One of Florida’s most dedicated champions for advancing energy technology has taken on a new role that puts him at the vanguard of a worldwide scientific community.
James Fenton, the director of the Florida Solar Energy Center, was named president of The Electrochemical Society (ECS), a 9,000-member strong global organization. With members in more than 70 countries, the institution is dedicated to promoting research in electrochemical and solid-state science and technology.
Fenton says the new leadership position is an opportunity to serve and educate on a grander scale. With the significant role ECS plays in propelling research for advanced technology in fuel cells, batteries and semiconductors, his chief goal for his tenure as president is simple: to educate.
“As a professional society, we’re trying to grow our reach because we are more than just science,” he says. “We advocate for technologies can make differences in people’s lives.”
To that end, he’s working with colleagues around the globe to share information on environmentally friendly, clean energy sources such as battery technologies and photovoltaics (PVs). An integral part of the outreach includes reaching out to the next generation of citizens via the organization’s 160 student chapters.
“My primary goal is to provide educational materials for those student chapters to go out into their local K-12 schools,” he says. “I’m hoping that the industry and our member companies will help sponsor and pay for those kits to disseminate that information and educate the future workforce in the world. It’s a long-term investment.”
He adds that sustainable energy practices across the globe are often also best practices that ultimately benefit the family budget. As an example, he cites the rooftop solar panels he’s installed in his own home, which not only provide needed power, but also charge his electric vehicle. Aided by solar, his car runs at a cost of about $.30 a gallon.
“Why don’t we just use the free energy we’ve got here and keep all the money in the state of Florida?” he says. “In the case of solar, you can put those PV panels on your roof and be net zero energy. The only spills I want in Florida are sunshine on my beach.”
Fenton first joined ECS as a student member in 1982. Since then, he has served in several roles, including secretary, vice president, officer of the New England section, and on a number of committees and subcommittees. His four decades with ECS have served not only to help build the foundation of his professional career, but more importantly, has given him connections and colleagues he’s grown close to over the years. He fondly refers to them his “professional family.”
“I’ve been doing this with 40 years, so they tend to be stronger friends,” he says. “I know them more than I know my neighbors.”
Fenton is passionate about encouraging the profession to make meaningful connections that can’t be forged with emails or virtual meetings by getting involved in professional organization. He says that these days, many researchers pay too much heed to numbers, like their h-index score, impact number and how many publications they’ve authored.
“Everybody counts papers and measures their impact,” he says. “What really matters is relationships.”
- Written by Bel Huston