Johnson Controls backs energy storage research at UW

The University of Wisconsin is looking to new support from a battery company to help it become a leader in energy storage research.

Global automotive battery supplier Johnson Controls is endowing a professorship, research labs and graduate studies in energy storage at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“Between our scientists and the talented UW students, we expect groundbreaking projects to develop,” said Alex Molinaroli, president for power solutions at Johnson Controls.

The Johnson Controls Endowed Professorship in Energy Storage Research will add an expert in technology education to the UW-Madison and UW- Milwaukee Colleges of Engineering and Applied Science. The person who holds this endowed chair will be responsible for maintaining laboratories and supervising graduate students in research at both the Madison and Milwaukee campuses. The position is expected to be filled this summer.

Part of the funding will support the creation of a new energy storage research lab at UW-Madison. The lab will be housed in the new Wisconsin Energy Institute under construction on the UW-Madison campus.

Beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year, Johnson Controls is also establishing a graduate research fellows fund at the UW Foundation to support advanced student research projects.