Pioneering CCUS experts from industry, national labs, and academia are part of the RECS faculty and network. Below are members of the RECS 2023 faculty.
ROGER D. AINES, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor on CDR to the Under Secretary for Energy & Innovation
U.S. Department of Energy
Roger D Aines, Ph.D. is the Senior Advisor on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) to Dr. Geri Richmond, Under Secretary for Energy and Innovation (S4) at the U.S. Department of Energy. In this role, Dr. Aines coordinates and collaborates on cross-cutting efforts within S4 on the Carbon Negative Shot (CNS), the U.S. Government’s first major aligning objective for CDR research, development, and deployment. Dr. Aines provides oversight and assistance with all aspects of the CNS initiative, including providing technical advice and guidance to the Under Secretary’s program portfolio, which includes the Office of Science and the DOE applied energy programs. Dr. Aines is currently on detail from his role as Chief Scientist of the Energy Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy labs that conducts government and private sector research in clean energy technology. Dr. Aines joined LLNL in 1984 and has worked in a number of areas including nuclear waste disposal, environmental remediation, application of stochastic methods to inversion and data fusion, management of carbon emissions including separation technology, monitoring and verification methods for sequestration, application of 3-D printing to chemical reactors and gas separations, development of catalysts for carbon dioxide capture, management of pressure in geologic sequestration through brine withdrawal and treatment, and encapsulation of carbon dioxide capture solvents. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Carleton College, and Doctor of Philosophy in geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology.
AMY L. AINES
CEO, Damianakes Communications
Founder, Talking STEM
Amy Aines is a communications strategist with a knack for translating complex technical concepts to make sure they are understood. For 40 years, she has helped scientists, technologists and business leaders communicate to get results. Amy is CEO of Damianakes Communications and co-author of Championing Science – Communicating Your Ideas to Decision Makers. As a messaging strategist, speaker coach, and reputation builder, Amy is an expert at tailoring information to engage listeners and build support. Her work in the telecom, wireless, tech and biotech industries has contributed to the success of countless companies, individuals, corporate initiatives and product innovations. In early 2020 she launched Talking STEM, a program with online courses based on the 11 principles from Championing Science, to teach STEM graduates and professionals essential communication skills for making a bigger impact with their work. Amy began teaching public speaking as an undergraduate. She regularly conducts training and coaching sessions to help scientists and engineers get up the learning curve faster and gain essential communication skills. She honed her communications expertise as a spokesperson and director of corporate communications for global telecommunications, technology and mobile phone companies for the first half of her career. Since 1999, she’s consulted for clients from Genentech, McKesson, BioMarin, Gilead, Cisco, FirstNet, Polaris Wireless, Vodafone and numerous emerging tech and biotech firms. Amy graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Communications Studies and is a certified Human Capital Strategist through the Human Capital Institute. She pursues her passion for helping experts communicate with confidence and clarity by teaching communication, relationship-building and influence skills that most STEM graduates don’t learn in school.
RAMÓN DC ALATORRE
Co-Founder and Director of the 4 Corners Carbon Coalition
Prior to this role, he spent three years as a Climate Analyst, working in the Sustainability Office at the City of Flagstaff, Arizona. He joined the City in January of 2020, and likes to tell the story that on his second day on the job, he watched as the Flagstaff community completely changed his job description as they gave hours of testimony late into the night demanding that Council adopt a Resolution declaring a Climate Emergency. Things haven’t slowed down since! In addition to helping to advance the development and adoption of the Carbon Neutrality Plan, Ramón was also responsible for overseeing many of the programs and initiatives related to Clean Energy, Energy Reduction, Electrification, and Carbon Removal. He has degrees in Chemistry as well as Environmental Science and Engineering. In a prior life, he led climbing and backpacking leadership expeditions, and though it’s no longer his job, he can still be found on the rocks and trails.
