Vikram Rao is executive director of the Research Triangle Energy Consortium (RTEC), an energy nonprofit founded by Duke University, North Carolina State University, RTI International, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rao advises RTI International, venture capital firm Energy Ventures, and firms BioLargo, Inc., Global Energy Talent Ltd., Eastman Chemical Company, Biota Technology, Inc., and Integro Earth Fuels, Inc. He is Chairman of the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission. He retired as senior vice-president and chief technology officer of Halliburton Company in 2008. As an organization, RTEC views natural gas as a transitional fuel to a future dominated by renewables and recognizes deep divisions within the U.S. regarding the ability to safely produce natural gas domestically. An engineer by training, Rao understands shale gas-related technology and operations. He became familiar with the environmental issues related to shale gas while serving in a pro bono advisory capacity to a major nongovernmental organization. For more information about RTEC and Rao's vision for the future of the energy industry, visit his blog, rtec-rtp.org/the-directors-blog.