YSU to host 3-day energy forum

Staff report

Youngstown

Youngstown State University will have a three-day forum in June on sustainable energy.

From Sunday through June 7, top government, industry and academic experts from throughout the United States will lead discussions at the conference, which is titled “Driving Down the Commercialization Cost of Energy Technologies.”

“Sustainable energy is a key area of focus for YSU’s STEM College, the TechBelt region, the state of Ohio, the nation and the world,” said Martin Abraham, dean of the YSU college of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Government officials, industry leaders and academic researchers will all be in attendance to discuss the challenges and the solutions.”

At 5 p.m. Sunday, the documentary film “Urban Roots” will be shown for free in Schwebel Auditorium in Moser Hall.

It’s directed by Detroit native Mark McInnis and tells the story of a group involved in the city’s urban agricultural movement.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. next Monday in the Chestnut Room at Kilcawley Center, many guest speakers will include U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th; Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition; Iwan Alexander, of Case Western Reserve University; and Henry Kelly, acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.

From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 7 at Williamson Hall, sessions will include discussions about renewable energy, energy systems, materials, carbon and energy efficiency.

Eric Spiegel, president and chief executive of Siemens Corp. and a native of Youngstown, will deliver the forum’s keynote address June 7.

Nearly 150 people have registered for the free forum so far. For more information or to register, visit the website www.ysu.edu/sef.