ALFRED (BUZ) BROWN, Ph.D.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
ION Clean Energy
Dr. Alfred (Buz) Brown is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ION Clean Energy Dr. Brown has over 40 years of technology commercialization and venture creation experience, including large and small companies, academic and venture capital roles, with particular expertise in early-stage high growth companies. Dr. Brown has built over 12 companies, many of which are still operating today. He was previously a faculty member in the Pharmacology Department and Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University School of Medicine, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and his B.A. from Colby College in Waterville, ME.
HOLLY JEAN BUCK, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Environment & Sustainability
University at Buffalo
Holly Jean Buck, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo. She is a human geographer and environmental social scientist whose research focuses on public engagement with emerging climate technologies, including carbon management. She is the author of the books After Geoengineering and Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero Is Not Enough. She holds a Ph.D in Development Sociology from Cornell University and a M.Sc. in Human Ecology from Lund University.
HUYỆN DINH, Ph.D.
Group Research Manager
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Huyen Dinh, Ph.D. is a senior scientist and project leader at NREL. She currently Dr. Dinh coordinates NREL’s hydrogen production and delivery projects with the U.S. Department of Energy and is a principle investigator for effects of system contaminants on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance and durability. Her research interests include fuel cell catalysis (PEMFCs, DMFCs); contaminants; renewable hydrogen production, including photoelectrochemistry, fermentation of biomass and the photobiological approach to hydrogen production, solar thermochemical hydrogen production, renewable electrolysis, and reforming bio-boil. Dr. Dinh earned her bachelor’s degree in applied chemistry in 1993 at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, with a thesis entitled “Kinetics & Equilibria of the Zn-EDTA-PAR Postcolumn Reaction Detection System for the Determination of Alkaline Earth Metals.” In 1998 she earned her doctorate in electrochemistry from the University of Calgary with a thesis entitled “Electrochemical and Structural Studies of Polyaniline Film Growth and Degradation at Different Substrate Surfaces.” As a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, she characterized commercial PtRu anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) to gain an understanding of the key properties of PtRu contributing to high catalytic activity in a DMFC. Dinh has more than 15 years of experience in direct methanol, hydrogen polymer electrolyte membrane, and zinc/air fuel cells at national laboratories and in industry. Prior to joining NREL, Dr. Dinh worked at three different fuel cell start-up companies and is now part of the leadership team responsible for building a fuel cell R&D program at NREL. Dr. Dinh also supported the Fuel Cell Manufacturing R&D and Technology Validation projects. She has also led an international working group to develop standard photoelectrochemical testing protocols for the DOE Hydrogen Production program, which has resulted in the publication of a Springer Brief. Prior to joining NREL, she was also involved in developing commercial fuel cells, fuel cartridges, and humidity sensor products. For five years, she participated in UL2265, IEC TC105 and USFCC fuel cell regulatory approval committees and assisted in developing standards and regulations for methanol fuel cell cartridges.
RICHARD A. ESPOSITO, Ph.D.
Research and Development Consultant
Southern Company
Richard A. Esposito, PhD has close to 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry and currently serves as a Research and Development (R&D) Consultant for Southern Company’s Research & Development Group. He has published extensively and lectures internationally on the research, development, and deployment of energy-related technologies. Dr. Esposito began working at Southern Company in 1991 in the Engineering & Construction Services Group dealing with a wide range of engineering and environmental issues related to power generation. After 15 years in the engineering organization he received a PhD in Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with focus on environmental controls and enhanced oil recovery. He then moved to the Southern Company Research & Development Group as a Consulting Engineer where he currently manages a broad research portfolio related to geosciences and engineering. Dr. Esposito is also a research professor at UAB and his research and teaching interests include: geological engineering and the nexus between energy production and the environment; compression and injection of fluids into the subsurface; greenhouse gas emission mitigation technologies; enhanced energy recovery; carbon capture and storage; compressed air energy storage; deep-well disposal of fluids, and deep-well isolation of low-level radioactive solids. He serves as current President of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Geological Society and Vice Chair of the Energy Division of the Geological Society of America. He serves on the Executive Committee in the Greenhouse Gas Division of the International Energy Agency. He currently serves on the University of Illinois – Energy Frontier Research Center for the Geologic Storage of CO2 and the Auburn University Geosciences Advisory Board. He currently serves on the International Standards Organization’s committee on developing standards for the storage of CO2 in oil fields. He previously served on the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee on Science for Energy Technology (2009), on the Canadian Standards Association for the Development of Standards for Geologic Sequestration (2011), Operations & Maintenance Subgroup Coordinator, U.S. Department of Energy’s CO2 Storage and Advanced Research Merit Review Panel (2011 & 2012), and the Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Proposal Review Panel (2008). He has received two separate Technology Transfer Awards for R&D in (2007 and 2012) from the Electric Power Research Institute.
