Going Green: Irish America Honors Environmental Executives

Irish Americans on the cutting edge of eco-friendly development.

Dara O’Rourke is an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the co-founder of GoodGuide, Inc. Dara’s research focuses on systems for monitoring the environmental, labor, and health impacts of global production systems.
Dara has served as a consultant to international organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and a wide range of domestic and international non-governmental organizations. He has degrees in mechanical engineering, political science, and energy and resources, and was previously a professor at MIT. 

Born in Dublin, Dara became a U.S. citizen at age 12. His father’s family is from Roslea, County Fermanagh, and his mother’s from Belturbet, County Cavan. He says, “I’m very proud to be Irish and am continually inspired by Ireland’s culture and achievements. I personally inherited the ‘gift of the gab’ and a love of debate from my Irish parents.”

 

Producing Alternative Energy
Dr. Jason Pyle, Founder and CEO, Sapphire Energy

The goal of Sapphire Energy is to be the world’s leading producer of renewable petrochemical products. The team has built a scientifically superior platform that uses photosynthetic microorganisms to convert sunlight and CO2 into carbon-neutral alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. This domestic crude oil can be produced at massive scale on non-arable land.

Dr. Jason Pyle, founder and CEO of Sapphire, holds an appointment as adjunct professor of bioengineering at Vanderbilt University where he has worked to develop cross-disciplinary programs of biological and engineering research. He was named Innovator of the Year (2006) by Frost and Sullivan, and holds numerous pending and issued patents in the engineering and biological sciences and has worked in diverse cross-discipline areas such as nanofabrication, optical engineering, and structural biology. Dr. Pyle holds a PhD in molecular and cellular physiology and an MD from Stanford University, and received degrees in optical engineering and physics from the University of Arizona.

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Nster.com