Ian Gravagne
If you've ever visited or lived in New Mexico for any length of time, you know that the sun looms large in that region's life and culture. The state flag is a picture of the sun. Ancient American Indian populations in the southwest featured the sun prominently in their artwork, and their ruins show some of the earliest evidence of the use of passive solar building designs. The state crop is the New Mexican Chile pepper, a plant that will thrive only in extremely sunny conditions.
I grew up there, so you won't be surprised that I have harbored an interest in solar energy since I was a kid! But interests in energy and sustainability took a back seat in college. I met my wife studying engineering at Rice, and then we moved to South Carolina for a number of years before returning to Texas in 2002, to work at Baylor. For the first several years here it was not possible to focus on energy, but I watched closely, with simultaneous fascination and dismay, as a rapid increase in energy and commodity prices ran its course starting in 2004, one of the precursors to the current recession. During that period I mentioned to my colleague (and Energy ELG co-director) Ken Van Treuren that issues involving energy loomed large in a surprisingly wide slice of life. Access to vast quantities of cheap energy is at the bottom of virtually the entire modern economy, but the popular media and the general public seem to know so little about it.
That's where you come in! Regardless of your future career aspirations, energy will touch your life in important ways. Many Christians, including me, view energy and sustainability through the lens of stewardship, the idea that our personal choices -- what we buy, how we live, our votes in a democratic government, the decisions we make as leaders in business and industry -- all have an impact one way or another on our environment, the environment that God created to sustain us and future generations. I'm glad to see this view taking root in Christianity, and I invite you to join me to talk about it. (Not everything about energy is math and science!)
When I'm not busy at work, I love to play music. I'm a pianist and a violist, and I occasionally play with the Waco Symphony. I'm also a tinkerer -- being an engineer is fun sometimes -- and you won't be surprised to see that my house has solar collectors on it and a 2000 gallon rainwater collection system outside the master bedroom. (The neighbors chalk this up to the "nutty professor" next door.) My wife and I have two beautiful girls, 5 and 2, who love cookouts and trips to the park. The oldest, Gina, will proudly tell you that she owns three "vehicles": skates, a bike, and a scooter. (Now that's sustainable transportation!) They, and I, look forward to meeting you.
