Presentations Now Available for 2/5 Clean Energy and Sustainability Extravaganza at George Mason University

Moderator

Janine Finnell, Clean Energy Ambassador and Founder, Leaders in Energy

Janine Finnell is known for her extensive domestic and international experience in the clean energy and sustainability arena and her passion, commitment, and vision in furthering the development of a sustainable energy system, economy, and world. As the Founder and Clean Energy Ambassador for Leaders in Energy, she seeks to connect change leaders to enable sustainable solutions. Leaders in Energy has attracted 1900+ members worldwide through LinkedIn and 1200+ professionals in the Washington DC Metro area. Click here to “Join Our Leaders in Energy Community”). Key building blocks of the organization involve utilizing systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration, recognizing the important role of talent and leadership across all generations, and helping to connect members on green job and business opportunities. Ms. Finnell’s experience includes working at a state energy office, serving as a Foreign Service Officer, and employment at IBM, DynCorp International, the Institute of Energy Analysis, and other management and technology firms. Ms. Finnell serves on the Board of the Association of Energy Engineer’s National Capital Chapter representing its Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership.

Panelists

Joanne Ivancic, Advanced Biofuels USA Executive Director

Ms. Ivancic, has lived and worked in the Washington area for nearly 40 years. She graduated from George Washington University National Law Center, worked for Senator Charles Grassley under his chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and has served as a lobbyist for Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., an enzyme development company working to convert agricultural waste into value-added advanced biofuels. On Capitol Hill, with executive agencies, and in other public forums she promotes advanced biofuels understanding, research, production and use.

Ms. Ivancic has observed the development of advanced biofuels research and financing for about 20 years. In April 2008 she co-founded Advanced Biofuels USA to fill a gap in public understanding and perception about biofuels, to emphasize the potential of truly renewable sustainable “next generation” or “advanced” biofuels. “People knew about corn-ethanol and biodiesel, but they didn’t-and don’t-know much about advanced biofuels,” she explains. “We aim to change that.” She has earned a spot in Biofuels Digest’s “Top 100 in the Bioeconomy” for the past six years.

Gail H. Marcus, Ph.D., Independent Consultant

Dr. Marcus is an Independent Consultant on nuclear power technology and policy. She has over 35 years of experience, including nearly 30 years working on nuclear regulation and development, both for U.S. government agencies and for an international agency. During the course of her career, she has served as Deputy Director-General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris; Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology; Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan; in various senior management positions in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and as Assistant Chief of the Science Policy Research Division at the Congressional Research Service.

Dr. Marcus has also served as President of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), as Chair of the Engineering Section of AAAS, and as the resident faculty member of the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering. She is a Fellow of the ANS and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and received the first Gail de Planque Women’s Achievement Award. Dr. Marcus recently authored a book, Nuclear Firsts: Milestones on the Road to Nuclear Power Development, which has been recognized by ASME with its Engineer-Historian Award. Dr. Marcus has an S.B. and S.M. in Physics, and an Sc.D. in Nuclear Engineering, all from MIT. She is the first woman to earn a doctorate in nuclear engineering in the United States.

Dr. Elaine Ulrich, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Energy

Dr. Ulrich is a program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy where she leads the SunShot balance of systems/soft costs team. Her team which works to reduce the non-hardware (soft costs) of solar, lower barriers to solar adoption, and foster market growth through support for state and local development and technical assistance programs; information and data assets; finance and business model development; workforce and training programs; and policy and regulatory analysis.

A former American Physical Society/American Association for the Advancement of Science policy fellow, Dr. Ulrich has spent the past few years working on renewable energy. She previously held positions in the office of former U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, the Energy Department’s Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis, and in the office of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, where she worked to build a comprehensive solar energy portfolio. Dr. Ulrich holds a B.A. in physics from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in optical science from the University of Arizona

Ms. Seema Wadhwa, Assistant Vice President of Sustainability and Wellness for Inova Health System

Ms. Wadhwa is the Assistant Vice President of Sustainability and Wellness for Inova Health System. Ms. Wadhwa embraces health and wellness as core drivers for sustainability and her strategic planning and management efforts have demonstrated multi-million dollar savings and measurable impacts. Ms. Wadhwa has influenced the national conversation on sustainability in healthcare while leading the Healthier Hospitals Initiative from launch to over 1300 hospitals enrolled across the nation.

