Roy Clarke, k-Space co-founder and longtime University of Michigan physics professor, is being recognized for his inventive use of solar power to help clinics in Africa.
Roy’s work to “deliver innovative, low-cost and reliable solar energy” to communities in Uganda and East Africa “have changed and saved lives,” writes Jeff Bleiler for The Record. Two projects, in particular, stand out. These are Roy’s work installing solar power to run thermo-electric refrigeration units for safe storage of vaccines, and his efforts to construct a solar-powered incubator for newborns.
It was while working at a maternity clinic in Africa that Roy learned plummeting nighttime temperatures in the area posed a particular threat to twins and to newborns of mothers with AIDS. Installing the solar powered incubators has also led to discovering numerous other applications for using low-cost solar power to improve healthcare delivery.
Read the full profile on Roy Clarke’s work here.
In 2010, Roy Clarke received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama.
