Ellen Williams, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The agency conducts research on high-impact energy technologies that are in the early stages of development. Her nomination had been held up for more than a year.
“ARPA-E is central to the Department’s advancement of energy technology innovation, and Ellen Williams will provide outstanding leadership based upon her combination of world-class research in condensed matter physics and insight into how technology impacts the energy marketplace,” said U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
Since 2010, Dr. Williams has served as Chief Scientist for BP. She is currently on a leave of absence from the University of Maryland where she is a Distinguished University Professor in the department of physics and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology. She was promoted to full professor in 1991.
A native of Wisconsin, Professor Williams is a graduate of Michigan State University and holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology.