Dr. Cox appointed the Executive Director of the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC)

In July 2024, Dr. Robert Cox was appointed as the Executive Director of the Energy Production & Infrastructure Center (EPIC).  Dr. Cox was previously the Associate Director of EPIC, a position he served in since 2019.  EPIC was originally created to be a hub for talent and applied research for the energy industry in the Carolinas.  Over time, EPIC has become a leading research center within the university with over $3MM in annual research expenditures, and EPIC faculty have propelled the university to becoming one of the top research universities in the electric power sector.   Given the current growth in data centers and manufacturing facilities, the power sector in the United States is growing at a faster rate than it has in decades.  Dr. Cox plans to position EPIC as a leader in the development of the new technologies that will be required to modernize the grid for this new growth.   His own work is currently focused on energy efficiency and integration of renewable energy into the grid.  He currently has multiple projects supported by the Department of Energy, multiple utilities, and the state of North Carolina.