Patrick M. Murphy, most recently program manager in charge of electric power systems research for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been named managing director of the Notre Dame Energy Center. He will assume his new position April 6.

“With his experience in operations and research supporting energy technologies, Patrick Murphy is an exciting addition to our team,”said center director and Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Joan F. Brennecke.

Murphy’s main responsibilities will be to coordinate efforts in energy related research at Notre Dame, to develop a University-wide vision and plan relating to energy research, to organize and support competitive proposals from faculty within the center, and to serve as a liaison with government officials on energy policies and issues.

Murphy has more than 15 years of experience as a research and development manager. Most recently, he directed efforts in the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency to provide more resilient electric power systems, including new grid architectures, backup distributed systems, demand management and alternative energy sources.

Prior to his work with the DHS, Murphy was an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he was responsible for coordinating research efforts with national and federal laboratories for various government clients, specifically regarding projects to prevent chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats; assessing risks and vulnerabilities; and determining the potential impacts of possible attacks. He served also as the lead business developer for the company’s modeling, simulation, war gaming and analysis team as it worked to identify and exploit systems engineering and modeling and simulation opportunities.

Before launching his civilian career, Murphy served in multiple positions as U.S. army intelligence officer, responsible for intelligence databases on Bosnian factions, for the impact of threat capabilities and for information on the effects of weather and terrain on operations.

Murphy was graduated from Notre Dame with a dual degree in electrical engineering and government in 1992. He earned a master’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University in 2000 and is currently pursuing a doctorate in operations research there.

Since its establishment in 2005, the Notre Dame Energy Center has been working to develop new technologies to meet the global energy challenge. Housed in the College of Engineering, the center focuses on five areas of expertise: energy efficiency, safe nuclear waste storage, clean coal utilization, renewable resources, and carbon dioxide separation and storage. The center also is committed to playing key roles in energy education and literacy, the development of energy policy, and the exploration of the ethical implications associated with energy.

More information regarding energy research at Notre Dame can be found at: energy.nd.edu