Episode Details
Back to EpisodesNREL’s New Laboratory Director and Google’s AI Hackathon—Plus, an Energy Tech Pitch Event
Description
Disclaimer: This episode was produced when the laboratory operated as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The laboratory is now the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR).
It’s been a busy summer at NREL. In this episode, you’ll learn about:
- The appointment of NREL’s incoming laboratory director Dr. Jud Virden, who brings 34 years of national lab experience at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a background in chemical engineering to his new position.
- How Google and NREL teamed up to host an AI Hackathon. (Yes, we Googled it: Hackathon is a real word.)
- This summer’s EnergyTech University Prize 2025 collegiate pitch event with many innovative university students vying for the prize pool of more than $430,000.
This podcast is hosted by Jackson Fletcher, Kerrin Jeromin, Taylor Mankle, and Nataleah Small and written and produced by Hannah Halusker, Allison Montroy, and Kaitlyn Stottler. Editors are Joe DelNero, Brittany Falch, and Taylor Mankle. Graphics by Brittnee Gayet. Music by Ted Vaca and Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift BC. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at podcast@nlr.gov. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.