Dr. John C. Wall, former vice president and chief technical officer for Cummins Inc., will receive the Thomas W. Zosel Individual Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during a ceremony at the 2016 Clean Air Excellence Awards.
“It’s hard to overstate John’s impact on our company, our industry and the environment. In addition to shaping emissions technology, he also helped shape emissions policy around the world,” said Jennifer Rumsey, vice president and chief technical officer at Cummins. “John was a mentor to me and so many others at Cummins, and his work continues to inspire countless engineers and their future innovations.”
An advocate for tough, clear and enforceable regulations worldwide, Dr. Wall is receiving the Thomas W. Zosel Individual Achievement Award for a career spent reducing commercial engine emissions. Among his accomplishments, Dr. Wall was involved in the development and implementation of technology leading to near-zero levels of emission of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide from both on- and off-highway heavy-duty engines. He played a significant role in breakthrough clean air technologies, including electronic high-pressure fuel systems, cooled exhaust gas recirculation, wall-flow diesel particulate filters, selective catalytic reduction and more during his career. A champion of alternative fuel technology development, he has promoted the future development of renewable fuels, fuel cells and other advancements to help the world meet its energy and environmental challenges.
Working with the industry and the EPA, Dr. Wall played a key role in advancing the landmark 2010 emissions standards, and he worked firsthand with the EPA and multiple other stakeholders to establish the first commercial vehicle greenhouse gas and fuel consumption standards.
Dr. Wall is known as a trusted adviser and advocate for clean air programs and worked to teach the world about EPA’s standards. He was a recipient of the 2014 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board and was elected into membership of the National Academy of Engineering in 2010 for leadership and management of research, design, development and production of low-emission, fuel-efficient, heavy-duty diesel engines.
Since retiring in 2015, Dr. Wall has remained active in the areas of environmental and energy technology and policy. He serves as a technical adviser for the Joint BioEnergy Institute, a DOE Energy Hub, and as an adviser for Cyclotron Road, an energy technology incubator at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. He also is a member of the National Research Council Board on Energy and Environmental Systems and is active on various National Academy of Engineering committees.
The Clean Air Excellence awards program was established in 2000, and recognizes individuals who serve as pioneers in their fields, advance public understanding of air pollution and improve air quality. Entries are judged by the EPA and the Clean Air Advisory Committee, and winners will be recognized today at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. These awards are given to state, local, tribal and private sector programs that educate the public in improving air quality or reducing harmful air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Click here for more information on Dr. Wall and the other award winners.
