Photo: Nick Waters, FSEC
James M. Fenton is the former director of the University of Central Florida’s FSEC Energy Research Center and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. With more than 40 years of experience in electrochemical engineering and education, his research expertise includes proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, redox flow batteries, solar-to-hydrogen systems, fuel processing, high-temperature corrosion, oxidizing agent generation, and metal recycling.
At FSEC, Prof. Fenton led more than 60 faculty and staff advancing clean energy technologies and workforce development across six program areas: solar energy, high performance buildings, alternative transportation, advanced energy systems, STEM education, and energy policy research. He also served on the Florida Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change (2007–2008).
An ECS member for more than 40 years, Prof. Fenton served as ECS President (2025–2026), Vice President (2022–2025), Secretary (2017–2020) and has held leadership positions in both the ECS New England Section and the Industrial Electrolysis and Electrochemical Engineering Division. ECS recognized him as a Fellow in 2007 and honored him with the Energy Technology Division Research Award in 2014 Prof. Fenton holds four patents, has published more than 200 journal articles, and has delivered numerous invited lectures and conference presentations. He earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (1979) and an MS (1982) and PhD (1984) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.