Steven Chu

Secretary of Energy

It was Chu's work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, where he became director in 2004, that has earned him national stature. There, he has sought to make the lab, with its 4,000 employees and $650 million budget, a leader in carbon-neutral energy research. The lab is owned by the Energy Department (DOE).

As both the director of the lab and a professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at UC – Berkeley, Chu has focused on global warming and the need for carbon-neutral, renewable energy sources, which he calls "the greatest challenge facing science." Under his direction, the DOE lab began focusing on advancing biofuels, artificial photosynthesis, and other solar energy research. He's also been outspoken on the need to improve energy efficiency.