February 13, 2009

Colloquium Topic: Reinventing GM and the Automobile: From Batteries to Sustainability

With the U.S. in a recession and automotive sales dropping, General Motors is moving aggressively to reinvent itself and the very product that has defined the company and industry for more than a century. Denise Gray's talk will center on how GM is leading the charge to develop safe and efficient batteries that will power a new generation of vehicles, such as the revolutionary Chevy Volt. Ms. Gray's presentation will dispel many myths about GM's role in transforming an industry that has long relied on internal combustion engines to one that relies on green technologies, ranging from biofuels and hydrogen to hybrids and electricity.

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Colloquium Speaker: Denise Gray

Denise Gray currently holds the position of Director of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems for General Motors Engineering. Her position responsibility consists of advance development, design, release, and validation of battery system solutions for GM Hybrid and Range Extender vehicles. Denise began her GM career as a high school senior, and continued as a GMI (Kettering) student. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Kettering University (formally GMI) and a Master of Science in Engineering Science-Management of Technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Denise has considerable experience in Powertrain Engineering at General Motors, which includes the following positions: Director of Transmission Controls, Director of Engine and Transmission Controller Systems Integration, and Director of Engine and Transmission Software Engineering. Denise’s GM Vehicle Engineering experiences include electrical systems development and validation. Assignment locations also included GM’s manufacturing and assembly facilities.