Keith Douglass

Sustainable Energy from Solar Hydrogen
University of Delaware
Newark, DE



I graduated college in May of 2005 with a B.S. in Chemistry and Biology and a minor in Economics. My first job was as a Chemistry and Fish Technician at Australis Aquaculture, a sustainable indoor fish farm. After that I got a job at a small start-up company doing research that used UV lasers to try and break down environmental contaminants and synthesize liquid fuels from gas sources. I am currently (Summer 2007) still working as a contract employee for this start-up company and I am also working full time as a R&D Technician at Evergreen Solar. At Evergreen I work in the Wafer Fabrication R&D department on the company's String Ribbon technology. A common theme in my job choices has been sustainability. I hope to continue on this path while at the University of Delaware and with my career choices far into the future. There are many reasons to support sustainability, especially when it comes to energy. Sustainability, in the general sense, is good for the environment and ultimately essential for all life. All living things must remain in balance with their surroundings. Those that do not will eventually perish through the process of natural selection. What works stays and what doesn't work goes away. Our current means of obtaining energy is not sustainable, therefore does not work and will eventually go away. The outcome of this going away process greatly depends on what we do now. It is my hope that this process will be a conscience choice, in which we find better and more sustainable energy sources, therefore eliminating the need for coal and oil. It does not take much imagination to foresee the possible outcomes if we continue down the current path of unsustainable ways. I applied for this IGERT program because I think it encompasses many of the factors needed to solve our growing energy problem. This problem will not be solved solely by the development of new technologies. The recent past is proof of that. Much of the current "alternative" energy technologies have been around for a many years, but because of lack of economic and political will, were never implemented on any large scale. It is my hope that the IGERT program will help to bridge the gap between the science, economics and policy of sustainable energy. All three of these things are needed for success and by working together I believe that this success can and will be obtained.

Click here to edit your profile