Draft:Roger G. Little

Roger G. Little
Nationality	American
Education	MS from MIT in Geophysics (with a focus on Plasma Physics)
Occupation(s)	Physicist, inventor, entrepreneur
Known for	developer of solar module test machines, module assemblers, and laminators; triathlete.

Roger G. Little is an American physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is a pioneer in solar photovoltaic energy (photovoltaics). He is best known for developing innovative manufacturing technology, including solar module test machines, module assemblers, and laminators. Little is also known for founding Spire Corporation and its predecessor company---Simulation Physics Inc., which he led as CEO and chairman of the board of directors for over forty years until he retired in 2013. He guided Simulation Physics to focus its efforts on solar cell and solar panel R&D and its name change to Spire.

In 1976, Little's testimony before Congress helped drive and pass the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) bill. This bill required government agencies that sponsor R&D to contribute to a funding pool for small business innovation in the technology sector. The SBIR program continues to this day.  In 1989, he received the John Ericsson Award from the U.S. Department of Energy for his contributions to renewable energy. He holds 23 patents, most related to solar cells and solar panel production.

Early life and education

Little was born in Adams, Massachusetts. He received his B.A. from Colgate University in 1962.  In 1964, he received a Master of Science in Geophysics, focusing on Plasma Physics, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Career

Little headed a group of Electrical Engineers and Physics Staff who developed a Flash X-ray machine, the FX-25, to produce pulsed electron radiation beams to assess the X-ray vulnerability of materials, electronics, and systems by simulating exposure to nuclear radiation.

Little founded Simulation Physics, the predecessor of Spire Corporation, in 1969, initially to do consulting and research on energy beams and particle physics for the aerospace industry. The company also did contract research for the government with a focus on nuclear weapons effects simulation. Little led Spire's worldwide commercial sales and marketing efforts and managed the company as a profitable enterprise with over $60 million in annual revenues.

After he retired as Spire's CEO, he took the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of N2 Biomedical, a company spun out of Spire to pursue biomedical device processing services.  Little also established an investment firm focusing on early-stage companies, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Patents

Roger Little has twenty-three patents spanning solar energy, semiconductor manufacturing, ion implantation, material processing, and numerous other technology areas, including high-efficiency solar cell production and solar cell materials fabrication.

Publications and presentations

Little has authored and co-authored numerous publications, including over 40 technical papers spanning many technology areas.  Little has been a popular guest speaker at energy and solar technology conferences throughout the United States and worldwide.

Triathlon

Little has participated in more than 400 triathlons around the world. He has been a U.S. All-American and an Ironman World Athlete many times.  He competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, 19 times. Little began competing in triathlons in 1980. During the next 40-plus years, in addition to hundreds of triathlons and nearly 40 Ironman competitions before scaling back in 2022. In 2009, Little finished 2nd and won the silver medal representing the U.S. at the World's Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Perth, Australia. For several years, he was ranked the number one triathlete in his age group statewide in Florida, Massachusetts, and the United States.

Advisory Boards, Organizations, and Awards

Little has served on several committees related to small business innovative research, the transfer and commercialization of technology, the worldwide growth of the photovoltaic industry, and the development of sound renewable energy policies. Little has been on many advisory boards for the Departments of Defense, the Department of Energy, NASA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  He has also testified at the congressional level to promote technologies and programs in which Spire, N2 Biomedical, and Vox have been involved.

Little was honored in 1989 with the John Ericsson Award from the United States Department of Energy for his contributions to the field of alternative energy, specifically in the solar energy sector.  He was the president of the Solar Energy Industry Association in the early 1990s.