Navy official to speak at kickoff workshop for NEPTUNE at Purdue for alternative energy initiative

November 5, 2015  


Bryan_Joseph

Joseph M. Bryan
Download Photo

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The top administrator for the U.S. Navy's energy efforts will speak at Purdue University next week as part of a kickoff workshop for a Purdue-Navy research effort to address alternative energy and power issues.

Joseph M. Bryan, appointed deputy assistant secretary for the Navy's energy focus in November 2014, will deliver the keynote address, titled "Energy Innovation for Operational Effect in the Navy and Marine Corps," as part of Purdue's Discovery Lecture Series at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 in Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 121.

"Secretary Bryan will discuss the Navy and Marine Corps' efforts to transform their energy use to increase combat capability and operational flexibility, and enhance resilience," said Maureen McCann, director of the Purdue Energy Center in Discovery Park and a professor of biological sciences. "He will explore how the Navy and Marine Corps work with partners to take a holistic approach to energy innovation to address interdependencies between systems and develop solutions that make energy a force multiplier that can increase range, endurance and payload."

Purdue researchers received grants totaling $3 million from the Office of Naval Research in September through a pilot program to examine alternative energy-related projects, develop a power and energy course and set up a research facility for testing aviation fuels from biomass. The Navy Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Universities for National Excellence (NEPTUNE) will support the launch of Purdue's NEPTUNE Power and Energy Research Center and seven research projects along with the new course, which will begin in spring 2016 at Purdue.

Dan Hirleman, chief corporate and global partnerships officer at Purdue, will provide opening remarks for the inaugural NEPTUNE workshop and introduce Bryan.

Rich Carlin, Ph.D., head of the Sea Warfare and Weapons Department at the Office of Naval Research; and Capt. Jim Goudreau, director of policy and partnerships for the Navy's energy effort, will give presentations about the goals of the NEPTUNE program beginning at 10:15 a.m.

McCann will moderate a series of presentations by Benjamin Finkelor, executive director, and Siva Gunda, director of research programs, for the Energy Efficiency Center at the University of California, Davis. Also scheduled to speak are Bill Brandt, director of strategic integration at Arizona State University Light Works; Steve Borden, director of the Pat Tillman Veterans Center at ASU; and Thomas Seager, associate professor and senior sustainability scientist for ASU's Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.

Other presentations are planned by Daniel Nussbaum, chair of the Energy Academic Group and a professor of operations research and business at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California; and chemistry professors Judith Harrison and Paul Trulove of the U.S. Naval Academy.

The NEPTUNE kickoff event will wrap up with a research poster session by Purdue students from 12:30-1:30 p.m. All NEPTUNE activities in the morning are free and open to the public.

Prior to his role at the Navy, Bryan served in professional staff roles for the U.S. Senate. Most recently, he was the Investigations Team Lead for the Committee on Armed Services. He received a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a master's degree from the University of Delaware in urban affairs and public policy, with a focus on energy and environmental policy.

Through the NEPTUNE Power and Energy Research Center at Purdue, Navy personnel, ROTC students and military veterans will be engaged to participate in the energy-related research projects supporting 13 graduate students, one postdoctoral student and 12 undergraduate students, said Purdue Energy Center managing director Pankaj Sharma, who has a courtesy faculty appointment with Purdue Polytechnic.

The Purdue-Navy projects are the outgrowth of a memorandum of understanding signed by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Purdue President Mitch Daniels in 2014. The Navy and Marine Corps have a goal to convert half of their energy consumption to alternative sources by 2020.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment and the ONR established the NEPTUNE pilot program with funding from ONR to provide professional education and development for the military community through participation in university basic research projects.

Media Contacts: Phillip Fiorini, Purdue Marketing and Media, 765-496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu

Lt. Chika Onyekanne, U.S. Navy, 703-692-4703, chika.onyekanne@navy.mil

Sources: Maureen McCann, 765-494-1610, mmccann@purdue.edu

Pankaj Sharma, 765-496-7452, sharma@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: A media availability for officials from the U.S. Navy and other researchers is planned for 10:30-11 a.m. Nov. 12 in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. Reporters interested in arranging interviews can contact Phillip Fiorini at 765-496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu.

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2014-18 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Brand Toolkit | Maintained by Marketing and Media

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact us at online@purdue.edu so we can help.