About
Typically, engineers and scientists fail to engage in the policy-making process, the consequence of which is an incoherent mix of national energy policies that accidentally undermine each other, fail to achieve strategic aims, or are impossible from the outset. The Webber Energy Group is seeking to rectify this problem by bridging the divide between policymakers and engineers & scientists for issues related to energy and the environment. For our research, we do not shy away from applying our technical skills to analyzing the societal context of our research problems. We bring the scientific method and technical expertise to bear on policy-oriented research questions as a way to inform decision-makers and help get the world onto a greener path.
Research projects currently underway include the following:
- The nexus of energy and water
- The nexus of energy and food
- Energy in Texas
- Energy storage for the grid
- Alternative transportation fuels (natural gas, electricity, and algae-based renewable diesel)
- Energy politics
- Waste-to-energy
- Quantifying the tradeoffs of energy
- Designing a smart grid for Austin
- Developing analytical tools for energy decision makers
Dr. Michael E. Webber Honors and Awards
Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure, 2012
Cockrell School of Engineering Award for Outstanding Teaching by an Assistant Professor recipient, 2011
UT Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award recipient, 2011
APEX Award for Publication Excellence in the Green Writing category for
"Texas: The Next Solar Superpower?" from the November/December
2009 Solar Today
Aspen Institute Environmental Forum Scholar, 2010–2011
Dads' Association Centennial Teaching Fellowship, 2010–2011
Most downloaded paper in Environmental Research Letters for 2009
National Finalist, White House Fellowship (2009)
AT&T Industrial Ecology Fellowship (2009)
Marshall Memorial Fellow (2007), German Marshall Fund
Next Generation Fellow (2006) for the American Assembly, a non-partisan
forum on public affairs founded by Dwight Eisenhower in 1950 with
Columbia University
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (1995-1998)
Outstanding Young Engineering Graduate, College of Engineering,
UT-Austin, 2005
Outstanding Paper Award for authoring the best paper of 2005 (measurement
science category) in Measurement Science & Technology
"The Water Intensity of the Plugged-In Automotive Economy," published
in Environmental Science & Technology was recognized by the publisher as
a “Most-Accessed Article” for the first-quarter of 2008.
Most downloaded paper in Environmental Research Letters (2009)
Webber Energy Group Honors and Awards
The DACOR Bacon House Foundation Fellowship
The Graduate Dean's Prestigious Fellowship
The Marshall Memorial Fellowship
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- Cassandra Telenko, 2008–2011
- Kelly Twomey, 2009–2012
- Aaron Townsend, 2009–2012
- Amanda Cuellar, 2010–2013
- Ashlynn Stillwell, 2010–2013
- Chioke Harris, 2010–2013
- Mary Clayton, 2011-2014
EPA STAR Fellowship
Director General's Priority Intern , State Department
SMART Fellowship
Harrington Fellowship
AWWA Academic Achievement Award
ASME International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Best Student Paper Award
- Colin Smith, 2008
- Kelly Twomey, 2010
Presidential Management Fellowship
- Melissa C. Lott, 2011-2013
Archer Fellowship
- David Wogan, Summer 2010
- Margaret A. Cook, Summer 2013
Barbara Jordan Fellowship
Fulbright 1st U.S.-Brazil Biofuels Short Course
Marathon Oil Scholarship, University of Texas
Outstanding Scholar-Leader Award, Cockrell School of Engineering
- Erin Keys, Finalist (2008)
- Amanda Cuellar (2009)
- Charlie Upshaw (2010)
ASME Central Texas Young Mechanical Engineer of the Year Award
- Jared Garrison, 2010
- Stuart Cohen, 2011
AMD Grand Challenge Scholars Program
- James Newman, Summer 2011
Rylander Outstanding TA Award, Cockrell School of Engineering
- Stuart Cohen, May 2012
- Adolfo Lozano, May 2010
- Melissa Lott, May 2008
Texas Exes Teaching Award, University of Texas Alumni Association
Albert Thumann Scholarship, Association of Energy Engineers
UT Cockrell School of Engineering Graduate Student Leadership Award
The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) Energy Summer School
- Chioke Harris, summer 2012
- Ben Gully, summer 2010
- Colin Beal, summer 2010
White House Internship
- Melissa Lott, Fall 2009
- David Wogan, Summer 2010
- Chioke Harris, Spring 2011
- Scott McNally, Summer 2011
Energy Information Administration Internship
- Melissa Lott, Summer 2009
Congressional Research Service Internship
- Ashlynn Stillwell, Summer 2009
- Kelly Twomey, Summer 2009
Graduate Recruitment Service Award, Mechanical Engineering Department
Chi Omega Alumnae Educational Grant
Undergraduate Research Fellowship
- Christoper Mayer, Spring 2011
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