Roger H. French

Roger H. French is a Distinguished University Professor and Kyocera Professor of Ceramics at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University. He holds a PhD from MIT and a BS from Cornell University. His research focuses on optical properties of materials, electronic structure analysis, long-range interactions, photovoltaic degradation science, and data-driven approaches to materials innovation. French leads major initiatives in solar energy systems and has pioneered the application of machine learning to photovoltaic performance prediction and material durability analysis.

He chairs the IEEE Technical Committee on Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems and serves on ASTM committees for renewable energy standards. His awards include the 2020 IEEE Faculty Distinguished Research Award and the Case School of Engineering Research Award. French has authored over 200 publications and holds patents in photovoltaic technologies and data science applications.

His work integrates interdisciplinary research across materials science, computational methods, and energy systems, with notable contributions to photovoltaic module reliability, adhesion testing methodologies, and the design of next-generation solar materials. French also develops curricula in applied data science for engineering students, emphasizing practical data analytics in materials research.