Sally Benson, former deputy director of operations at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, began her duties as executive director of Stanford’s Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) last Thursday.

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Sally Benson was recently named the executive director of Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project. #gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/7082
Courtesy of Stanford News Services

Sally Benson was recently named the executive director of Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project.

GCEP is an interdisciplinary research effort to discover and apply different technologies that mitigate the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Project Director Franklin Orr, Jr. praised Benson’s reputation as a researcher.

“She is an internationally recognized researcher and research leader in carbon capture and storage,” he said.

Benson, who has worked extensively on carbon sequestration projects, said it was her desire to interact more with students in an academic environment that prompted her move to GCEP.

“I have always been very attracted to working in a University environment with a bigger opportunity to work with students,” she said.

Benson also spoke enthusiastically about her role as a researcher at GCEP.

“I am most looking forward to finding solutions to really what I think is the challenge of the century: Finding energy systems that don’t emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” she added. “It is a fantastic opportunity to work at the premier organization and to conduct research in this field.”

Another of Benson’s responsibilities will be to “build a group of talented senior faculty who will help us expand our range of technical expertise” according to Orr.

The new director will also collaborate with universities in developing countries like China and India that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. She will also work with GCEP’s sponsors in an effort to better focus the project’s research goals.

“GCEP does stuff that companies and government-sponsored organizations wouldn’t do,” Benson said. “So, if we understand what industry is doing, that will help us cast our view into the future.”

Orr said that Benson’s appointment coincides with GCEP’s recent expansion.

“We are thriving,” he said. “We were just awarded a bunch of new research projects in advanced batteries. We are looking now at proposals on very high efficiency solar energy conversions. We continue to add to and build our portfolio of research, and we are looking forward to having Sally help us.”