Texas Tech University

NWI Interim Director's Welcome

As the Interim Director, I welcome you for visiting the website of the National Wind Institute, an intellectual hub for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education, research, and commercialization related to wind science, wind energy, wind engineering, and wind hazard mitigation.

Texas Tech University has had an ongoing wind-related research program since 1970 and NWI manages an extensive list of observational, experimental, and testing facilities. More than 30 faculty members conduct wind-related research through NWI, and they, along with graduate students, research associates, and an experienced administrative and technical staff, provide intellectual capacity to pursue fundamental and applied research. NWI is in existence to lead and enable a broad portfolio of wind-related activities on campus and offers an efficient way for providing staffing, space, facilities, and other resources/ services that are not available or too costly for individual researchers. We attracted DOE SWiFT facility to Texas Tech in support of DOE's multi-year Atmosphere to Electrons (A2e) research initiative.

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NWI has been a leader in promoting interdisciplinary education. In August 2007, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the proposed Doctor of Philosophy in Wind Science and Engineering, creating a unique multidisciplinary program spanning disciplines from engineering and architecture to atmospheric science and economics. In 2009, an interdisciplinary Bachelor's of Science Degree in Wind Energy was added to meet the workforce demand of wind energy industry.

NWI is advised by an external board comprised of ten well-respected experts from academia, national laboratories, and industry. With their help, we developed a five- year strategic plan to serve as a roadmap for our future growth. I'm pound of the progress we have made collectively as a team and invite you to take a moment to read about exciting things happening at NWI.

Go Raiders!

Daan Liang, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering
Interim Director of National Wind Institute

*revised 11/15/2016*