RECS 2023 participants include an interdisciplinary group of graduate students and early career professionals from across the U.S.
Jane Ngozi Agwara is a chemical engineering PhD candidate at the University of Rochester and a member of the Porosoff Research Group. Her research focuses on the design of metal supported zeolite catalysts for converting carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals and fuels. Alongside her studies, Jane works part-time as a Decarbonization research student employee at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), where she is involved in various projects ranging from assessing direct air capture technologies to exploring biofuel alternatives. In 2021, Jane led a team of PhD and undergraduate students from the University of Rochester who submitted a CO2 capture and utilization proposal for the Elon Musk’s $100M XPRIZE competition. Driven by her passion, Jane is committed to driving sustainable advancements in decarbonization and contributing to the development of viable solutions for a greener future.
Nachiket Arbad is currently working on his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech University under the guidance of Marshall Watson, Ph.D.; P.E. He is working on AoR corrective actions plan (Map & Tabulations component) of UIC Class VI Permit applications for the Illinois Storage Corridor Project. His areas of expertise are Portland cement, Well Integrity, and Risk Assessment of Legacy wells. Nachiket holds an M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a B.E. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Pune. Prior to obtaining his graduate degrees, he worked for an Oil and Gas consultancy as a Well Engineer, where he was planning and designing oil and gas wells. He is an active member of SPE and volunteered to be part of the sub-committee responsible for updating the SPE CO2 Storage Resources Management System (SRMS) and SRMS Guidelines. Nachiket is passionate about using his upstream oil and gas expertise to solve the current CCUS challenges.
Sam Bowers is the Manager of Clean Air Task Force’s (CATF) Carbon Capture program, where he helps lead a team working across the US, EU, and Middle East. In this role, Sam plays a key role in executing the program’s core strategy and advancing CATF’s mission. He primary focuses on program management, however his responsibilities extend to policy development, communications, and advocacy. Prior to joining CATF, Sam served as the General Manager at an international start-up, successfully establishing their North American operations, growing the region to the company’s largest market. He has a dual masters in Transatlantic Affairs from Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and the College of Europe, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development & Geography from McGill University.
Abigail Choisser joined the National Energy Technology Laboratory in October 2022. With a passion for data management, curation, and collaboration – her current focus is on geo-data challenges in CCUS necessary for supporting the development of safe and reliable permanent geologic carbon storage. Further interests involve improving scientific accessibility and communicating the importance of climate change mitigation techniques. She moved to Oregon after completing her M.Sc. in Geology from The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, adding to the B.Sc. in Geology and Remote Sensing minor already earned from Middle Tennessee State University in 2019.
Kevin Clark is a graduate student at Colorado School of Mines pursuing a certificate in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). He is a former student-athlete and recent undergraduate from Colorado Mesa University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on Energy Management/Landman. This program at CMU, is one of only thirteen in the nation, accredited through the national organization, American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL). He is currently working in the renewable industry for Ronin Energy, building a portfolio amongst utility resources and commercial clients, in efforts to initiate the implementation of renewable infrastructure in America. Similarly, he has recently started a role with NextEra Energy in a Land Service Representative position where he is responsible for planning/directing real estate activities such as, site location and acquisition, right-of-way negotiation, space leasing, property management, and maintenance of properties to support wind site development. Kevin has studied multiple topics, including Energy, Land, and Transportation Markets; Political Economy of the Energy Transition; and Non-Geologic CCUS, and has built a passion for climate entrepreneurship. He is interested in both current and foreseeable approaches to combating climate change while driving energy innovation and seeks to be a part of the solutions to shift the globe towards a sustainable energy transition.
Emily Connor is a Program Manager with the US Department of Energy in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. She oversees carbon conversion R&D efforts and the evolution of new technologies to pilot scale demonstrations. Before joining FECM, she worked with the DOE’s Loan Program Office supporting carbon transport and infrastructure projects in the carbon management portfolio. Prior to joining DOE, Emily was with the Yale Carbon Containment Lab, which researches and incubates new CCUS approaches and aims to advance private sector investment in the space. Before the Lab, Emily was a Senior Associate and early employee with the startup CleanCapital, which finances and develops solar and storage projects across the US. Emily has a B.S. in Geography and B.A. in International Politics from Penn State University and a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University School of the Environment.