NATHAN FINE, Ph.D.
Sr. Process Engineer
ION Clean Energy
Dr. Nathan Fine has eight years of experience in gas treatment technologies including specific research focus in the field of CO2 capture as well as gas sweetening technologies for the oil and gas industry. In 2019, Dr. Fine became a Sr. Process Engineer at ION Clean Energy and is the technical lead for ION on the NETL sponsored “Validation of Transformational CO2 Capture Solvent Technology with Revolutionary Stability” (Apollo).Prior to joining ION, Dr. Fine worked as a Sr. Chemical Engineer for New Sky Energy (acquired by North Shore Energy) where he performed lab-scale experiments to measure H2S mass transfer in proprietary solvents leading to design of pilot-scale system for H2S removal from 1000 slpm of low-pressure biogas. Nathan engineered and commissioned a first-of-its-kind commercial gas sweetening plant to treat 1.0 MMSCFD of high-pressure natural gas. Other key projects included upgrading the first-of-its-kind gas sweetening plant to handle 20 times more sulfur throughput, project management of two modular gas sweetening plants, and creation of business cases and budgetary estimates for two unfunded gas sweetening projects. Additionally, Dr. Fine developed mass, energy, and financial models to optimize production based on commodity prices. During his Ph.D. studies at the University of Texas, Dr. Fine focused on CO2 capture with nitrosamines in amine scrubbing. He built a bench scale high pressure gas-sparging apparatus and a novel thermal reclaimer and analyzed degraded amine samples using anion and cation chromatography to discover secondary amine candidates for nitrosation. This work led to many techno-economic analyses on promising nitrosamine mitigation technologies and extensive understanding of CO2 capture technologies. Dr. Fine received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
SALLIE E. GREENBERG, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist, Energy & Minerals
Illinois State Geological Survey – University of Illinois
Sallie E. Greenberg, PhD is a Principal Scientist of Energy & Minerals at the Illinois State Geological Survey – University of Illinois. She is the principal investigator for the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC), one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s original seven regional sequestration partnerships. Dr. Greenberg is the co-technical lead for the Midwest Regional Carbon Initiative, a new CO2 Regional Deployment Initiative focused on Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage deployment in the Midwest and Northeast United States. In these roles, Dr. Greenberg leads teams of scientists, engineers, and policy makers working on several carbon capture and geologic storage projects, including the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project, CarbonSAFE Illinois Corridor, Wabash CarbonSAFE, and the Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage Projects. Over the last 20 years, she has consulted or contributed to more than 30 energy and carbon capture and storage projects, especially in the areas of project development, risk reduction, and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Greenberg uses her advanced degrees in low temperature geochemistry and education to create strategies for change based understanding public challenges related to balancing societal demands for energy with environmental concerns. Dr. Greenberg holds a Ph.D. in Secondary and Continuing Education and Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from Alfred University in New York.
MICHAEL J. HANNON, JR., Ph.D.
