As of July 1, 2019, Barry Rand has been appointed the associate director for external partnerships and Z. Jason Ren has been appointed the associate director for research at the Andlinger Center.
In his role, Rand, associate professor of electrical engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, will oversee external partnerships and Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership, a corporate membership administered by the Andlinger Center. The program aims to facilitate technical innovation between the faculty and corporate partners, with the goal of advancing research and moving technology to market. Rand said he looks forward to expanding his engagement with industry and “bringing new partners on board that collectively encompass a group that fits into the vibrant ecosystem of energy and environment research on campus.”
Ren, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, will oversee the research portfolio at the center. Ren will provide guidance on the Andlinger Center funding for innovative research, the Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows program, and the Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellows in Energy and the Environment program. Ren said he hopes to “continue the momentum and foster more interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty from different academic units to increase the impact of the Andlinger Center.”
Rand succeeds Mark Zondlo, associate professor for civil and environmental engineering. Zondlo became associate director for external partnerships in 2016. Zondlo led the development of external partnerships and expanded the reach of E-ffiliates. Having worked as a researcher in industry before joining the faculty of Princeton, Zondlo helped to define the value proposition of the University and university researchers for companies, and recruited several new member companies during his time, including American Tower Corporation, Siemens, NRG Energy, and American Water.
Ren succeeds Peter Jaffé, who was the center’s first associate director for research and has held the position since the Andlinger Center began operations. Jaffé, the William L. Knapp ’47 Professor of Civil Engineering and professor of civil and environmental engineering, was instrumental to demarcating the center’s six research areas and recruiting faculty who are distinct in their realms. Jaffé helped to build an integrative program, framing the research portfolio to develop solutions to ensure our global energy and environmental future. Jaffé played a critical role in scoping the Andlinger Center grant for innovative research, which supports interdisciplinary research from across the University.