Julia Correa is a Research Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), specializing in developing intelligent seismic monitoring systems for subsurface surveillance. She utilizes fiber-optic sensing and surface orbital vibrators (SOV) for cost-effective monitoring. Julia is engaged in CCS projects, including Otway Project (Australia) and Red Trail Energy Project (North Dakota). She contributed to the Intelligent Monitoring System (IMS) project for CO2 plume tracking at the ADM IBDP project and works on high-resolution hydraulic fracturing monitoring at Austin Chalk and Eagle Ford Field Lab, and FORGE Utah Project. Julia earned her PhD from Curtin University (Australia) in 2019, focusing on seismic imaging and monitoring using fiber-optics sensing in the Otway Project. Prior to that, Julia worked as a Field Geophysicist for WesternGeco/Schlumberger offshore West Africa and Egypt. Julia holds a BSc in Geophysics from Universidade Federal Fluminense (Brazil).
Robert Czarnota is a research associate at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology where he conducts research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. His experimental work is oriented on investigating complex scientific issues related to CCUS. Especially, he is responsible for multiphase flow quantification in deep saline formations in conjunction with acoustic monitoring. Those efforts are important from the perspective of understanding the influence of anisotropy and fluid-rock interactions on CO2 plume migration and rock changes thus securely store CO2 on the long-term in underground reservoirs. Before joining New Mexico Tech, he was carrying out his research at one of top institutions in Poland i.e., AGH University of Science and Technology. During that time, Dr. Czarnota developed original methods to determine oil swelling effect, solubility of CO2 in oil and proposed novel acoustic-based experimental technique for minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) estimation.
Gayle Dumm works as an Air Resources Engineering for the California Air Resources Board, under the Industrial Strategies Division. Her work focuses on implementing the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Protocol under Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which entails reviewing site geology, well development, risk assessment, plume modeling, and legal and financial obligations for applications seeking Permanence Certification.
Ramsey Fahs is a policy advisor and contractor at the Department of Energy supporting the Loan Programs Office and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. His work is focused on commercialization and market uptake of clean energy technologies, including carbon management. He contributed to DOE’s “Liftoff Report” on the commercialization landscape for carbon management. Prior to DOE, Ramsey worked at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on clean energy projects.
Andrew Fishbein is a Senior Climate Policy Manager at Climeworks, a leading direct air capture company, where he manages U.S. legislative and regulatory strategy. He was previously Head of Policy at Halifax International Security Forum. He holds a M.Sc. in Energy Policy & Climate from Johns Hopkins University and a B.Sc. in Political Science from Carnegie Mellon University. He is based in Washington, DC.
Courtney Frock is an Environmental Engineer for Black and Veatch, a global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction (EPC) company. She earned her B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2020 and her MBA in 2023. Courtney is currently working in the Sustainable Process Solutions group specializing in Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Her work includes engineering design for point-source carbon capture and sequestration applications on various gas and coal-fired power generation and industrial steam generational processes, conceptual design for balance of plant (BOP), Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology feasibility studies, and CCUS techno-economic and market trend analysis. Courtney is also a market sector liaison for [Black & Veatch’s IgniteX Program] (https://www.bv.com/ignite) which is a growth accelerator program designed to empower start-ups offering scalable solutions for critical human infrastructure.
Sara Hamilton is an ORISE Science, Technology and Policy Fellow at the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. At DOE, she has provided technical input and reviewed technology pathways and R&D gaps in new approaches to carbon capture, including reactive capture and flexible carbon capture. She is also exploring possibilities to leverage machine learning for emissions and process control in carbon capture plants. Sara holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London (2018) and a PhD in Earth and Environmental Engineering from Columbia University (2023), which she conducted under the supervision of Alissa Park. During her PhD, Sara researched new materials for combined carbon capture and electrochemical conversion. She also received the SCGSR Fellowship from the Office of Science (2022), which supported her research at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to understand electrochemical interfaces in reactive carbon capture systems using operando techniques.
