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Joshua M. Pearce
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Hi. Please feel free to drop me a line

You can learn much more about me here


Clarion University of Pennsylvania Assistant Professor of Physics

Coordinator of Sustainability: Science and Policy Program

The Sustainability program is meant to introduce undergraduate students to the concept of sustainability and provide them with both the scientific foundation and policy tools necessary to effect real-world positive change. This program is closely related to the work of the Pennsylvania Consortium For Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy I developed a course to anchor the program called PH261: Physics of Energy and the Environment. It will be offered for the first time online in Fall 2007 and I hope to incorporate Sustainapedia directly into the curriculum.

Coordinator of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is one of the most powerful scientific tools we have developed. Information about the Clarion nanotech program can be found here We are currently running a digital art contest for high school students on Nanotechnology and the Environment.


The International Journal for Service Learning

I am the manuscript editor for the ISLE. The International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering (IJSLE) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal offered free, semi-annually, over the World Wide Web. The Journal welcomes manuscripts based on original work of students and researchers with a specific focus or implication for service learning in engineering, engineering entrepreneurship in service, or related service learning pedagogy.

With an increasing number of individuals and institutions of higher education becoming involved in service learning and entrepreneurship in service learning, the IJSLE is an invaluable resources for students, faculty, practicing engineers and local communities. With articles relating to the latest design and research pertinent to local communities, the faculty-reviewed articles in each issue provide the reader with timely information related to:

   * Engineering Design Projects as Service
   * Engineering Research Projects as Service
   * Engineering-Related Entrepreneurial Projects as Service
   * Pedagogy in Engineering-Related Service Learning

If you are contributing to Appropedia - you should seriously consider submitting a manuscript once your project has come together

Greening Universities

Clarion U. will strive to have all future buildings LEED certified. At Penn State I did a lot of work with the great organization called the Green Destiny Council. Particularly with the Mueller Project, acting as the coordinator and helping support the ESCO program.

Current Projects, Collaborations and Mayhem

Solar Photovoltaic Research and Application

Photovoltaic electrical production is a technologically feasible, economically viable, environmentally benign, sustainable, and socially equitable solution to society’s future energy requirements. If anyone is still concerned about the energy payback of solar cells please read this.

Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) based solar cells are the least expensive at a given production level and posses an excellent ecological balance sheet. The ecological and economic promise of a-Si:H solar cells is currently incomplete because of the light induced degradation of its electronic properties known as the Staebler-Wronski Effect (SWE). Numerous theories have been proposed to explain SWE, and my work has focused on the analysis of experimental evidence for a complex SWE mechanism - with an eye on controlling and eliminating the problem. Recent publications on the technical aspects of a-Si:H solar cells.

Agrima Device Solutions

I co-founded Agrima Device Solutions LLC. It is a partnership between specialists in nanowires, nanotubes and a photovoltaic physics devices. We are in the process of developing a disruptive alternative to currently available solar photovoltaic devices that rely on large amounts of expensive, rigid, and often toxic materials. In the first phase of our collaboration our goal is to design, develop, and fabricate high efficiency nanostructure-based solar cells from silicon nanowires.

Solar Cell Demonstration and Education

It is not enough just to do research - we have to start implementing sustainable solutions to the world's problems. At Clarion we have two demonstrations - this one for a small residential tracking system funded by the Solar Scholars Program -- and a huge BIPV system for our new green LEED Science and Technology Center currently under construction.

Passive Solar Device Design

I am currently working on several projects that utilize sunlight passively. In collaboration with Denkenberger Inventing and Consulting LLC, a computer program has been written to simulate the complex heat transfer and optics of solar stills and pasteurizers augmented with a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC).

Other Projects

Enabling Innovations

Enabling Innovation future partner for Appropedia that could provide a geographical interface and multilingual support.

Service Learning Pedagogy

Utilizing appropriate technology projects to motivate students to learn physics. Also using service learning and commissioned assignments to solve real world environmental problems.

Industrial symbiosis and Industrial ecology

Waste to resources programs for industrial partners

Distributed Generation

It appears that distributed generation is the future of the grid and could be a large impetus for renewable energy. Combined heat and power technology - specifically microturbines that can push >85% compared to ~35% from the grid.

Energy Policy

Currently working on a paper to alter electric rates to favor renewable energy and distributed generation.

Energy Education

I have also started collaborating with Edheads to create a solar photovoltaic learning module.

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