News

05/15/2008 Former CIA director R. James Woolsey discussed how the end of foreign oil dependency could benefit U.S. national security and the environment. Woolsey is one of the most outspoken advocates for energy independence and has traveled throughout the country educating audiences on the need to end energy dependence by utilizing renewable fuels. He is currently of counsel at the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP in Washington, D.C., and serves as a senior executive adviser to the global consulting firm Booz Allen.

04/16/2008 Caltech's annual celebration of Earth Day will take place south of Chandler Dining Hall and the Bookstore, near the Olive Walk, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 25. All members of the community are invited to enjoy the food, fun, music, and vendors. Free Earth Day cake will be available, donated by Caltech Dining.

04/15/2008 To address the complex issue of global climate change from a wide range of disciplines, Ronald and Maxine Linde have established an $18 million endowment for Caltech to create the Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science, uniting faculty from chemistry, engineering, geology, environmental science, and other fields.

04/15/2008 The City of Pasadena's largest-ever solar-energy facility will soon be installed on the Caltech campus. Construction begins this week and will conclude in August. The facility will be located on top of Caltech's Holliston parking structure. "This is part of Caltech's commitment to minimizing the Institute's impact on the environment and reducing our dependence on nonrenewable energy," said President Jean-Lou Chameau.

02/01/2008 In a lecture called "Oxygen-Ion Conducting Fuel Cells," Stanford's Fritz Prinz, a professor and chair of the School of Engineering, discussed the possibility of using fuel-cell technology for energy conversion as a more efficient and economical alternative to traditional engines. Prinz and his colleagues are currently researching mass-transport phenomena across thin membranes including oxide films and lipid bi-layers.