Alvinda Sri Hanamertani, is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Wyoming. Throughout her PhD program, she has been an integral part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded project on foam-assisted hydrocarbon gas injection into the unconventional reserves of Bakken formations. She has also expanded her research towards pore-scale investigations of in-situ fluid transport and diversion during methane- and CO2-foams injections not only for improving trapped oil extraction but also for identifying gas entrapment and storage potential in unconventional formations. Before joining the University of Wyoming, she gained her master’s degree in petroleum engineering from Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia, where she attempted using green surfactants (ionic liquids-based) as foam additives for gas mobility control applications. She looks forward to graduating and focusing on using and enhancing her skills to contribute to ongoing and future initiatives aimed at decarbonization and sustainability in the energy industry.
Anne E. Harman-Ware (Liz) is a researcher in the Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO. She received her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Kentucky while working at the Center for Applied Energy Research. The research in her group focuses on the characterization of lignocellulosic biomass structure and composition as part of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), a Bioenergy Research Center funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Liz is also the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Task Force Chair of CBI. She also performs research and leads teams of technical analysts funded by the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technology Office that characterize products from the thermochemical and catalytic conversion of biomass. Liz also has expertise in the design and deployment of high-throughput analytical screening and process monitoring tools for real-time prediction of products from thermochemical conversion platforms. She will be leading a project funded by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions titled “Addressing Critical Measuring, Reporting, and Verification Challenges of Durability and Sustainable Sourcing of Feedstocks for Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Pathways.”
Jared Hutton joined Kiewit as a Mechanical Engineer in June of 2022. As a full-time engineer with a focus on carbon capture projects for both FEED and feasibility studies, Jared has experience across a variety of technologies, including post-combustion and direct air capture, with projects primarily utilizing solvent- and sorbent-based carbon capture. Jared’s carbon capture experience includes select projects obtaining funding from the US Department of Energy. He has also worked as a support engineer for a variety of power generation and energy storage cost estimates. Jared received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kansas.
Salman Karim is a Ph.D. student in the department of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech. Currently he is working as a graduate research assistant under the guidance of Dr. Bahareh Nojabaei in a DOE funded project where his research encompasses the leached contamination identification, environmental assessment and building data driven phytoremediation framework utilizing satellite remote sensing data for monitoring and assessment, integrating geological and meteorological data for comprehensive analysis. This research aims to provide sustainable solutions for phytoremediation and phyto-reclamation which will aid in designing effective containment measures, optimizing environmental management practices, and developing sustainable remediation strategies tailored to specific sites, contaminants & environmental hazards. Prior to doctoral studies, he obtained a B.Sc. in Petroleum & Mining Engineering, with a second major in Computer Science and conducted research on CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers. Salman is committed to continue his research in the field of CCUS, environmental hazards mitigation & environmental preservation and contribute to the global efforts in combating climate change facilitating the transition towards a low-carbon economy for a sustainable future.
Rosalie Krasnoff is a doctoral student in Prof. Shaina Kelly’s lab in the department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. Her research is focused on fluid-rock interactions in geological porous media for geologic CO2 storage applications. In her current work, she is investigating how reservoir rock properties like porosity, permeability, and wettability influence mineralization behaviors of carbonates under pore confinement on the micro scale and how precipitation causes changes in permeability. Kelly lab conducts both experimental and modeling research, using each method to benchmark the other to ensure robust results. Before joining Columbia in 2021, Rosalie completed her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering at Cornell University.
Anisha Krishnakumar is an associate at RMI’s Climate-Aligned Industries program, where she supports deployment of decarbonization solutions for the chemicals and refining industries. Her work focuses on developing strategic recommendations and techno-economic models for carbon management and low-carbon fuels. Prior to joining RMI, Anisha was a graduate student at Duke University where she led clean energy conference initiatives and started a sustainability student club. Before this, she led engineering projects at ExxonMobil for refineries and liquefied natural gas assets. Anisha has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from National Institute of Technology – Warangal (India), and a master’s degree in engineering management from Duke University. She is passionate about facilitating an equitable energy transition.
