What:
Roger B. Saillant, president and CEO of Plug Power Inc., in Latham, N.Y., will give a lecture titled “Overview and Challenges Facing the Fuel Cell Industry: A Plug Power Perspective” as part of a colloquium sponsored by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Chemical Engineering Department. (Later in the day, Saillant will deliver the second annual William J. O’Brien Distinguished Lecture at the College of the Holy Cross.)
The WPI presentation will cover the status of the fuel cell industry with an emphasis on proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Although PEM is the technology of choice for automobiles, Plug Power has developed a strategy for its use in stationary applications, as well. A Honda fuel cell vehicle will also be demonstrated at WPI in the parking area in front of Alumni Gym.
As part of his presentation, Saillant will offer feedback to WPI students on their academic research projects related to fuel cells.
When:
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Lecture at 1:30 p.m.
Fuel cell car on display 12:15-3:30 p.m.
Where:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Goddard Hall, Room 227
100 Institute Road
Worcester, Mass.
Who:
Roger B. Saillant joined Plug Power Inc. as president and chief executive officer in December 2000. He plans and directs the organization’s policies, objectives, and initiatives, and is responsible for the company’s growth and profitability.
Saillant served for more than 30 years with Ford Motor Company and Visteon Corp., a spin-off of Ford, where his most recent position was vice president and general manager of the company’s Energy Transformation Systems Group. While at Ford Motor Company and Visteon Corp., he held management positions in component engineering, catalysis, quality, electronics, and manufacturing.
Saillant serves on advisory boards at Union College and the State University of New York at Cobleskill, and serves as a director on the Alumni Fund Committee for Bowdoin College. He is also a member of the board of directors of the New York State Audubon Society, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, and the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. He holds a BS in chemistry from Bowdoin College, a PhD in chemistry from Indiana University, and a post-doctorate degree in organometallic chemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles.
