United States Under Secretary of Energy the Honorable Dr. Kristina Johnson
Khalifa University announced today that its next speaker in the Distinguished Speakers Series will be former United States Under Secretary of Energy the Honorable Dr. Kristina Johnson.
Her talk, entitled “An Economic Plan for a Clean Environment” will take place on April 11th, 2012 in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), who will host the lecture at their facilities.
Dr. Johnson will outline a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 83% by the year 2050. Her plan, called the Strategic Technology Energy Plan (STEP) calls for a selection of low-carbon solutions that are one part renewable energy, one part nuclear energy and one part fossil fuels.
“We are pleased to announce Dr. Johnson’s talk,” Dr. Tod Laursen, President of Khalifa University said. “Finding renewable, economic energy sources that are not harmful to the environment is everyone’s concern, and we are dedicated with providing our students with knowledge on alternative energy sources. The Distinguished Speakers Series provides a very useful context for our students to complement their academic interests in science and technology. It is also in line with our mission to serve the broader community by informing them on highly relevant topics that directly relate to a rapidly transforming economic and technological environment.”
Dr. Johnson served as Under Secretary of Energy at the Department of Energy in Washington D.C. from May 2009 until October 2010. Prior to her appointment as Under Secretary, she was Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Johns Hopkins University, and Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University.