MINH LE, Chief Engineer
SunShot Initiative, Solar Energy Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Minh Le manages the Solar Energy Technologies Program's portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment to achieve the goals of the SunShot Initiative, a collaborative national program tasked with making solar energy technologies cost-competitive with other forms of energy by reducing the cost of solar energy systems by 75 percent before 2020. Prior to his current role at the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Minh spent his career in industry developing technologies and scaling new technologies to high volume manufacturing. He earned his SB and SM degrees from MIT, where he held fellowships by the U.S. Dept. of Defense, U.S. Dept. of Education, and the Bose Foundation.

Smart Grid/Energy Storage Track

Guy AlLee, New Mexico Microgrid Lab Manager
Energy Systems Research, Intel Labs

A computer industry veteran with more than 25 years experience in computer architecture, hardware, and software, Guy AlLee is a Research Scientist in Intel Labs, Intel’s research arm. He recently moved to New Mexico to open Intel Labs’ New Mexico Microgrid Lab, part of the Energy Systems Research Lab which envisions the smart-grid with energy-smart homes and offices and neighborhoods as the next big inflection point since PCs, cell phones and the Internet. He holds a BSEE, an MSECE and is currently an ECE Doctoral Candidate at Portland State University.

Design Innovations from Building Science Track

John Breshears, Architectural Applications

As an architect and mechanical engineer, John Breshears specializes in creating healthy, environmentally friendly, and high performance buildings. His background enables him to integrate architectural intentions, engineering metrics, evidence-based design data, and a host of other design concerns into facilities of outstanding quality. Among his built projects are the Environmental Protection Agency - Region 8 Headquarters in Denver, CO, aspects of which were awarded an Architect Magazine R&D Award. John is currently engaged in design assistance on such projects as the new Li Ka-Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences at the University of California Berkeley, the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University in Durham, NC, and an energy-saving air conditioning system funded by ARPA-e.

Innovation-Collaboration Challenge 

Johanna Brickman, Sustainable Built Environment Program Manager, Oregon BEST

Johanna Brickman leads the Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Program, including prioritization of research and investment agendas to achieve economic strength in Oregon. She leads the Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Research Consortium, assembles applied research teams, acts as a liaison to complementary regional and national organizations, and serves as an advocate to policy makers, industry and university partners, nonprofits and the media.  Prior to joining Oregon BEST, Johanna served for nine years as Associate Partner and Director of Sustainability at ZGF Architects.

Innovation-Collaboration Challenge 

Ralph DiNola, Principal & LEED Faculty, Green Building Services

Ralph DiNola brings 17 years of green building and design expertise to clients of Green Building Services, where he is a principal. He is widely recognized for his ability to deliver high level green building strategies and forge effective working relationships among members of national and international project teams. His proven record of achieving clarity around green building objectives has enabled clients to implement the most meaningful and valuable solutions for their specific project.

Commercialization Case Study

Terri Fiez, Cofounder, Azuray Technologies; Director, OSU School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Terri Fiez holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oregon State University, where she currently directs the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. From 2008 to 2009 she co-founded and served as CEO of Azuray Technologies, a Portland, ORegon startup developing smart panel electronics for solar photovoltaics. Since returning to OSU in 2009, she has assumed a leadership role for OSU's Center for Sustainable Energy and Infrastructure (SENERGI). She has been very active as a researcher in high performance analog signal processing integrated circuits and innovative engineering education approaches.

Bioenergy Track

Michelle Girts, President, EnTranRight, LLC

As the former vice president and area manager of the Portland office of CH2M HILL, Michelle Girts provided leadership for a wide range of engineering, environmental, and planning projects in transportation and water infrastructure, high-tech industrial design, environmental remediation, energy, telecommunications, and enterprise management systems. As president of EnTranRight, she now uses her skills and experience in intangible asset management - including intellectual property and development rights - to create success for organizations across a wide range of industries. She is a member of the Oregon Innovation Council Advisory Board, as well as past chair of the Oregon Engineering and Technology Industry Council and a former Oregon International Trade Commissioner.

Design Innovations from Building Science Track

Corey Griffin, Assistant Professor of Architecture
Portland State Univeristy

With degrees from UC Berkeley and Stanford, Corey Griffin teaches design, structures, and building technology courses. He studies the potential of integrating architectural design with engineering and construction to create more sustainable built environments. His structures courses focus on decisions architects make that can reduce the environmental impact of a building. In his research, Griffin focuses on building longevity and the role of structure in integrated design as critical components of sustainable architecture

Green Chemistry & Green Materials Track 

Daniel Haas, Preconstruction Manager, Skanska

Dan Haas has 23 years of experience in large-scale commercial and healthcare projects. He serves as North American representative of Skanska’s Green Construction GSU (Global Support Unit) and has published articles on green topics. He speaks internationally on sustainable building issues and is a LEED Accredited Professional, a member of Skanska’s Green Council, Healthcare Center of Excellence, Environmental Performance Network, European Energy Performance Network, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Energy Efficiency in Buildings initiative.

Bioenergy Track

David Hackleman, Faculty, School of Chemical, Biological & Evironmental Engineering, Oregon State University

David Hackleman holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Since retiring as Chief Technologist, Technology Development Operation at Hewlett-Packard in Corvallis, he as worked at Oregon State University's College of Engineering where is research focus is on biofuels and bioenergy.

