Sharp Solar gets new boss June, 2007: Since April 1, Takashi Tomita is no longer head of Sharp Corp.'s international solar division. He is now in charge of the company's research and development department. The awards tour October, 2006: Just as at every international PV conference, many awards were bestowed upon deserving recipients in Dresden. Harvesting sun power October, 2006: Richard Swanson, inventor of the back-contact solar cell and founder of San Jose, California-based SunPower Corp., of which he is today CFO and president, in Dresden added one more award to his distinguished list of accomplishments: the Becquerel Prize. Materials scientist Eicke Weber leaves Berkeley to head Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy July, 2006: After 23 years at California's University of Berkeley, Eicke Weber, a specialist in semiconductors, is coming back to Germany to take over Fraunhofer's renowned Institute for Solar Energy Systems. Not only does he want to introduce the American way of fundraising, but also nanotechnology to clean up »dirty silicon« for solar. The wild water ride is over June, 2006: Immo Ströher caused quite a stir on the stock market with his departure from Q-Cells AG in April. The investor from Darmstadt, Germany spoke to our sister publication PHOTON about his motives, his plans, and the rumors of strife with Q-Cells' management. Nevada solar advocate nominated to top US energy regulatory agency April, 2006: In early March, the White House nominated Jon Wellinghoff, a Nevada attorney specializing in energy, to fill one of two open positions on the five-seat US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Evergreen co-founder Chleboski becomes »VP of worldwide expansion« March, 2006: Richard Chleboski, co-founder and chief financial officer of Marlboro, Massachusetts-headquartered Evergreen Solar Inc. in mid-February was appointed the string ribbon wafer technology innovator‘s vice president of worldwide expansion, a newly created position. Lange takes over at Shell Solar GmbH; predecessor appointed lobbyist August, 2002: Wolfgang Lange has been chosen to head Shell Solar GmbH, the German subsidiary of Shell's PV business. Starting Aug. 1, he will be responsible for sales of the company's PV products in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Eastern Europe. Call for nominations for Karl Böer solar medal July, 2002: Nominations for the 2003 Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit are due at the University of Delaware by Sept. 2. Samak receives EPIA scepter June, 2002: The new president of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association took the reins at the annual membership meeting in Barcelona in April.  back