Gov. names OU 'center of excellence' for green energy research

Gov. Ted Strickland has announced that Ohio University has been named a Center of Excellence in Energy and the Environment. The designation recognizes the institution's state and national reputation for energy and pollution research, as well as its potential to create jobs in the field, according to a news release.

The area of energy and the environment encompasses the research of more than 30 faculty and staff members at OU, the release said. Current research focuses on the production and delivery of energy and fuels, as well as the monitoring and control of the air and water pollution that results from fuel production.

"I want to congratulate the faculty and staff members of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health and Human Services and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs," President Roderick McDavis said in the release. "The inclusion of Ohio University as one of nine of the state's Centers of Excellence in Energy and the Environment speaks to the research and scholarship achieved by our outstanding faculty and staff. Gov. Strickland and Chancellor Fingerhut recognize the talent, creativity and scholarship of Ohio University faculty on important issues focused on energy and the environment."

The researchers have received more than $28 million in total external funding, according to the news release. To date, OU has submitted 38 invention disclosures, 96 patent applications and nine patents related to energy and the environment, generating $745,000 in royalty fees from energy-related technologies since 2005. In 2006, energy and the environment was found to be among OU's research strengths, according to a study of institution-based research core competencies commissioned by the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Department of Development.

As McDavis stated, OU was one of nine centers of excellence at eight universities announced by the governor's office. The centers will help the state meet the requirements of Senate Bill 221, an energy reform bill that's intended to ensure predictability of affordable energy prices. Supporters say it will serve as a catalyst to enhance energy industries in Ohio, bringing new jobs while protecting existing jobs.

OU Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit noted that the Center of Excellence designation will expand academic opportunities and aid recruitment at OU.

"Having a University System of Ohio Center of Excellence will enhance the ability of faculty members to compete for external funding. That funding will support expanded research projects which in turn will create more chances for graduate and undergraduate students to be part of the multidisciplinary research environment that is the hallmark of our center," Benoit said in the release.

All public universities were required to participate in the centers of excellence review process as part of the state of Ohio's strategic plan for the University System of Ohio, which aims to raise the national profile of its higher education institutions, prioritize resources and better meet student needs. The Ohio Board of Regents cites economic impact, benchmarking, the presence of a viable development plan and sufficiency of resources as key criteria to being a center of excellence.

OU's final proposal to the state identified three centers of excellence. The other two proposals are Health and Wellness and the Scripps College of Communication.

The governor's office will release details about other centers of excellence designations in the near future.