Dr. Roderick Jackson

As the laboratory program manager for building technologies at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Jackson leads the strategic agenda for NREL's buildings research and development. He has been recognized as an NREL Distinguished Member of Research Staff, is appointed to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Research Advisory Board, and is a current U.S. Department of Energy Oppenheimer Science and Engineering Fellow.

Prior to NREL, Jackson was the group manager for Building Envelope Systems Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He was on the forefront of connected communities research, leading an effort that established Alabama Power's Smart Neighborhood. Working with Southern Company and the U.S. Department of Energy, it was the first project in the southeastern United States to connect high-performance homes with a community microgrid, deploying a transactive microgrid approach.

Jackson has received several awards in his career, including the National GEM Consortium Alumni of the Year, Greater Knoxville Business Journal's 40 under 40, and a 2022 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA), which was recognized with a BEYA Professional Achievement in Government Award.

Jackson holds a bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.