EERC receives award from National Hydrogen Association
The EERC has been recognized as the National Hydrogen Association’s (NHA’s) 2010 Robert M. Zweig Public Education Award recipient for outstanding education and outreach initiatives on hydrogen. The EERC received the award during an annual awards ceremony during the NHA Hydrogen Conference and Expo in Long Beach, Calif.
The EERC was selected for this award for its dedication to initiatives that have resulted in significant progress in hydrogen technologies. The EERC is recognized for hosting events such as the 2009 NHA Summer Strategy Planning Meeting, the Hydrogen Works Training Course: A Premier Professionals Training Course (February 2009), the International Conference on Air Quality VII (October 2009), and the upcoming Advancing the Hydrogen Economy Action Summit III, cohosted with Senator Byron Dorgan, the Red River Valley Research Corridor, and the Mountain States Hydrogen Business Council (MSHBC).
“UND-EERC is being recognized for its robust environmental research program and contribution to the advancement of hydrogen education,” said NHA President Jeffery A. Serfass. “You should all be proud of your university’s program and leadership provided to the next generation of hydrogen and fuel cell producers and consumers.”
“The staff involved in the education and outreach area at the EERC do outstanding work on these events, technical conferences, and online courses, so it is extremely gratifying for the EERC to receive an award relating to our combined efforts in hydrogen education,” said EERC Director Gerald Groenewold.
Robert M. Zweig became a leading hydrogen advocate in the late 1960s. Zweig’s passion was to improve the air quality in Southern California. He became one of the greatest advocates of hydrogen energy in the world. He was a founding member of several influential hydrogen organizations, including Clean Air Now (CAN), the Clean Air Institute, and the International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Under his leadership, these organizations promoted hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels and as the pathway to a pollution-free environment. Zweig died of complications from leukemia in February 2002.
“The EERC has clearly demonstrated the kind of public outreach that is consistent with the intent of this award, and I believe Dr. Zweig would be proud,” Serfass said.
The Hydrogen Action Summit III, organized and hosted by the EERC, is scheduled for Monday, September 13, in Grand Forks. The event is being held along with the annual MSHBC Hydrogen Implementation Conference. The two events will showcase topics including hydrogen readiness, coproduction of hydrogen production from renewable and fossil fuels, transportation, and hydrogen infrastructure and utilization. More information will be available soon at www.undeerc.org.
— Derek Walters, communications and outreach manager, EERC, 777-5113, dwalters@undeerc.org
