Patrick Brown is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the MIT Energy Initiative, exploring technical and regulatory strategies for integrating high levels of renewable energy and energy storage onto the electric grid. He completed his Ph.D. in physics at MIT with Professor Vladimir Bulović, where his thesis research explored the use of colloidal nanocrystals as light-absorbing active materials in thin film solar cells. Patrick received his B.S. in physics and chemistry from the University of Notre Dame and interned at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Patrick received a Graduate Certificate in Science, Technology, and Policy for his work with the Trancik lab, which has focused on the implications of the rates of technological advancement in solar and wind technologies for international climate policy.

Contact: prbrown at mit dot edu

William Braff earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT in 2014. He was co-advised by Professor Cullen Buie (Mechanical Engineering), and Professor Martin Bazant (Chemical Engineering), and his thesis investigated a hydrogen bromine laminar flow battery for grid-scale energy storage. From 2011 – 2015, William worked with the Trancik Lab on a project to evaluate the impact of energy storage technologies on the economic value of solar and wind energy. He is currently an Engineering Program Manager at Apple.