Founder and CEO
Hannon Clean Energy LLC
Michael (Mikey) Hannon, Ph.D. has over a decade of professional experience in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). He currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Hannon Clean Energy LLC. He formerly led business development for carbon storage at INTERA Incorporated, an international geosciences and engineering consulting company. Dr. Hannon holds patented methods that support rapid characterization of geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage sites, including caprocks that keep CO2 stored deep underground. He is an expert in multiphase, multi-component subsurface flow modeling and manages the INTERA team with extensive experience permitting wells under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Underground Injection Control Program, including Class VI for long-term geologic storage. In addition to CCUS project activities, Dr. Hannon works to advance commercial CCUS deployment by serving on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 265 on Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transportation, and Geological Storage, and the CCUS Commercialization Consortium convened by the Southern States Energy Board and the University of Houston. He is also on the faculty and alumni network of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Research Experience in Carbon Sequestration (RECS) program, which includes the nation’s leading young CCUS professionals. Prior to joining INTERA, Dr. Hannon was a research scientist and reservoir geologist with the Indiana Geological and Water Survey and a postdoctoral researcher at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. He received his Ph.D. in interdisciplinary Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he conducted research with support from the U.S. DOE and Southern Company on geologic CO2 storage, caprock integrity and computational modeling. He received a master’s degree from Purdue University and bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. Dr. Hannon is committed to working towards a carbon-free, clean-energy future that honors environmental justice and sustainability and includes geologic CO2 storage at the gigaton scale.
KEVIN HARRISON
Program Manager
Energy Systems Integration Facility
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Kevin Harrison, Ph.D. leads the power-to-gas/power-to-X capability development at NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF). At the ESIF, he supports a number of near-commercial R&D projects, including renewable hydrogen production, systems integration, and renewable natural gas production via biomethanation. In his role, Kevin works to identify high-impact research capabilities and develop strategic partnerships with industry leaders. Kevin received his Ph.D., Energy Engineering, University of North Dakota, M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of North Dakota, B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Rochester, and A.A.S., Computer Technology, Monroe Community College.
EUGENE HOLUBNYAK
Director, Hydrogen Energy Research Center
School of Energy Resources
University of Wyoming
Eugene Holubnyak has recently joined University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources as a Director of Hydrogen Energy Research Center. He previously served over a decade as a CCUS program lead at Kansas Geological Survey and spent five years working on the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He has been a Principal Investigator on over $40M of U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsored research and development projects on CCUS, hydrogen, and critical minerals. Eugene is actively advising industry on CCUS and hydrogen project development, working closely with Avalon International, Carbon Solutions LLC, and others. Eugene has served on multiple professional committees, including the Kansas Induced Seismicity Task Force, State Carbon Capture Work Group, and Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative. Until recently, he has organized and led the Kansas CCUS Task Force and represented Kansas at CO2 Transport Infrastructure MOU. He also regularly provides training and seminars for the Climate Tech and Carbon Capture & Storage industry. Eugene is also interested in space exploration and developments in Advanced Life Support Systems for space settlements and has ongoing research and publication activities in this area.
RORY JACOBSON
Senior Advisor for Deployment
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
U.S. Department of Energy
Rory Jacobson (RECS 2018) is a Senior Advisor for Deployment at the Department of Energy (DOE) and supports the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s programs for carbon capture, removal, and conversion. Prior to joining DOE, he was a Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180, where he managed the federal policy portfolio for technological carbon removal pathways. Prior to his role as Deputy Director of Policy, Rory was a Science Advisor at Carbon Direct Inc., where he consulted for leading corporates working to develop customized decarbonization strategies for a variety of industries. Rory has both led and supported carbon removal and management research and analysis at NGOs including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the World Resources Institute. He received his master’s in environmental management from the Yale School of Forestry, where he was a Kerry Fellow, and his B.A. and B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley.
GREG JOHNSTON
Managing Director
Weaver Energy Compliance Services
Mr. Greg Johnston has 25 years experience in the energy industry. His early career began in upstream offshore oil and gas and he later migrated to onshore midstream and energy transition development. Mr. Johnston served as Vice President for an air emissions firm where he focused on marine vapor containment, an experience that resulted in his patenting of an offshore vapor control system focused on ship-to-ship transfer. He served as Project Consulting Services, Inc.’s (PCS) Carbon Reduction Lead and Co-Head of their Technical Business Consulting Group where he specialized in CO2 transportation and energy transformation. Recently, Mr. Johnston has transitioned from PCS to Weaver Energy Compliance Services to advance the C-Sys Carbon Reduction System which he initiatied. C-Sys focuses on true carbon reduction, IRA compliance and carbon intensity determination.
