About the Center
Passing of Richard G. Lugar
INDIANAPOLIS – Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy director Peter J. Schubert has issued a statement about former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, who died Sunday, April 28, at age 87.
Richard Lugar was the first Senator to drive a hybrid vehicle into the parking garage on Capitol Hill in the early 2000s. Following his example, the number of alternate fuel vehicles driven by our nation’s leaders continued to increase. In 2007 he created the Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy to promote research, education, technology transfer, and international collaboration in the area of renewable energy. Sen. Lugar launched the organization with these words: “Establishment of a center dedicated to the task of reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources creates an additional opportunity for Indiana to lead the nation to a new energy future.” The Center is administratively housed within the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and includes 43 research faculty from across the entire Indiana University system.
“Our researchers are reminded daily of Senator Lugar’s mission and goals, which guide the development of new technologies, policies, and basic science behind clean energy,” Schubert said. “His clarity of vision is timeless, and we honor his memory with our work.” Professors with the Lugar Center for Renewable Energy have started a half-dozen companies in cleantech, fulfilling the Senator’s exhortation that university research demonstrate a positive impact on the community through deployment and commercialization.