The Andlinger Center Speaks: is the driverless car good for the environment?

Smart, driverless cars are poised to transform our cities, disrupt several industries, and revolutionize the way we commute and travel in the future. But what are the environmental implications of this emerging sector?
For the latest “The Andlinger Center Speaks,”
we interviewed Alain Kornhauser on the growing smart, driverless car industry and its possible impact on the environment.
Read the Q/A here.

Princeton advances dialogue & collaborations with ExxonMobil

Princeton University researchers presented their work on innovative technologies and potential solutions for ensuring the world’s energy and environmental future at a May 9th event meant to further University research collaborations with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.

The half-day event, hosted by ExxonMobil, featured 10 Princeton faculty members speaking to an audience of over 200 ExxonMobil researchers. ExxonMobil is a member of Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership, a membership-based program administered by Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Read more here.

Texas wind farm visit

Several Princeton researchers visited the Sherbino Mesa II Wind Farm in Ft. Stockton, Texas. Owned by BP, the wind farm consists of 58 operating wind turbines with a total power-generating peak capacity of 145 megawatts. Support for the trip was provided by the Andlinger Center and the Princeton Environmental Institute. Read more here.

Princeton researcher toured a Texas wind farm and saw first hand equipment, such as the giant nacelles (above) that contain the turbine and gearbox.

Princeton energy parklet

Several Princeton businesses and organizations collaborated with the Arts Council of Princeton in the construction of the “Princeton Parklet Energy Playground,” located in front of JaZams, 25 Palmer Square East in Princeton’s downtown. Parklets are public art installations that convert street parking into open space.

The Andlinger Center was one of the sponsors of the parklet, which displays sustainable energy technologies, such as hydroelectric power, bicycle-powered generators, micro wind turbines, and solar panels. Forrest Meggers and Daniel Steingart participated in the construction and design of this public art installation. Read more here.

The Princeton Parklet Energy Playground located in Princeton’s downtown.

Faculty highlights

Daniel Steingart, jointly appointed to the mechanical and aerospace engineering department and the Andlinger Center, was promoted to associate professor with tenure, effective July 1. Read more here.

Sankaran Sundaresan, the center’s acting associate director for research, received a Graduate Mentoring Award from the University’s McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning. The award recognizes Princeton faculty members who nurture the intellectual, professional, and personal growth of their graduate students. Read more here.

Claire White and Jose Avalos won the Howard B. Wentz, Jr. Award from Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. The award was established to attract and retain the most talented junior faculty members in the engineering school. The two were chosen for early-career accomplishments and clarity of exposition in teaching and research.
Read more here.

Michael Oppenheimer, a member of the center’s associated faculty and executive committee, and David Wilcove, also on the executive committee, were featured in an article about an environmental science and policy class they co-taught. Read more here.