University Distinguished Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Director, Mines/NREL Advanced Energy Systems Program

Dr. Braun has served as the director of the AES program for almost five years. He has extensive experience in the field of energy research and is passionate about ensuring student success. In this interview, Dr. Braun shares his background, his enthusiasm for the AES program, and why he thinks this program stands out from other graduate programs.

Where did you grow up?

“I grew up in Elk Grove, IL – a small-to-mid-sized Chicago suburb adjacent to O’Hare airport.”

Please summarize your educational background.

“I was Jesuit educated at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, obtaining a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. I went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I received a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and a course-based master’s equivalency in Chemical Engineering.”

What did you do, in academia or industry, before coming to Mines?

“I spent a bit over 5 years in industry working for United Technologies in both of their Fuel Cell and Research Center Divisions. I worked on phosphoric acid and proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems, HVAC&R systems including transcritical CO2 refrigeration cycles, and was leading the mobile SOFC program for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles before I left for academia.”

What is your current research focus?

“Most of my research efforts are currently focused on high temperature electrochemical energy conversion systems, where we do both fundamental modeling and experimental characterization of solid oxide-based electrochemical cells – from single-cells to large, kW-scale multi-stack assemblies, as well as full-scale integrated energy systems. These efforts encompass fuel cell-based power generation, electrolyzer-based hydrogen and synthetic fuels production, and reversible fuel cell systems for energy storage applications.”

What brought you to Mines?

“When I graduated with a Ph.D. I had many post-graduate employment opportunities, including an academic faculty position. However, while I felt drawn to an academic faculty position, I viewed this as a longer-term career goal and first wanted to go to industry to work on developing fuel cells systems at scale. I felt I needed to go to a place where they knew what the technical and economic barriers to deployment of advanced technology were, and whose livelihood depended on their success. After 5-years in industry and moving up the ladder, I felt it was now or never if I was going to make the jump back to academia – a long-term goal I always had. After doing academic interviews across many universities, I decided on Mines because it felt like truth-in-advertising in terms of a collaborative work/research environment and Prof. Kee gave it real credibility in the field of electrochemistry and high temperature systems.”

What do you think makes AES stand out from other graduate programs?

“The AES Graduate Program is unique. It affords graduate students educational and research opportunities that leverage both the extensive capabilities of a Research I University (Mines) and the deep and wide-ranging expertise and multi-scale facilities of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is also uniquely focused on preparing researchers at the doctoral level and energy professionals at the master’s level to address the full complexity of tomorrow’s infrastructure, economic, and energy challenges. I also think it is important to note that the Mines-NREL connection is not theoretical, it is real with an active presence of NREL and Mines staff across both campuses including within the classroom.

When looking at the actual research projects students are engaged in, the Program offers a wide breadth of topics that vary from deep science & theory to full-scale hardware and systems to the broader area of technology deployment via techno-economic optimization and environmental impact.”

How does this make AES grads stand out in the field?

“I think there are at least three elements that make our graduates standout. First, the breadth-on-top-of-depth approach to student education and research means that in addition to learning the fundamentals and theory, the interdisciplinary focus on energy, environment, economics & policy prepares the student with the cross-domain skills and attitudes needed by employers. Our students are entering the workforce with domain knowledge that is coupled with an inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral awareness and understanding that ultimately leads to new ways of approaching and solving today’s problems.

Second, our cohort-based learning better prepares students for the cross-discipline, large research teams that characterize the cutting-edge science being carried out today. The research co-advising by NREL scientist and Mines faculty member enable a greater likelihood of realizing high quality, impactful research outcomes.

Lastly, a more general observation is that the exposure and access to both the depth of expertise and the cutting-edge computational and experimental research facilities also means that students get to know what high tech R&D is supposed to look like, and how these elements work together to advance the field.”

What is something about you that may surprise students?

“Ha, yeah probably several things. Faculty and ‘bosses’ don’t always share more personal or even more expansive professional experiences with students. I am a pretty avid homemade (scratch) pizza maker, love to play golf and cycle, and maybe because of my Jesuit education, I really find myself drawn to history, philosophy, and professional and spiritual growth subjects. Perhaps one other thing students may not immediately appreciate is that while I am the Director tasked with enforcing quality and standards across the program (and on to students), and while I also have high standards and can ask tough questions, I am more empathetic and less judging than I might first let on to both graduate students and the graduate student endeavor 😊.”