Dave Edlund is a leading hydrogen energy expert, a USA Today bestselling author, and a Duck. With more than three decades of experience in alternative energy work, authoring more than 100 technical papers, inventing 114 US patents and more than 300 foreign patents, and writing 10 novels, Edlund has blazed a path in science, technology, entrepreneurship, and creative writing.

Edlund, who arrived at the university in 1983 to earn his doctoral degree in chemistry fondly remembers his experience at the university.

“I’m very proud of being a part of the community—of getting the education that I was able to get by being on campus,” he says. “I talk to people from all parts of the United States and in many parts of the world, and I’m always very proud to say I graduated from the university.”

His experience at UO had such an impact that he encouraged his son, Morgan Edlund, BS ’21 (computer and information science), to attend. As a father, he enjoys reminiscing on his time as a student.

“Explaining how it’s expanded beyond what I remember and reliving those moments with my son, sharing it with him — I find it a lot of fun,” Edlund says.

After graduating in 1987, Edlund pursued a career in Bend, Oregon, where he developed new technology through National Science Foundation and Department of Energy grants. After nine years of working with Bend Research, he branched out to entrepreneurship.

Inspired by reducing carbon emissions and creating a world where everyone has access to electricity, Edlund cofounded and served as CTO of IdaTech. He later founded and became CEO of Element 1 Corp.

In pursuing a career in the alternative energy field, Edlund saw opportunities to create tangible positive change for people.

And to be a successful entrepreneur, you must conquer your fears, Edlund says.

“If fear of failure keeps you from acting, then you’re never going to rise to your full potential. It just won’t happen if you’re not pushing the envelope. You know, then you’re not growing.”

“If fear of failure keeps you from acting, then you’re never going to rise to your full potential,” he says. “It just won’t happen if you’re not pushing the envelope. You know, then you’re not growing.”

While his businesses continued to thrive, Edlund turned to a childhood dream—creative writing. A story he wrote for his son’s birthday eventually became the manuscript for his first book, Crossing Savage, in 2011.

At the time, Edlund had no idea how it would unfold.

“My biggest fear was that I put all this work into something that meant a lot to me, but no one else would think it had any meaning to it,” he recalls.

It was a fear he conquered.

Today, Edlund has published 10 books. His ninth book, Judgment at Alcatraz was published in April 2021 with his most recent novel Unforgiving Savage, launching later that year in October.

“When I’m writing fiction, I’m not bound by the laws of science, so I have a bit more freedom,” Edlund says. “That’s a lot easier to do, quite honestly, than the science part, but it’s fundamentally the same process as fiction writing.”

Edlund says that his pursuit of creative writing makes complete sense because his active imagination requires a creative outlet to balance out his career in science.

Using his experience in science and technology to educate his readers through the power of fiction, Judgment at Alcatraz is the first in his series about Danya Biton, a powerful protagonist looking to change the world for good.

“My goal is to use entertainment as a means of provoking important thought,” Edlund says. Judgment at Alcatraz offers a clear example of Edlund’s mission; the book’s plot centers on the premise that all of the Indigenous lands stolen from broken treaties must be returned or else drones will burn San Francisco, with protagonist Danya Biton the only hope in preventing disaster. 

Edlund, who has had a major interest in American history since childhood, appreciated the opportunity to incorporate historical education into the action-thriller series. 

“It’s a fictional story,” Edlund says, “but there’s a large portion of the story that draws from historical accounts, and for me that was important.”

Edlund’s contributions to both the hydrogen energy community and the creative writing community illustrate how anything is possible if you set your mind to it. 

“Follow your passion and work to make the world better,” Edlund says. “And if you do those two things, I don’t think you go wrong, and we need a lot more people doing that.”

– By Peyton Hall, UO Alumni Association student associate