Thomas Zawodzinski

Dr. Thomas Zawodzinski is presently the Governor’s Chair in Electrical Energy Conversion and Storage, with appointments in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and at ORNL involved in flow battery and fuel cell research. He previously was the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Fuel Cells, Director of the Case Advanced Power Institute, and the founding Director of the Wright Fuel Cell Group. Dr. Zawodzinski is a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society and played leadership roles in more than $100 million worth of research projects, including projects on fuel cell materials and systems, such as development of new polymeric membranes for automotive applications at elevated temperature and low relative humidity, electro-catalysis, gas diffusion media and fuel cell durability, as well as projects related to batteries, electrochemical sensors, electro-responsive polymers and other applications of electrochemical technologies.

Dr. Zawodzinski was the PI for the Wright Center for Fuel Cells in Ohio. As Team Leader for Fuel Cells at Los Alamos National Labs until 2002, he led a comprehensive program with R&D components related to automotive, stationary and portable power applications of PEM and direct methanol fuel cells. In addition to his continuous involvement in the fuel cell program, he initiated and led programs including preparation of new electrolytes and new methods for studies of transport and electrode materials in Li batteries.

Tom has published more than one hundred refereed papers and a number of book chapters, holds two patents, has co-edited several books on fuel cells and related topics, and has been an active public speaker with hundreds of presentations and short courses given around the globe on fuel cell and electrochemical devices. Dr. Zawodzinski received his Bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo.