A Researcher’s Career Journey, an Arizona High School’s Innovation, and a Scientist’s Mentorship Mentality

In this episode, hosts Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle highlight the human side of energy innovation—from personal career journeys to community impact and mentorship. Highlights include: 

• A look into how Senior Scientist Susan Habas’ love for 90s pop culture inspired her to pursue a career in catalytic research, providing the foundations for her cutting-edge work at NREL. 
• How Ponderosa High School in Arizona is empowering students who faced difficulties in their education by giving them a glimpse into advanced energy careers through a unique partnership with NREL and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2). 
• Recognizing the work of solar photochemistry pioneer Garry Rumbles, who is retiring after 25 years at NREL and leaving behind not just a legacy of research, but a culture of support and mentorship.

This episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle, written and produced by Allison Montroy and Kaitlyn Stottler, and edited by James Wilcox, Joe DelNero, and Brittany Falch. Graphics are by Brittnee Gayet. Our title music is written and performed by Ted Vaca and episode music by Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift BC. Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Email us at podcast@nrel.gov. Follow NREL on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.

Transcript

[intro music, fades]   

Kerrin: Welcome to Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast, brought to you by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. We’re highlighting the latest in advanced energy research and innovations happening at the lab. It’s Wednesday, April 30th. I’m Kerrin Jeromin. 

Taylor: And I’m Taylor Mankle.  

Kerrin: We have a great episode today focused on some great people of NREL and the impact, collaboration, and implementation of advanced energy projects.  

Taylor: It’s going to be a good one, Kerrin! Let’s get right into it.  

[music] 

Kerrin: OK, if we haven’t said it before—and I know we have—we love our people at NREL. So, let’s start by shining a spotlight on Susan Habas, who is a senior scientist and distinguished member of the research staff in our Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-Up Center.  

Taylor: Habas’ story is a great example of how getting involved in advanced energy is not always a straight path, and inspiration can come from anywhere. Growing up in the ‘90s, Habas said science had saturated pop culture. From Michael Chrichton’s ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘ER,’ to advances in DNA analysis in forensics, compelling science was everywhere. And all that science and sci-fi sparked her interest in what would become a future career path.  

Kerrin: Ah, that excites me so much! The 90s were so great, and I can 100% relate to that. Taylor, did you know that I became a meteorologist after the 1996 release of the movie ‘Twister?’ 

Taylor: Oh, no kidding! That’s a great one!  

Kerrin: Yep, that’s my story, not kidding. And it wasn’t just me, either— it inspired an entire generation of meteorologists! But anyway, back to Habas’ story here. After going to college, she attended a seminar on “Science in Society,” which intensified her love for sci-fi and science, but she still was searching for a career.  

Taylor: After landing a seat in a summer program with our friends over at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Habas’ interest in chemistry was solidified– plus it got her into the fantastic national lab research environment.   

Kerrin: After spending a year and half as a Fulbright Scholar in New Zealand and then more time working at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, she felt her career goals had focused a bit more. Then, she found NREL.  

Taylor: A perfect fit for her interest in the intersection of materials chemistry and energy applications. And today, Habas’ research focuses on developing tailored catalysts for a variety of chemical conversions targeted at fuels and chemical production. One particularly exciting area is plasma catalysis, where applying an electrical potential to a gas can activate stable molecules like carbon dioxide and methane at low temperatures. 

Kerrin: For Habas, the most rewarding aspect of her work is the constant evolution of science and her own learning journey. A lifelong learner! Susan, please let’s be friends! You sound amazing. And I think we all can relate to that!   

[music]  

Taylor: Speaking of learning, our next story starts with a high school. Ponderosa High School in Coconino County Schools district in Arizona is the focus of an advanced energy initiative through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator, also known as IN2, which is managed by NREL. IN2 fosters innovation and market adoption of advanced energy technologies.  

