“What excites me about my new role is the opportunity to work with students, faculty and industry to make a difference on problems that truly matter. Who could pass that up? Imagine the difficulties that arise when you don’t have access to energy,” Powell said. “At this point in time, the global transformation to energy abundance is not complete, so we must grow the energy system while reducing its impact on climate and the environment, and also develop circular systems to recycle materials and reduce waste. That’s a tall order, but a necessity to bring clean energy and sustainable chemicals into play globally and develop solutions that improve the quality of life for all.”