In 1983 he received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), in 1979 his Masters of Science (M.S.) both in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on energy, from the University of California (U.C.) at Berkeley. He has over 180 energy publications in the refereed literature, proceedings of meetings, international symposia, book chapters, and patents.
He devoted 18 years to building a globally recognized program at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) that advances the science and technologies needed to enable a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting energy system. At its peak this was a $20 Million per year program. Hydrogen programs and projects he has directed include activities in hydrogen fueled conventional technologies (reciprocating (Spark and Compression ignition) and turbine internal combustion engines), fuel cells systems development for utility, mine vehicles and transportation applications, materials science for hydrogen storage, geographical hydrogen storage (caverns), hydrogen effects on materials, molecular separation, fuel cell membranes, systems analysis and engineering, thermochemical solar and nuclear hydrogen production, and the science and engineering behind the development of international regulation codes and standards such as understanding unintended hydrogen release behavior and hydrogen effects in materials. He was the Deputy Director for the Metal Hydride Center of Excellence (MHCoE), which was the largest of three U.S. Centers of Excellence (CoE) with 19 partners (industry, university, and laboratory). In 2010, the three CoE’s were awarded the DOE’s meritorious achievement award for their “outstanding contribution to advancing the state-of-the-art in hydrogen storage”.
As recognition for his leadership abilities, in 2009 he was awarded The DOE Hydrogen Program Meritorious Award (with special recognition for outstanding technical contributions).
He left Sandia National Laboratories in 2011 and is now a technical consultant to the DOE through Oakridge National Laboratories and supports all Safety Codes and Standards (SC&S) focusing on international engagements. He is member of the Regulation Codes and Standards Working Group (RCSWG) of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) assisting the DOE who is the co-chair of this working group. He is a Senior Staff Scientist at Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) with a focus activity on regulations codes and standards and safety (RCS); is on staff at H2USA supporting the Market Support & Acceleration working group, in this capacity he is the staff for oversight and leadership for safety codes and standards (this activity is on hold pending structural changes in H2USA (2019); he is the ISO TC 197- Hydrogen Technologies Technical Program Director (TPD) for the Built Environment and Safety and the TPD for the Americas, a member of TC/197 Technical Advisory Board, he is on the executive board of IA-HySafe and the chair of the standing research committee of IA-HySafe, chair of the IA-HySafe research priorities standing workshop, a member of the scientific and organizing committees of the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety. He is a member of the the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS) representing IA-HySafe and he is on the executive board of AdapTecSA (a Chilean Company) as Co-Director of Technology.