She began her career as a Civil Engineer working to build communities and now works to build healthier communities. She has a passion for sharing knowledge and co-authored the first book for leadership in the field of healthcare sustainability. Her publications also include material in variety of books on topics ranging from teaching sustainability to sustainability in managerial ethics. She has been quoted in national publications including Modern Healthcare, Becker’s Review and Healthcare Finance. She is an accomplished public speaker and has been included on panels and roundtables at The White House and other national venues. Ms. Wadhwa is most fulfilled when serving in the local and global community. She co-founded the Lullaby Project, which has provided over 1000 free blankets to babies in the US and around the world and continues on its mission. She also serves on the board of the US Green Building Council – National Capital Region. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering concentrating on Environmental/Water Resources from the University of Alberta, Canada.

Meet Our Showcase Emcee – Robin Robinson

Robin Robinson joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2013 and provides technical support to the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve-Army Reserve Installation Management Directorate (DAAR-IMD). She has briefed senior leadership, written information papers on Army Reserve energy conservation activities, and researched renewable energy and net zero opportunities. She has over 10 years of experience providing Federal and state government clients with policy and budget issues relating to energy, environment, and strategic planning. Robin has expertise in planning and implementing energy projects, economic development projects, and sustainability programs with demonstrated ability to function both strategically and tactically. She strongly believes energy efficiency and sustainability projects can increase operational capacity at any organization.

Alexander Brodsky, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science, Volgenau School of Engineering, and Roberto Levy, Ph.D. Student. Dr. Brodsky will discuss the energy and sustainability courses offered in his department, and Mr. Levy will describe a project he is undertaking with Dr. Brodsky, Decision Analytics for Investments and Policy in Sustainable Energy.

Paul Houser, Ph.D., Co-Director, George Mason University’s Center for Energy Science and Policy; Associate Professor, Geography and Geoinformation Science Department. Dr. Houser will discuss the College of Science’s role in the Center and his research on energy and sustainability at the campus level and beyond.

Tyler Jenkins, Association of Energy Engineers – National Capital Chapter, Student President at George Mason University. Mr. Jenkins will discuss his student project, which focuses on operational design and cost analysis of decentralizing regional power grids with renewable technologies and utility scale energy storage systems (ESS) to achieve EPA emission standards outlined in the Clean Power Plan by 2030. This project will include trade-off analysis between the renewable ESS integration approach and switching high emission fuels with lower emitting fuels like natural gas.

Todd M. LaPorte, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Policy, Government and International Affairs. Dr. LaPorte will provide an overview of his climate policy and politics course, his current detail at the Environmental Protection Agency, and his research on climate change and governance.

Roger LeBlanc, Energy Outreach Coordinator, George Mason University; Sustainability Living Learning Community Coordinator; and LEED Green Associate. Mr. LeBlanc will provide an overview of George Mason University’s energy and sustainability efforts across its campuses.

Frank Manheim, Ph.D., Affiliate Professor, School of Government, Policy, and International Affairs. Dr. Manheim will provide a review of biomass production and national policies for leading nations.

Colin Reagle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Senior Academic Adviser, Volgenau School of Engineering.Dr. Reagle will discuss his research on renewable energy on campus and the biogas digester.

Dann Sklarew, Ph.D., Sustainability Coordinator, George Mason University; Associate Director, Potomac Environmental Research & Education Center; and Associate Professor, Applied Ecology & Sustainability Science. Dr. Sklarew will discuss the university’s academic programs and courses on business sustainability and sustainability in action, and practical applications for the university’s degrees in energy and sustainability.

Jennifer Sklarew, Ph.D., Senior Fellow for Energy Policy, George Mason University’s Center for Energy Science and Policy; Adjunct Professor, Environmental Science and Policy Department. Dr. Sklarew will provide an overview of the Center’s role in promoting interdisciplinary research on energy and sustainability. She also will describe the energy policy courses she teaches at Mason, as well as her own research on factors that promote and inhibit clean energy transitions, as well as potential opportunities for solutions to clean energy and water access challenges.

Krishnamurthy Vemuru, Ph.D., Term Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Physics Department.

Dr. Vemuru will provide an overview of the two classes he has taught. One is on Solar Cells (PHYS332) and the other on Fundamentals of Renewable Energy (PHYS331). If time permits, he will also discuss his research interests in renewable energy materials.

Annette Osso, LEED AP, Managing Director, Resilient Virginia is an environmental professional with an extensive background in green building and sustainable development. With Resilient Virginia, Ms. Osso is bringing resiliency resources to communities and businesses around the state. Ms. Osso led Virginia Sustainable Building Network for 18 years and has made major contributions to raising environmental and energy awareness at the state and national level. These include working with state agencies and private sponsors to create the Virginia Sustainable Future Conference series; developing and presenting sustainable community development workshops and technical training throughout the state and mid-Atlantic; and introducing a home builder Green certification program into Virginia.