PATRICK LAMERS, Ph.D.
Senior Topic and Team Lead
Strategic Energy Analysis Center
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Patrick Lamers, Ph.D. is a Senior Topic and Team Lead in the Strategic Energy Analysis Center where he focuses on cross-cutting questions around carbon management and resource use efficiency. He leads many interdisciplinary analyses that bridge life cycle and integrated system assessments, such as the quantification of benefits and tradeoffs for carbon dioxide removal strategies and their integration into the future energy system. He provides program support to several U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offices, and currently serves as the U.S. representative for the IEA Bioenergy Task 45 on Climate and Sustainability Effects of Bioenergy within the Broader Bioeconomy. Patrick has lived and worked on four continents, managing projects for the private sector and governmental and non-governmental agencies. He served as a contributing author to international reports, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and is currently an Associate Editor for the journal Frontiers in Climate on Negative Emission Technologies. Patrick received his Ph.D., Energy & Resources, Utrecht University; M.S., Environmental Management & Policy, Lund University, and M.S., Industrial Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
JOHN LITYNSKI, P.E.
Director, Carbon Transport and Storage
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
U.S. Department of Energy
John Litynski currently serves as the Director for Carbon Transport and Storage in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Carbon Management. He previously served as the Program Manager for Carbon Capture at the U.S. Department of Energy, the Technology Manager for Carbon Sequestration at the National Energy Technology Laboratory and as a senior team lead on environmental compliance and assessment with the U.S Army. He has over 25 years of experience working on environmental compliance and technology development for the energy industry and Department of Defense. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and M.S. from Johns Hopkins University in Environmental Engineering and Science.
JONATHAN ‘FRED’ McGLAUGHLIN, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist/Project Manager
Center for Economic Geology Research
School of Energy Resources, University of Wyoming
Dr. Fred McLaughlin is a senior research scientist and project manager at the University of Wyoming Center for Economic Geology Research within the School of Energy Resources. He has primarily worked on the petrogenesis of Rocky Mountain uplifts and basins and associated energy resources. Areas of research include isotopic and geochemical evolution of basement and sedimentary rocks and groundwater, natural gas, uranium and coal systems, and the reservoir evolution. Recently, Dr. McLaughlin has worked to characterize the geochemical components of hydrocarbon reservoirs and produced brines in Wyoming. He is a licensed professional geologist in the State of Wyoming, and has many years of project management experience. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Geology and a PhD in Isotope Geochemistry, Petrology, all from the University of Wyoming.
ERIK MEULEMAN, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
ION Clean Energy, Inc.
Erik Meuleman is the Chief Technology Officer at ION Clean Energy, Inc and leads ION’s technical team. Dr. Meuleman has over 25 years of experience in the field of technology development for separation processes and has lead numerous international innovation projects with teams based in Europe, Brazil, Australia, Japan, China and USA. Dr. Meuleman has authored 20 peer-reviewed papers and holds six patents. Dr. Meuleman received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. from the University of Twente in the Netherlands and was an adjunct professor at the Federation University of Australia. Dr. Meuleman is supported by an experienced chemical and mechanical engineering team with extensive experience in the field of gas separation processes, technology development and operation of capture facilities.
K.C. NEYERLIN, Ph.D.
