MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Dr. Brian J. Anderson, formerly of West Virginia University and director of the WVU Energy Institute, has left academia to become the director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
“Dr. Anderson’s extensive experience and knowledge in engineering and science is extraordinary,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “As the only national laboratory that is fully owned and operated by the Department of Energy, I am confident the National Energy Technology Laboratory will continue to make strides in advancing coal, natural gas, oil, and other energy technologies under his leadership.”
Anderson, long an advocate for an Appalachian Storage Hub and a major player in the China Energy Deal, began his career at WVU in 2006 as an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomedical engineering. He founded and built the WVU Energy Institute, the largest collaborative research organization at the university focused on advancing technology through research, development, and demonstration within the energy industry, according to a DoE release.
“I am honored and humbled at the opportunity to serve as the director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL),” said Anderson in a NETL Press Release. “The work that is being conducted at NETL is critical to advancing technologies that will transform the use and production of our nation’s vast coal, natural gas, and oil resources to protect our environment and enhance our nation’s energy security. I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated team at NETL to continue the lab’s efforts as the gold standard in advancing energy research and development.”
NETL’s acting director Sean Plasynski, Ph.D., began his new role Sunday as the lab’s deputy director and chief operating officer.