Dr. George Philippidis is a renewable energy and sustainability leader, who has published and spoken extensively about the global need for renewable energy as the foundation of a

green economy A green economy is an economy that aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and that aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment. It is closely related with ecological economics, but has a more politi ...

and a sustainable society. He advocates the development of renewable power and fuels to enhance energy security, combat climate change, and secure sustainable economic growth. He has authored 11 cleantech patents, written numerous articles, and spoken nationally and internationally emphasizing that renewable energy can initially supplement and augment current resources and progressively replace

fossil energy A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ma ...

based on its own merits rather than on government policy.

Biography

Dr. Philippidis is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar. He received a B.S. in

Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He also obtained a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...

. He led strategic business units at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the US Department of Energy in Denver and at a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific in Boston before becoming Energy Director of the Applied Research Center, the business arm of

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest uni ...

in Miami. Presently, he is Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor and Director of the Biofuels & Bioproducts Lab at the Patel College of Global Sustainability at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...

in Tampa, where he directs applied research, partners with companies and venture capital firms to commercialize renewable energy technologies, and educates students and professionals in energy sustainability. He has been advising the federal and state governments on energy policy and transition to a

bioeconomy Biobased economy, bioeconomy or biotechonomy is economic activity involving the use of biotechnology and biomass in the production of goods, services, or energy. The terms are widely used by regional development agencies, national and international ...

, venture capital and private equity firms on investment in cleantech, and the private sector in the United States, Latin America, and Europe on the establishment of renewable power and fuel industries.Miller, L. "US Embassy Montevideo Hosts Alternative Energy Expert", Sep. 17, 200

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philippidis, George People associated with renewable energy Biofuels Biomass University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering alumni University of Denver alumni American people of Greek descent Living people Year of birth missing (living people)