Douglas J. Nelson

Douglas J. Nelson received the B.S.M.E. degree in 1978 and the M.S.M.E. degree in 1979 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He then worked for two years as a systems engineer for Exxon Corporation, Solar Thermal Systems Division before returning to full-time graduate study. He received the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University in 1986 where he worked on research applied to open cycle solar absorption cooling systems.

He is currently Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Fuel Cell Systems, Hydrogen Energy Systems, Advanced Technology Vehicles and Design. He is the co-director of the Dept. of Energy GATE Center for Automotive Fuel Cell Systems, a multidisciplinary graduate automotive engineering program that focuses on technologies critical to the development of fuel efficient/low-emission vehicles. He has expertise in modeling, testing, and validation of a fuel cell and hybrid and electric vehicles and components. He is also working on hydrogen energy systems and well to-wheels analysis of transportation fuels. He consults for industry on the design and simulation of hybrid and electric vehicles.