Madi Lynch joined ION Clean Energy as a Research Engineer II in May 2023. Her focus is on process modeling pilot carbon capture sites, commissioning ION’s commercial plants, and troubleshooting/continued client management during normal operations. Before joining ION Clean Energy, she worked at Rivian in Cell Manufacturing and previously at West Monroe Partners as an Energy & Sustainability Consultant. Madi holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a Master’s degree in Applied Climate Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Katriona McNeill joined 1PointFive as a policy advisor in August 2022 where she works to advance carbon management policies and commercial deployment of direct air capture (DAC). She focuses on carbon accounting, environmental justice, product development, and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) standards. Prior to 1PointFive, she was a Climate and Clean Energy Fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council, conducting research on the land, energy, and water requirements of commercial-scale DAC facilities. Katriona has a B.S. in Computer Science and a M.S. in Sustainability Science and Practice from Stanford University.
Sohaib Mohammed is a chemical and environmental engineer specializing in decarbonization, energy storage and recovery, computational chemistry, and process modeling. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University, where he received notable recognition, including the Microsoft Azure award and the Outstanding Graduate Student award from the Department of Energy-EFRC MUSE. With a strong publication record of over 25 papers and several prestigious awards, Sohaib has demonstrated expertise in energy and environmental sustainability and presented his research at numerous conferences. His educational background includes an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he focused on carbon capture and storage. Throughout his professional journey, Sohaib has held leadership positions in academia and industry. He actively contributes to the scientific community, organizing sustainability research symposia and participating as a science editor and reviewer for many reputable journals. He has also gained valuable experience through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Science Leadership Program, developing communication, management, and decision-making skills. Beyond his professional pursuits, Sohaib is an entrepreneur, having co-founded a startup and participated in multiple fundraising events. He excels as an effective team player, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and providing mentorship to junior students in academia.
Richie Ness is a geologist with Advanced Resources International, Inc. His work focuses on characterizing subsurface saline formations for Carbon Capture and Storage projects across globe. He primarily utilizes subsurface logs and core data to build geologic models which are used to identify storage zones and model CO2 plume saturations during and after injection operations. Richie also has experience integrating the results of geologic and reservoir models into EPA Class VI and California Air Resource Board Low Carbon Fuel Standard permit applications for a range of clients across the United States. Currently, Richie is working on a geological prefeasibility assessment for Carbon Capture and Storage in Africa. He is an active member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Previously, Richie worked as an Engineering Geologist for the California Geological Energy Management Group. He has a master’s degree in geoscience from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Yanrui Daisy Ning is a distinguished scholar holding a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering with a minor in Geophysics. She is currently a Research Associate at the Colorado School of Mines, she aspires to secure a tenure-track faculty position to drive groundbreaking contributions to sustainable energy solutions and environmental preservation. With expertise in unconventional reservoir development, utilizing Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS), and advancing Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and geothermal energy, she specializes in estimating leakage potential and conducting pioneering thermal-hydro-mechanical (THM) simulations for carbon sequestration. Driven by her relentless pursuit of knowledge and innovation, Dr. Ning aims to tackle complex energy challenges and create a sustainable future for generations to come.
Aaron O’Quinn is a land professional with a diverse background in the energy industry, real estate, and legal fields. Currently the Leasing Section Manager for the State of Alaska’s Division of Oil and Gas, Aaron brings extensive experience in Alaska Native and American Indian law, commercial real estate transactions, and petroleum landman work. With regard to CCUS, he recently worked with a policy team and collaborated with myriad stakeholders to develop carbon sequestration legislation for the State of Alaska, including the use of the State’s vast pore space holdings for sequestration. With a JD from the University of Denver and a BS from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Aaron combines his legal knowledge and industry experience to drive responsible energy development and is excited to help establish and grow CCUS in Alaska.
