Dr. Eric D Wachsman, Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, is a Distinguished University Professor and the William L. Crentz Centennial Chair in Energy Research with appointments in both the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland. He received his PhD in Materials Science & Engineering from Stanford University, and his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Wachsman is Past President of The Electrochemical Society (ECS), Editor-in-Chief of Ionics, on the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports, Energy Systems, and Energy Technology, and a member of the American Chemical Society, the International Society for Solid State Ionics, and the Materials Research Society. He is a Fellow of ECS, the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), the National Academy of Inventors, and the World Academy of Ceramics; the recipient of the 2017 Carl Wagner Award from ECS; the 2014 Sir William Grove Award from the International Association for Hydrogen Energy; the 2014 Pfeil Award from The Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining; the Outstanding Invention of 2013 award from the University of Maryland Office of Technology Licensing; the 2012 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition Award; and the 2012 HTM Outstanding Achievement Award from ECS. His research is focused on solid ion-conducting materials and electrocatalysts, and includes the development of solid-state batteries, solid oxide fuel cells, ion-transport membrane reactors, solid-state gas sensors, and the electrocatalytic conversion of CH4, CO2, and NOx, using advanced ion conducting materials. He has more than 280 publications and 40 patents on ionic and electronic transport in materials, and their catalytic properties, and device performance, and to date four companies have been founded based on these technologies.