New director named for Global Fuel Cell Center

Prabhakar Singh, a researcher with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., has been named director of the University’s Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, following an international search.

He will have a faculty appointment as the UTC Chair Professor of Fuel Cell Technology in the Department of Chemical, Materials, & Biomolecular Engineering.

Singh, who will begin at UConn on Jan. 1, currently directs advanced solid oxide fuel cell development activities at the laboratory. He also works with government and industrial clients on fuel cell product development.

“We are delighted to welcome Singh, a world class researcher and visionary in the field of fuel cell science, who will help to transform the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center into an international leader in the design, development, and commercialization of fuel cells,” says Mun Choi, dean of the School of Engineering, who announced the appointment.

As director, Singh will oversee operations and guide the Center’s research and educational activities. He will be responsible for attracting resources and developing collaborative partnerships among the Center, government, and industry. He will also lead a team developing fuel cell technology and applications.

Singh is widely recognized for his technical expertise involving the accelerated corrosion of metals and alloys under bi-polar exposure conditions, as happens in advanced fuel cell electrochemical power generation systems.

Before joining the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Singh held several technical and management positions at Ford Motor Co., Westinghouse Electric Corp., and FuelCell Energy. While at Ford’s Visteon Corp. arm, he managed proton exchange membrane fuel cell research and development.

At Westinghouse Electric, he developed cell and stack component materials for solid oxide fuel cells, large-scale manufacturing processes, hydrocarbon processing, and ‘on anode’ reforming.