Meghan Oesterle joined General Motors in the spring of 2022 upon graduation from the University of Michigan’s Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability program. As part of the Decarbonization team, she focuses on the long term un-abatable emissions, and how carbon removals and internal carbon price can reduce future emissions. Her research spans regulatory and non-regulatory markets, avoidance, removal, nature, and tech-based removals to find the ideal project mix to support net zero goals. Currently developing GM’s long term carbon strategy and the role the CCUS can play in GM’s sustainable journey.
Max Pisciotta is a 4th-year PhD Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania where they study carbon capture and carbon removal systems in the [Clean Energy Conversions Lab] (https://ceclab.seas.upenn.edu/), under the advisement of Dr. Jennifer Wilcox and Dr. Peter Psarras. Their research is specifically focused on the economic deployment of carbon capture and storage systems on natural gas combined cycle power plants and coupling geothermal energy to direct air capture systems. Max’s side projects also span carbon mineralization, with a focus on calcium and magnesium carbonate looping systems, and environmental justice in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, hosting listening sessions with rural and tribal communities to understand their priorities and needs when it comes to climate change mitigation technology deployment projects. In tandem with their PhD, Max is has also earned the Certificate in Energy Management and Policy through the [Kleinman Center for Energy Policy] (https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/). Since beginning their PhD at Penn, Max has completed two internships, one with the International Energy Agency and one with [Brimstone Energy] (https://www.brimstone.com/). In addition to their PhD work, Max is dedicated to science communication. They are one of the founders and co-developers for the game, The Road to 10 Gigatons and are the Lead Scientist for the carbon removal documentary, Legion 44. Prior to starting their career in CCUS, Max earned a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, where their research was focused on ammonia production via reversible solid oxide fuel cells.
Oluwatobi Raji is a master’s student at Stanford University studying Energy Science and Engineering. He has a strong interest in designing scalable energy solutions that can address climate change while also ensuring energy security. His area of expertise is in the modelling and engineering of subsurface energy systems and his current research focuses on developing a framework/workflow to optimize the placement of injection wells for carbon sequestration in order to prevent induced seismicity, satisfy the U.S. EPA Class VI well regulations, and maximize a company’s business goals. He is conducting this research under the umbrella of the DOE Carbon Utilization Storage Partnership of the Western United States. Oluwatobi has garnered experience as a Reservoir Engineer working on conventional resources at Shell and on renewable geothermal resources at Ormat Technologies. He received his B.S. in Petroleum and Gas Engineering from the University of Lagos where he graduated top of class.
Jose Ubillus is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Gulf Coast Carbon Center at the Bureau of Economic Geology. Originally from Ecuador, Jose obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from Escuela Politecnica Nacional, he is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He has a strong background in data analytics and its application in the Oil & Gas industry. Jose’s research work focuses on sandbox experiments, core-tomography and field-scale simulations to better understand the influence of heterogeneities in CO2 plume migration and trapping. Jose aspires to utilize his knowledge and expertise to make a significant impact in his home country, ultimately striving to establish a leading position in CCS initiatives.
Sarah Wigginton is a geoscientist for INTERA Inc. Sarah has an M.S. degree in Structural Geology and a BA with a double major in Earth Systems and Political Science. Sarah has extensive experience generating complex geologic models for oil & gas development/exploration and for environmental remediation. Sarah brings specialized experience in generation of 3D geologic framework models (Petrel, Decision Space, Kingdom, Leapfrog) and fault/top seal analysis. In her role at INTERA she focuses on reservoir evaluation for CCUS; she has conducted geologic screenings and feasibility studies for CCUS potential across the Western, Midwestern, and Southeastern United States. Her responsibilities include analysis of reservoir hydraulic properties from borehole data, subsurface mapping of hydrostratigraphic units, petrophysical property modeling, top seal evaluation, and fault seal evaluation. Sarah also specializes in researching, technical writing, and preparing geologic feasibility studies for potential CO2 sequestration.