Energy resources engineering professor Lynn Orr ’69 was recently confirmed as under secretary for science and energy in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). President Obama nominated Orr in November 2013, and the Senate approved the nomination on Dec. 4.

In his new position, Orr will oversee research in most national DOE labs. He will also direct research oversight measures in DOE offices such as the Office of Science, the Office of Fossil Energy, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Nuclear Energy.

A Stanford professor since 1985, Orr has served as founding director of the Precourt Institute for Energy and as founding director of the Global Climate and Energy Project. He was dean of the School of Earth Sciences from 1994 to 2002.

Contact Victor Xu at vxu ‘at’ stanford.edu.