Two Missouri University of Science and Technology alumni will be on campus Saturday, Nov. 12, to present “Tomorrow’s Energy on Earth and Beyond.” Sidney Green, an expert in geomechanics, the geological study of soil and rocks, will discuss the controversial use of hydraulic fracturing to recover natural gas. Jon Bereisa, recognized in 2011 by Automotive News magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world to the electrification of the automobile, will give an insider’s look at the car of the future.

The presentation will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, in the Monsanto Room, G-3 Schrenk Hall, on the Missouri S&T campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Green earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1959, his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, and a degree of engineer in applied mechanics from Stanford University. He is a research professor at the University of Utah where he holds a dual appointment in mechanical and civil engineering. He is a founder and former president and CEO of TerraTek, a geomechanics engineering firm which was acquired by Schlumberger Data and Consulting Services in 2006. He continues as senior advisor for Schlumberger. He is a Fellow of the American Rock Mechanics Association, has served on several National Laboratory advisory boards and has testified at a number of Congressional Hearings.

Bereisa earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1967 and 1970, respectively. His lengthy career with General Motors Co. led to his induction to the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s Hall of Fame. Positions held with GM included chief engineer for the EV1, systems architect for the Chevrolet Volt, and director of advanced engineering and technology strategy for GM’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle program. Bereisa now serves as a consultant to corporations, auto suppliers, technology startups and venture capital firms on hybrid, electronic vehicle and fuel cell technology.

Bereisa’s first job after graduate school was to develop the reactor and engine controls for NERVA, a nuclear rocket engine intended for the Mars Mission. Those controls were the world’s first semiconductor power-switch, digitally controlled induction motor drives that, decades later, would become the propulsion system for modern electric vehicles.