Electrochemist and Senior Scientist
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
K.C. Neyerlin, Ph.D. is a senior scientist at NREL. He is currently involved in R&D activities of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Dr. Neyerlin has over 15 years of experience in PEM fuel cell research and development in industrial, academic, and national lab environments. He has experience in electrode development including the fabrication of both small scale membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), via ultrasonic spray and electrospinning, and larger scale roll-to-roll production methods. Dr. Neyerlin specializes in the application of in-situ electrochemical diagnostics to elucidate the voltage loss contributions of fundamental electrochemical processes (e.g., electrochemical kinetics of catalysts, ionic and gas phase transport resistances). Dr. Neyerlin currently leads NREL’s efforts in both the Fuel Cell Performance and Durability (FC-PAD) and ElectroCat consortia to quantify and improve fundamental electrode performance limitations. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Electrochemistry and Fuel Cells) from the University of Rochester and a B.A. in Chemistry from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
ELIZABETH S. PETRIE, Ph.D.
Moncrief Chair in Petroleum Geology
Professor of Geology
Western Colorado University
Elizabeth S. Petrie, Ph.D. (RECS 2011) is the Moncrief Chair in Petroleum Geology and Professor of Geology at Western Colorado University. She has B.S. degrees in geology and biology from the University of New Mexico, an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. in geology from Utah State University and worked as a petroleum geologist for 7 years. Since 2014, she has been a professor at Western Colorado University where she actively involves undergraduate students in research projects that focus on structural geology, rock mechanics, and fracture development. Dr. Petrie studies the semi-brittle deformation of the Earth’s crust and how this deformation influences the movement of fluids in the subsurface. Her research combines quantitative observation from outcrop, laboratory experiments and subsurface data sets to understand the formation and distribution of fractures and fault zones and the role variations in rock mechanical properties have on failure across many scales of observation. Her research is applicable to a variety of topics including: understanding earthquake processes, the distribution of energy and mineral resources, and the subsurface storage of carbon dioxide or other waste materials.
ERIN H.W. PHILLIPS, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Geochemistry
Center for Economic Geology Research, Energy Innovation Center
University of Wyoming
Erin Phillips, PhD is a geologist at the Center for Economic Geology Research at the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources. Erin contributes to the DOE funded CarbonSAFE project at Dry Fork Station in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and leads the University of Wyoming’s efforts for the Plains CO2 Reduction Regional Partnership Initiative. Erin completed her PhD at the University of Wyoming, where she studied geochemistry and volcanology.
SCOTT QUILLINAN
Director, Research, School of Energy Resources (SER)
and Director, SER Center for Economic Geology Research
University of Wyoming
Scott Quillinan is the director of research and operations for the School of Energy Resources (SER) and the director of the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR, formerly the Carbon Management Institute) at the University Of Wyoming. A geologist by training, Scott focuses his research interests on the energy transition and thoughtful approaches to decarbonize fossil fuel energy systems. Scott’s current programs include Wyoming CarbonSAFE (a commercial-scale CO2 geologic storage project at a coal-fired power plant), exploration and production of rare earth elements and critical materials, and identifying low-carbon approaches to traditional energy resource development in the U.S and China. Scott directs approximately $37M in SER grant-funded and state-funded research, and has been a principal and co-investigator to over $41M of Department of Energy and other sponsored projects. Scott holds two degrees from the University of Wyoming Geology and Geophysics Department a B.S. 06’ and M.S. 11’. Scott co-chairs the Center of Advanced Energy Studies’-Innovative Energy Systems Working Group housed at Idaho National Laboratories, is a technical editor for Energy and Environmental Science, a Subject Matter Expert for Professional Affiliations, and enjoys being a judge for the Wyoming State Science Fair.
JOSH SCHAIDLE, Ph.D.
Laboratory Program Manager – Carbon Management
Chief of Staff, Bioenergy Science and Technology Directorate
Director, ChemCatBio Consortium
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Josh Schaidle, Ph.D. is the director of the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium and has been recognized as a Distinguished Member of the Research Staff at NREL. He also serves as the Chief of Staff for the Bioenergy Science and Technology Directorate and NREL’s program manager for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. He seeks to build and empower diverse, multidisciplinary teams to accelerate technology development to address climate change. His dream is to create a future in which the quality of life for each and every person is no longer a compromise between sustainability and affordability. Josh received his Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Concentration in Environmental Sustainability, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and a B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara.
