Celebrating the life of Dr. Manuel Jesus Romero Florez
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Obituary for Dr. Manuel Jesus Romero Florez
Romero Florez, Dr. Manuel Jesus, age 39, was born in Spain near Cadiz. He is survived in Colorado by his loving wife, Nuria Lopez, his beautiful daughter, Virginia del Mar Romero Lopez, and by his parents and family living in Spain. Dr. Romero, known to many friends and co-workers as “MJ,” was a Senior Scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, where he has worked since 2001, after receiving his Ph.D. from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Cadiz, Spain. He had earlier received his B.S. in Chemistry, and his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Cadiz. At NREL, Dr. Romero worked in the Measurements and Characterization Division focusing on Analytical Microscopy, Renewable Electricity and End Use Systems. He worked on making solar panels more efficient and less expensive. Also, he worked on the development of cutting edge equipment to help develop state-of-the-art electronic materials used in solar cells. His work in nanotechnology in the area of photo voltaic energy, and thin film solar technology, resulted in the successful development of the most efficient solar cell in the world. Dr. Romero collaborated in his work with NREL colleagues and many others. He was pleased that he could often assist solar energy firms in their development of marketable products through technology transfer, which had led to many new jobs within the renewable energy industry. He published more than 90 papers in highly prestigious journals, and delivered numerous talks, by invitation, at many international conferences. He was widely recognized for his efforts with multiple awards he received from the U.S. government and professional organizations. He was also working with middle school teachers in Denver and Jefferson Counties to talk with students about science, and to make science attractive to young people, both in English, and in Spanish, which was his first language. Dr. Romero also mentored students from local universities, who would benefit from his knowledge and research in renewable energy. Personally, Dr. Romero was an excellent competitive tennis player. Further, he enjoyed hiking and was an avid mountain biker. He truly loved the mountains, whether in Colorado, elsewhere in the U.S., or in his native Spain. He had a special ability to make Spanish paella -- seafood, meat and rice – that was the best to be found in Colorado. He was very proud of his Celtic heritage from the Galician area of northwest Spain, and he loved the music of that region. He was a brilliant, witty and charming man, and he will be deeply missed by his family, friends and colleagues.
