Our Mission
InSPIRE's mission is to promote scientific and economy growth through ongoing collaboration with academia, government, and organizations. We will accomplish our mission by providing a platform for innovation and job creation through edu-training and workforce development that will benefit students and members of the community.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a common ground for individuals to learn and connect with one another, and encourage growth that will stimulate advancements in science, technology, and our economy.
Our Core Values
At InSPIRE we are driven to utilize our resources in science and technology to make an impact in our community.
We are defined by our values.
Collaboration: We are highly committed to shaping scientific progress for our current and future generations. In doing so, we will commit to join forces with field leading experts in science, our government, and like-minded organizations to create opportunities for engagement in our community.
Edu-training: We see education as a fundamental vehicle for growth. We are leveraging our resources to connect people within the community to train them in various fields of science and technology (with a greater emphasis on renewable energy), in order to create technical expertise in this important and underemployed field.
Opportunity: We understand our role in giving back to our community and the world at large. We are committed to cultivating engagement in science and technology for students and those who serve and protect us, connecting them to a network of resources.
We are defined by our values.
Collaboration: We are highly committed to shaping scientific progress for our current and future generations. In doing so, we will commit to join forces with field leading experts in science, our government, and like-minded organizations to create opportunities for engagement in our community.
Edu-training: We see education as a fundamental vehicle for growth. We are leveraging our resources to connect people within the community to train them in various fields of science and technology (with a greater emphasis on renewable energy), in order to create technical expertise in this important and underemployed field.
Opportunity: We understand our role in giving back to our community and the world at large. We are committed to cultivating engagement in science and technology for students and those who serve and protect us, connecting them to a network of resources.
A Brighter Future
Today, over 249,000 jobs in the United States stem from the solar power business, with over 5,000 of those positions being held in Illinois. These numbers are relatively small, however, when viewed from the standpoint of how quickly the solar industry is growing, they are significant. Sean Gallagher, the Vice President of State Affairs for the National Solar Energy Industries Association said, "Illinois is posed to be one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the nation."
Today, however, the United States and Illinois lag other nations and regions in the production of solar technology. For instance, China is rapidly becoming the dominant producer of solar technology in the world, accounting for almost 50% of solar cell production in 2010 even though it produced virtually no solar cells as late as 2004. In comparison, the U.S. produced approximately 5% of solar cells in 2010. The potential for future job growth in renewable energy and solar power is vast.
Within the U.S., Illinois has fallen behind other states in the development of solar technology. Most of the activity in the solar technology industry has centered in the Western states. This is unfortunate given the tremendous human talent available in Illinois (mainly in the form of semiconductor physicists) as well as the large research universities, like UIC, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, etc. and national labs that can jump-start the creation of a world-class solar industry here. We must take advantage of our R&D talent and infrastructure for Illinois to take its rightful place in the solar industry. InSPIRE seeks to do just that and more, now expanding our curriculum into areas of public health and advocacy, in order to further educate the public about what STEM + Public Health can do to create a brighter and safer future.
Today, over 249,000 jobs in the United States stem from the solar power business, with over 5,000 of those positions being held in Illinois. These numbers are relatively small, however, when viewed from the standpoint of how quickly the solar industry is growing, they are significant. Sean Gallagher, the Vice President of State Affairs for the National Solar Energy Industries Association said, "Illinois is posed to be one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the nation."
Today, however, the United States and Illinois lag other nations and regions in the production of solar technology. For instance, China is rapidly becoming the dominant producer of solar technology in the world, accounting for almost 50% of solar cell production in 2010 even though it produced virtually no solar cells as late as 2004. In comparison, the U.S. produced approximately 5% of solar cells in 2010. The potential for future job growth in renewable energy and solar power is vast.
Within the U.S., Illinois has fallen behind other states in the development of solar technology. Most of the activity in the solar technology industry has centered in the Western states. This is unfortunate given the tremendous human talent available in Illinois (mainly in the form of semiconductor physicists) as well as the large research universities, like UIC, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, etc. and national labs that can jump-start the creation of a world-class solar industry here. We must take advantage of our R&D talent and infrastructure for Illinois to take its rightful place in the solar industry. InSPIRE seeks to do just that and more, now expanding our curriculum into areas of public health and advocacy, in order to further educate the public about what STEM + Public Health can do to create a brighter and safer future.
MPL and Leadership
InSPIRE will take advantage of the long and distinguished scientific track-record of physicists from the region who have demonstrated excellence in the field of semiconductor materials. Among the most notable are Dr. Siva Sivananthan and his group from the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) Microphysics Laboratory (MPL). Dr. Siva, a professor of Physics at UIC, has studied semiconductor materials for approximately 30 years for applications such as infrared imaging, solar energy, and radiation detectors. Based on this success, Dr. Siva founded EPIR Technologies and Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc. to commercialize, among other things, infrared night vision sensors and solar technology. In total, Dr. Siva and his team have raised more than $30 million in funding, published over 300 papers and established state-of-the-art materials synthesis labs, as well as widely recognized theoretical models. They have collectively mentored and produced 55 Ph.D graduates, over 20 undergraduates, and 9 post-doctoral research associates in physics.
Dr. Siva Sivananthan
- Chairman of the Board at InSPIRE
- Professor of Physics and Adjunct Professor of ECE at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
- Director of the Microphysics Laboratory (MPL) and Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UICFounder and Chairman of the Board at Sivananthan Laboratories Inc.
Mr. Raja Krishnamoorthi
Former President of Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc.
- Former President and Director at InSPIRE
Dr. Robert Klie
Associate Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
- Director at InSPIRE
Dr. Paul Boieriu
Corporate Secretary at InSPIRE