Kerrin: Ponderosa High School is an alternative school where everyone is dedicated to getting kids a second chance and overcoming the obstacles on their paths to graduation. IN2 awarded Coconino funding to install startup technology that will both improve the school buildings and give students a chance to learn about possible career paths. The district, with the support of the IN2 team, identified heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, also known as HVAC, as the best opportunity. Not only would it have the greatest impact to improve energy consumption while cutting costs, but the students would also learn all about it. 

Taylor: Les Hauer, the school’s principal said, “Our goal at Ponderosa is to create opportunities that shift perspectives, helping students see a hopeful future and discover industries they may not have considered.”  

Kerrin: Right, so the students will not actually install the technologies, but they will learn about the processes and gain insight into future job opportunities by working with NREL researchers. The Coconino School district is hoping that Ponderosa could be a blueprint for surrounding schools.  

Taylor: To achieve that, Coconino County plans to integrate multiple startup technologies in one building. Thanks to IN2 funds, technologies from companies Rensair and Komfort will improve air quality and reduce energy use through lighting, respectively. The district is also considering Blue Frontier, a company that graduated from IN2, for a new AC unit that uses liquid desiccant technology developed by NREL. One Blue Frontier unit could replace up to 18 existing AC units on the building. Estimates done during IN2 show that new systems like these could cut utility costs by at least 50%. 

Kerrin: It is such a cool partnership that can improve lives in so many ways! And it’s just one IN2 project— there are others in the works. Other initiatives include retrofitting windows in aging buildings at the University of Colorado Boulder; improving chilling at data centers in Santa Clara, California; and many more.  

Taylor: IN2’s mission is fostering innovation and increasing market adoption of scalable technologies to address urgent challenges. And it sounds like these projects are right in line with that! I can’t wait to see what comes out of the upgrades at Ponderosa High School. 

[music] 

Kerrin: Our last story is both happy and a little sad. It’s always sad when a legend leaves the lab, but after 25 years at NREL, internationally renowned researcher Garry Rumbles deserves a great retirement.  

Taylor: Too true. Rumbles is a widely recognized scientist in solar photochemistry—and not just for his groundbreaking research on the fundamental underpinnings of organic solar cells, his frequently-cited papers on excitons in nanosystems, or his tireless organizing of conferences and workshops advancing the foundational science behind solar energy conversion.  

Kerrin: At NREL, Rumbles is also well known for a different contribution: supporting the people in his field of research. In addition to publishing hundreds of papers in photochemistry, photophysics, and energy conversion during his years at the lab, he also nurtured the careers of many scientists, helping develop the next generation of researchers.  

Taylor: Rumbles’ role as the lead principal investigator for NREL’s Solar Photochemistry Program will be taken over by Jeff Blackburn. Blackburn said Rumbles created a culture that led to better science. 

Kerrin: And that sentiment runs throughout the Solar Photochemistry group. Now, many of the scientists in the group have stories about the ways Rumbles helped them create their own paths to success—all as he was, get this, growing the group’s annual funding from $2- to $4 million. Rumbles likes to tell researchers they should think about their careers as a long-term project. 

Taylor: It sounds like his own long-term project turned out pretty great. The Solar Photochemistry Program Rumbles lead is now NREL’s longest-standing Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences core program. He achieved NREL’s prestigious senior research fellow position, and was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as a fellow of the U.K.’s Royal Society of Chemistry.  

Kerrin: That is quite an impressive resume. Truly, an NREL giant!  

Taylor: Absolutely. And now, he’s sailing right off into retirement.  

Kerrin: Literally. We wish him well on his retirement, which he plans to spend on his sailboat and spending time with his family.  

[music] 

Taylor: Well Kerrin, it’s another heartwarming episode in the books!  

Kerrin: Yeah, I feel kind of mushy inside, and I like it! I love hearing about the people of NREL and how we impact people beyond the lab.   

Taylor: Well said. Listeners, we look forward to bringing you more news from the lab in just a couple of weeks.  

[music] 

Taylor: This episode was adapted from NREL news articles from February and March 2025 written by Caitlyn Major, Jeffrey Wolf, and Jenn Fields. Our theme music is written and performed by Ted Vaca and episode music by Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift B-C. This podcast is produced by NREL’s Communications Office at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.