Professor Scott Samuelsen

Profile

Scott Samuelsen is a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine; HORIBA Distinguished Professor Emeritus; and founding Director of the UCI Advanced Power and Energy Program, the UCI Combustion Laboratory, and the National Fuel Cell Research Center. His research focuses on energy systems and the zero-emission of carbon and criteria pollutants, gas turbine combustion (for the generation electricity and aircraft propulsion), fuel cells and fuel cell systems (for the generation of electricity and the powering vehicles), microgrid/smart grid technology, the hydrogen and electricity infrastructure for the evolving generation of zero-emission alternative vehicles, and the complementary merging of a zero-emission electric grid in an era of high penetration of intermittent wind and solar with an emerging zero-emission transportation and goods movement sector. He received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley in parallel with appointments at Southern California Edison, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Stanford Research Institute. He is the founding Chair of the UCI Mechanical Engineering program, and a founding lead in the UCI Environmental Engineering Program. Professor Samuelsen pioneered the development of octane posting with the Federal Trade Commission, is responsible for the popular (R+M)/2 posting methodology that anchors today engine design and fuel formulation, was recognized by President Obama in 2011 as a "Champion of Change" in sustainable energy and the emerging hydrogen economy, and was recognized in 2010 with the UCI Medal for pioneering fuel cell electric vehicle and hydrogen fueling technology.

Professional History
Internships Southern California Edison Los Angeles, California Summer 1962
DuPont de Nemours Wilmington, Delaware Summer 1963
Degree: B.S. Mechanical Engineering UC Berkeley June 1964
Research Engineer Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore 1964-1965
Degree: M.S. Mechanical Engineering UC Berkeley September 1965
Research Engineer Stanford Research Institute Menlo Park, California 1965-1970
Degree: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering UC Berkeley June 1970
University of California, Irvine
Assistant Professor Engineering 1970-1976
Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering 1976-1982
Professor Mechanical, Aerospace, and Environmental Engineering 1982-Present
Founding Chair Mechanical Engineering 1972-1983
Chair Department of Mechanical Engineering 1985-1988  
Founding Director UCI Combustion Laboratory 1970-2018
Founding Director National Fuel Cell Research Center 1998-2018
Founding Director Advanced Power and Energy Program 2000-2020
Founding Director Pacific Consortium on Combustion, Energy, and the Environment 1992-2012
Board Member Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems 1990-2002
Chair Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems 1993-1996
Board Member The Combustion Institute 1994-1999