As part of this year’s Earth Day program, the Office of Sustainability invites you to attend a sustainability seminar titled “History and Evolution of Batteries: A 2000-Year Story of Human Creativity and Innovation,” delivered by Prof. Husam Alshareef, Dean of the PSE Division.
Whether you are a student, researcher, faculty, staff, or part of the wider community, this seminar offers an opportunity to learn how advances in battery science have powered modern life and continue to drive the global energy transition.
Description
In this talk, Prof. Husam Alshareef will explore the evolution of batteries, tracing their development from early experiments with static electricity in ancient civilizations, including the Baghdad Battery, to the scientific breakthroughs in electrochemistry that led to the first true batteries in the 18th century.
The session will follow the progression of battery technologies through the 19th and 20th centuries, highlighting key innovations such as the Daniell cell, lead-acid and alkaline batteries, and the emergence of lithium-ion technology.
Building on this historical perspective, Prof. Alshareef will discuss current and emerging battery technologies and examine the critical role they play in enabling clean energy systems, supporting electrification, and advancing the global transition toward more sustainable and resilient energy solutions.
About the Speaker
Prof. Husam Alshareef is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He currently serves as Dean of the Physical Science and Engineering Division and is the Founding Director of the Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST).
He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Sandia National Laboratories. Prior to joining KAUST in 2009, he spent over a decade in the semiconductor industry, contributing to high-volume manufacturing at Micron Technology and Texas Instruments.
At KAUST, he leads research on nanoscale materials for electronic and energy devices. He has published extensively, holds numerous patents, and has received multiple international awards recognizing his contributions to materials science, energy technologies, and sustainability. He is also a Fellow of several leading scientific societies.
This seminar is part of KAUST’s Earth Day program and will be held on April 22 at 10:30 AM, with both in-person attendance and remote participation available via Zoom (Webinar ID: 983 0817 5931).