Dr. Michael Webber, a well-known energy researcher and teacher, has been appointed to serve as deputy director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin effective April 1, 2013.

Former deputy director Charles E. Cooke has resigned and will rejoin the EOP Group, a Washington, D.C., government relations firm that represents Fortune 500 companies on Executive Branch issues at the federal and state levels.

Webber, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, also is the Josey Centennial Fellow in Energy Resources and serves as Co-Director of the Clean Energy Incubator and Associate Director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy. Read more

Professor Thomas F. Edgar, a chemical engineer with extensive teaching, administrative, research and industry experience, has been named interim director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin.

Edgar’s appointment as interim director, effective Jan. 15, will be for a period of one year, during which time the university will determine the appropriate timing for the launch of a national search for a permanent director.

“I’m confident Dr. Edgar will work with faculty across campus to leverage the deep expertise of the university in areas of energy policy and research,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Steven W. Leslie. Read more