Roderick Jackson is the new laboratory program manager for buildings-related research at the Energy Department’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
 
Jackson comes to NREL from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he was the group manager for Building Envelope Systems Research. He joined ORNL after graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology with a doctorate in mechanical engineering, where he also earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering.
 
Jackson will work closely with senior laboratory management to set the strategic agenda for NREL’s buildings portfolio, including all research, development, and market implementation activities, which aim to improve the energy efficiency of building materials and practices. He will also guide discussions with DOE’s Building Technologies Office to expand research in the areas of mechanical and thermal properties of building materials to enhance heat transfer and buildings-to-grid, as well as identify industry partnership opportunities to develop building envelope and equipment technologies.
 
“I’ve seen firsthand how Roderick’s leadership and expertise can transform projects and teams,” said Johney Green, associate laboratory director for Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences at NREL. “His extensive research background will help NREL continue to transform the nation’s energy systems, enabling a diverse, secure, and sustainable advanced energy future.”
 
One of Jackson’s most notable industry accomplishments is a result of his role as the technical lead for the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) demonstration project at ORNL. With Jackson’s leadership, AMIE brought together experts from multiple research teams across the lab, 20 partners from industry, and DOE scientists to design, develop, and demonstrate a 3D-printed house that shares power wirelessly with a 3D-printed electric vehicle. The first-of-its-kind project was completed in just nine months.