Who:

Recognition of Betty L. Gordon, who committed a $1 million gift to create the Betty L. Gordon Alternative Energy Research Endowment and the Betty L. Gordon Distinguished Professorship in CSU’s Fenn College of Engineering, and

Dr. Majid Rashidi, chair of the CSU engineering technology department and professor of mechanical engineering, who has been named the Betty L. Gordon Distinguished Professor

What:

A reception celebrating the creation and designation of the Betty L. Gordon Distinguished Professorship and the unveiling of Dr. Majid Rashidi’s wind amplification turbine system

When:

Thursday, June 11, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where:

CSU Recreation Center, Second Floor, 2420 Chester Avenue. Complimentary parking will be available at the East Garage (EG) located on Chester Avenue next to the Recreation Center

Background:

Dr. Majid Rashidi believes there is a better way to harness the power of the wind, especially in geographic areas with lower wind speeds. His wind power research has focused on the potential of wind amplification structures that are capable of actually increasing the velocity of wind speeds.

Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Rashidi has developed a wind amplification turbine system that is cost effective and commercially viable. The system is a cylindrical wind-deflecting structure with small-scale turbines on rotating arms that can generate power at much lower wind speeds than standard wind turbines of the same size. A working prototype has been erected atop CSU’s Plant Services Building located near the intersection of Chester Avenue and East 24th Street and will be officially unveiled at the June 11th event.

Plans are underway for additional systems in downtown Cleveland and rural areas of Northeast Ohio.

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