Dr. Steven Griffiths 

Professor and Vice Chancellor for Research

American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Steven Griffiths is Professor and Vice Chancellor for Research at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), overseeing the university’s research strategic directions and operations. Prior to joining AUS, Dr. Griffiths served as Senior Vice President for Research and Development (R&D) and Professor of Practice at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KU). During his tenure at KU, the university rose rapidly in international university rankings and was established as the top research university in the United Arab Emirates and one of the top 200 research universities globally. As Professor, Dr. Griffiths has a globally recognized profile through his frequently cited work on energy technology development and adoption within a sociotechnical systems context. He has particular expertise in industrial decarbonization and hydrogen-based energy systems and fuels.

Dr. Griffiths serves as advisor to the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, is an elected member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, is on the Board of Directors of Graphene Innovations Manchester (GIM) and is a Co-Founder of GIM Starlight Miami, a leading-edge company developing advanced cooling solutions for data centers. He was a member of the Emirates Research and Development Council, the Dubai Future Council on Energy and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Expert Group Subcommittee of the UAE Council for AI & Blockchain during the formation and establishment of each organization. He also advised the government of Alberta, Canada on provincial innovation system structuring throughout 2014 and continues to support the global advancement of research and innovation through a variety of other senior roles in regional and international research and innovation competitions and programs.

Dr. Griffiths is Associate Editor and Special Issues Editor of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (Elsevier), Associate Editor of Energy Strategy Reviews (Elsevier), Associate Editor of Carbon Neutral Technologies (Elsevier), and Editorial Board member Smart Energy (Elsevier). He is also a non-resident Fellow of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, which is a leading Institute focused on energy, natural resource and environmental policy.

Prior to his positions at AUS and Khalifa University, Dr. Griffiths was Vice President for Research and Associate Provost at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Dr. Griffiths transitioned to the Masdar Institute from his role as Executive Director of the Technology and Development Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is a position he undertook while simultaneously serving as the Founding Executive Vice President and Chief Technologist of Light Pharma Incorporated.  

Dr. Griffiths holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.