Byron Washom

Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives, University of California - San Diego

Byron Washom is the Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives at the University of California-San Diego, where he leads the university's efforts to establish a highly innovative energy plan that will not only ensure that UC San Diego is able to meet both its current and future energy requirements in the most environmentally sustainable, cost-effective manner, but also serve as a premier example to institutions internationally. Mr Washom's previous achievements include eight technical world records for the conversion of sunlight to electricity while manager of technology and policy at a Fairchild Industries' advanced projects department.

Mr Washom has been a key advisor on a wide range of clean energy technologies to the World Bank, the International Energy Agency, US Department of Energy, national laboratories, and numerous regulated utilities and corporations. He is a four-time Rockefeller Foundation grantee and Heinz Foundation grantee. In 2008 Mr Washom received the UC San Diego Community Leader Award for Sustainability and the R&D 100 Award for the 100 most outstanding innovations in the world.