Tom Richard is a professor of agricultural and biological engineering and the Director of Penn State’s Institutes for Energy and the Environment, where he coordinates a network of almost 500 faculty engaged in innovative interdisciplinary research and education on fossil and renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, climate, ecosystems and environmental health. His research and teaching focus on applications of fundamental engineering science to microbial and agricultural systems, developing market-based strategies for a more sustainable agriculture and the emerging bio-based economy. Tom is a member of the NCSE Board of Directors, co-chair of the NCSE Energy Education Community of Practice, and is collaborating with NCSE and Project Drawdown on climate action education. He currently serves on the Agricultural Science Committee of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board, and is the deputy technical director for the DOE’s National Risk Assessment Partnership for geologic carbon sequestration. Tom is a Fellow of ASABE and a Fellow and Past President of the Institute of Biological Engineering. He has a B.S. from the University of California at Berkeley, and M.S. and PhD degrees from Cornell University.