Robert K. Dixon
International Energy Agency executive
Paris, France
Statesman, scholar and entrepreneur, Robert Dixon, BS ’77, MS ’79 and PhD ’82, leads the Energy Technology Policy Division, International Energy Agency, Paris, France. He provides authoritative energy and economic policy advice to world leaders. President Bush recognized Dixon's service to the nation with a 2004 gold medal. Dixon began his career in academia rising to tenured faculty positions at the University of Minnesota and Auburn University. Exxon and the Smithsonian Institution honored him with fellowships. He served in positions of great responsibility at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Department of Energy, eventually ascending to Deputy Assistant Secretary. The President asked him to lead federal efforts to restore electricity in New York City after 9/11 terrorism acts. Dixon is cofounder of Plant Health Care, a biotechnology firm that markets and licenses products worldwide. Dixon is the coauthor of two U.S. patents. He has served in 10 U.S. diplomatic posts and is a global Mizzou Ambassador. He was a 2005 MU Robert Reich Executive-in-Residence and mentor in the CAFNR Connections Program. Dixon is a board member of philanthropic organizations. A life member of the Mizzou Alumni Association, Dixon and his wife, Anita, have two children, Caitlin and Colin.