Education

Biography

Edwin R. Stafford, Ph.D., is a professor of marketing, researcher, public speaker, op-ed commentary writer, and documentary film producer whose work centers on sustainable entrepreneurship and the marketing of renewable energy and clean technology.

His cross-disciplinary research has appeared in business, environmental policy, and sustainability journals, and his expertise has been featured in a variety news media, including The Wall Street Journal, Business Week.com, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, KLS News, The Guardian, Free-Range Thinking, and the Christian Science Monitor. He is a frequent guest speaker for professional and civic groups, including the Utah American Marketing Association, Utah Advertising Federation, Bioneers, Rotary Club, and other groups. He has also presented his research at other universities, including Penn State University, Babson College, Clark University, Santa Clara University, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, among others. He has been an advisor to the Utah Energy Office and a collaborator with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Wind Powering America in Golden, Colorado.
As a key research innovation, Ed co-produced the peer-reviewed research documentary, “Wind Uprising,” with his colleagues Cathy Hartman (Utah State University) and Michelle Nunez (GreenTech Films).“Wind Uprising” chronicles the turbulent journey that a wind entrepreneur and an engineer trail blazed to establish the wind power industry in Utah at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. The film’s story provides important lessons for policymakers, regulators, and residents about the economic development implications of wind energy in local communities. The film is narrated by former Utah senator and astronaut Jake Garn. A trailer is available at www.winduprisingmovie.com.

Since its April 2010 premiere, “Wind Uprising” has been screened over 100 times across the United States, from Hawaii to Vermont, and it has won three awards, including the “Seven Summits Award” at the Mountain Film Festival in California, the “Silver Sierra Award” at the Yosemite Film Festival, and the “Yes in My Backyard Award” from Windustry’s Community Wind Across America Conference at Penn State University. The film has screened also at the Indie Spirit, New Orleans, Colorado Environmental, MountainTop, and Logan film festivals. It has been featured at conferences for the Western Governors Association, the Utah League of Cities and Towns, the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit, the American Wind Energy Association, the Our Energy Future Conference and a variety of other energy, agricultural, environmental and academic conferences.“Wind Uprising” continues to be used by universities and schools across the country to teach students about sustainable entrepreneurship.

Ed and his colleagues are working on a second documentary, tentatively entitled, “Wind Unlimited,” about the U.S. Department of Energy’s vision to procure 20 percent of America’s electricity from wind resources by 2030. The film is expected to premiere in 2013. Ed ’s research and education outreach is currently funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation.

Ed is an Honorary Board member of the Utah American Marketing Association. He serves on the executive board of the USU Alumni Association and the USU Sustainability Council. Ed also serves on the Public Affairs Committee of the American Wind Energy Association.

Related Huntsman News Articles

Huntsman Professors Find Ways to Make “Green” More Macho (The Huntsman Post - August 2012)
Cathy Hartman and Edwin Stafford help kick-start new industry in Utah (Huntsman Alumni Magazine - Spring 2009)

RESEARCH AREAS

Market diffusion of renewable energy and clean technology; sustainable entrepreneurship; "green marketing" strategy and message framing