BOB SLETTEHAUGH
Director, Carbon Capture & Carbon Removal
Kiewit
Bob Slettehaugh is Kiewit’s Director of Carbon Capture and Carbon Removal and has worked in the carbon capture field for over 20 years, supporting the maturation of the technologies. His role includes increasing awareness of Kiewit as the market leader in carbon capture and carbon removal, building relationships with technology providers and clients, and developing a pipeline for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects by winning the initial engineering projects. Bob’s role is critical in carbon capture activities, ranging from technology evaluations through leading front-end engineering design (FEED) projects and project development activities. Bob has a solid understanding of the technologies within the market and develops strong working relationships to better serve our clients. He oversees Kiewit participation in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded projects related to carbon capture and carbon removal. Currently, this includes: 10 projects with six different technology providers, six different industries, direct air capture and post-combustion capture, with scopes ranging from pre-FEED, FEED, and pilot plants. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University.
SVENJA TELLE
Director of Origination
Base Carbon
Svenja Telle is Director of Origination at Base Carbon, advancing project opportunities from concept to execution in a cross-vertical approach. She oversees community engagement strategies and co-benefit monitoring in project origination, selection, diligence, financial structuring, and registration. Her focus also includes scaling emerging carbon removal technologies. Svenja also serves as a Climate Change Policy expert to the UNFCCC and carbon removal policy expert to the Kingdom of Bahrain. As a former Director at a Direct Air Capture startup and analyst at PitchBook, she contributed to extensive financial research covering carbon value chains, carbon utilization, and ESG. She further holds a doctoral research fellowship at the Gund Institute for Environment and served as a climate policy advisor at the United Nations HQ where she contributed to carbon markets and regulatory processes in supply chain decarbonization.
PAMELA TOMSKI
Pamela Tomski founded RECS 19 years ago with the vision to build a world class CCUS workforce and create a community of young professionals dedicated to leading the clean energy transition. She currently serves as RECS director and draws on her deep experience with the U.S. DOE CCUS Program and various industry, academic and national laboratory partners. In the late 1990s Pamela collaborated with former Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, J. Allen Wampler, on a strategic initiatives series that ran for over a decade in support of DOE’s CCUS program. She has led a number of domestic and international initiatives related to CCUS regulatory and policy developments, research partnerships, education and capacity building, and held consulting and advisory roles with organizations including: International Energy Agency; The World Bank; Asian Development Bank; Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy; Research Council of Norway; RAND; Los Alamos National Laboratory; National Energy Technology Laboratory, and the Big Sky and Southeast regional carbon sequestration partnerships. She served as a senior energy fellow at the Atlantic Council and was on advisory committees to the U.S. Secretary of Energy and the Southern States Energy Board. She was also the head of policy for the Global CCS Institute and an analytics advisor for SAS Institute, Inc., a leader in data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. She received a BA in international affairs from The George Washington University. In addition to directing the RECS program, Pamela is building a new net zero initiative and working with clients to accelerate the clean energy transition.
JENNIFER WILCOX, Ph.D.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting Assistant Secretary)
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
U.S. Department of Energy
Jennifer Wilcox, Ph.D. is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting Assistant Secretary) in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) at DOE and is on leave as the Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, as a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, she led WRI’s Carbon Removal Program. Having grown up in rural Maine, Dr. Wilcox has a profound respect and appreciation of nature. That appreciation permeates her work; she focuses on minimizing climate and environmental impacts of our dependence on fossil fuels. Dr. Wilcox holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and an M.A. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona and B.A. in Mathematics from Wellesley College. Dr. Wilcox’s research takes aim at the nexus of energy and the environment, developing both mitigation and adaptation strategies to minimize negative climate impacts associated with society’s dependence on fossil fuels. She has served on committees of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society to assess carbon capture methods and impacts on climate. She is the author of the first textbook on carbon capture, Carbon Capture, published in March 2012. She co-edited the CDR Primer on carbon dioxide removal in 2021.