John Farrell — Acting Associate Laboratory Director, Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences

John Farrell is the acting associate laboratory director for NREL's Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences directorate.

Farrell also serves as laboratory program manager for the Vehicle Technologies Office—overseeing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office RD&D portfolio, which includes technologies spanning vehicle electrification, batteries/energy storage, power electronics, vehicle/grid interactions, biofuel/advanced engine interactions, smart mobility (connected/autonomous vehicles and urban sciences), analysis, and technology integration. He also manages the RD&D portfolio for the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and is responsible for developing and integrating NREL's advanced mobility strategy with broader initiatives across NREL, other DOE national labs, and industry.

Before joining NREL in 2013, Farrell spent 15 years at ExxonMobil's Corporate Strategic Research Laboratory, where he held various technical, strategic planning, and program management positions and led research collaborations with numerous vehicle manufacturers, universities, and national labs.

He is among the NREL's Distinguished Member of Research Staff and is a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers International. He holds a B.S. in chemistry from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Colorado.