
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Robert Thresher has more than 40 years of research, development, engineering, and management experience in wind technology, plant engineering, and aerospace systems. He has been a strategist for the initiation of a national research program to develop offshore wind, wave, tidal and current energy technology.
Andy Walker
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Andy Walker develops new methods for engineering and economic analysis of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and has a patent on the Renewable Energy Optimization (REO) method of planning renewable energy projects across a portfolio of properties.
Research Fellows Emeriti
Richard Ahrenkiel
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW Emeritus
Richard Ahrenkiel's area of specialization is the measurement and characterization of photovoltaic cells and materials. He is one of the world experts in the area of carrier recombination and carrier lifetime.
Helena Chum
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW EMERITUS
Helena Chum's expertise is in renewable fuels, transportation systems, and international renewable energy activities including biomass, biofuels, and biorefineries.
Timothy J. Coutts
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW EMERITUS
Timothy Coutts' research areas include thin-film science, photovoltaics, and thermophotovoltaics.
Richard DeBlasio
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW EMERITUS
Richard (Dick) DeBlasio is an expert in renewable electricity, end use systems applications, and distributed energy resources.
Arthur J. Nozik
Senior Research Fellow Emeritus
Arthur Nozik's work focuses on photoelectrochemistry, solid state physics, semiconductor nanoscience, hot carrier effects, Third Generation solar photon conversion, and related interdisciplinary science.
Michael Seibert
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW EMERITUS
Michael Seibert's current research interests include primary processes of and water-oxidation in oxygenic photosynthesis, structure and function of [Fe]-hydrogenases, molecular engineering of hydrogenases, expression profiling in green algae, and photobiological hydrogen production.
John Turner
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW EMERITUS
John Turner is recognized as a worldclass scientist and international spokesperson for hydrogen energy and for his contribution in hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical splitting of water and in the development of fuel cells.