Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series Welcomes Stephen Pacala

The Samueli School of Engineering welcomed Stephen Pacala, Frederick D. Petrie Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, during the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series.

May 10, 2021 – The Samueli School of Engineering welcomed Stephen Pacala, Frederick D. Petrie Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, during the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series event on May 3, 2021. The virtual event, was the first of its kind since the pandemic began in 2020 and was attended by more than 200 guests. Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, associate dean of research and innovation, Distinguished Professor, and professor of civil and environmental engineering, hosted the event.

Pacala’s lecture centered on the topic “How to Achieve Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States by Midcentury.” He discussed a pathway to carbon-free energy sources in the U.S. and how technology deployment, research investment and policies can revitalize U.S. manufacturing, increase employment, and put the U.S. on a fair and equitable path to net-zero by 2050.

The lecture was followed by two discussion panels led by UC Irvine faculty. The first was a general panel discussion on the transition to net-zero energy systems led by Pramod Khargonekar, vice chancellor for research and Distinguished Professor. The second panel focused on early career researchers in net-zero energy systems and was moderated by Iryna Zenyuk, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and associate director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center. 

To view the full event recording, click here

– Megan Lohre