Smart Grid/Energy Storage Track

Jeff Hammarlund, Adjunct Associate Professor
Portland State University

Jeff Hammarlund is an Adjunct Associate Professor at PSU's Mark Hatfield School of Government, a Senior Research Fellow at PSU's Executive Leadership Institute, and the president of Northwest Energy and Environmental Strategies, a small consulting firm. A former guest scholar at the Brookings Institution, Hammarlund is co-author of The Political Economy of Energy Policy and has written numerous other academic and professional publications on energy and environmental policy and planning. He teaches graduate courses on energy, environmental and natural resource policy.

Design Innovations from Building Science Track

Lucas Hamilton, CertainTeed

Lucas J. Hamilton is manager of building science applications with Valley Forge, PA-based CertainTeed Corp.'s Insulation Group. He has more than 20 years' construction product manufacturing experience, including researching and developing construction materials and building performance computer simulations.

Energy Technologies Track: Solar

Jamie Hudson, President, Tau Science

Prior to founding Tau Science, Jamie worked in management roles in the marketing and engineering departments of Molecular Imaging and FEI Company. He holds a BS in Chemistry from U.C., Berkeley, an MBA from the University of Oregon, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cornell University.

Green Chemistry & Green Materials Track  

Jim Hutchison, Professor of Chemistry, University of Oregon

Jim Hutchison holds the Lokey-Harrington Chair in Chemistry at the UO and is the Associate Vice President for Research and Strategic Initiatives. His research interests include green chemistry, materials chemistry, and nanoscience. He led development of the UO's nation-leading curriculum in "green" (environmentally-benign) organic chemistry, launched the university’s pioneering Center in Green Nanoscience, and is a member of the Governing Board of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute.

Water: Innovation Toward Net Zero Track

Todd Jarvis, Associate Director
Institute for Water & Watersheds, Oregon State University

Todd Jarvis has 20 years of experience as a hydrogeologist specializing in groundwater development and source water protection. With professional licenses as a Certified Engineering Geologist and Certified Mediator, his interests include transboundary aquifers, environmental conflict resolution, and education in water science and policy. In addition to helping direct the Institute for Water & Watersheds, he is also a member of the faculty of the OSU Water Resources Graduate Program in Water Resources Science and Water Resources Policy and Management.

Introductory Remarks

David Kenney, President & Executive Director, Oregon BEST

Prior to joining Oregon BEST, David Kenney held a wide range of roles during a 12-year tenure at Intel Corporation, including finance, project management, and business/organizational operations. He helped build Intel Solution Services, a technical consulting organization, to an organization operating in more than ten countries worldwide. He also co-founded and led the Intel Employee Sustainability Network. Before joining Intel, he was a Senior Consultant with Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group in Portland, working with federal and local government clients. He holds an MBA and Certificate of Public Management from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

Energy Technologies Track: Solar 

Stephen Kevan, Professor of Physics, University of Oregon

Steve Kevan holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from UC, Berkeley and worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories for six years before joining the faculty at the UO in 1986, where his research program focuses on experimental studies of the electronic, structural, and dynamical properties of natural and synthetic low-dimensional material systems. A current research project, funded in part by Oregon BEST, is exploring ways to improve the conversion efficiency of sunlight in a photovoltaic device by taking the electrons produced by high-energy photons and converting them into additional electrons inside the PV device.

Natural Resources Panel

Catherine Mater, Sustainability Programs Director
Oregon State University College of Engineering

In addition to her position at OSU, Catherine Mater also serves president of Mater Engineering and is a Senior Fellow to the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, where she provides expertise in the development of new engineering technologies and marketing strategies for secondary wood products. She has assisted product manufacturers in identifying markets for sustainably harvested “green certified” wood products, and served as project manager for all certification pilot projects conducted on public forestlands in the U.S.

Energy Technologies Track: Solar 

Glenn Montgomery, Executive Director
Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association (OSEIA)

Glenn Montgomery brought more than 23 years of experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors to the OSEIA when he joined the organization in 2010. He has served as a consultant to Energy Trust of Oregon and the Portland Development Commission. As the Sustainable Development Liaison for the State of Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (now Business Oregon), he developed new initiatives to support "green development" in the built environment and energy industries. He holds a BS in Computer Applications Management and spent 10 years working in the software industry.

Green Chemistry & Green Materials Track

Erin Moore, Professor of Architecture, University of Oregon 

Erin Moore serves on the Leadership Team of the the Green Product Design Network at the UO, coordinating the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Working Group, with the mission to build capacity, collaboration, and expertise in life cycle assessment. In association with industry practitioners, Moore is currently conducting a comparative LCA of the construction materials in low operations energy multi-family housing. She recently published a study on the lifecycle environmental impacts of a building designed for deconstruction. Moore teaches the Ecology of Building Materials and Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment for Design.

Water: Innovation Toward Net Zero Track 

Pete Muñoz, Senior Engineer, Natural Systems International

With degrees in biosystems engineering and environmental engineering, Pete Muñoz, has focused his career on the development of sustainable water infrastructure. His expertise includes decentralized wastewater treatment, stormwater management, constructed wetlands, ecological design, eco-footprinting, and climate change solutions. At Natural Systems International, Pete oversees the company's engineering and design projects and plays a key role in managing water audits and water infrastructure sustainability projects. He has also been involved with the creation of the Living Building Challenge, version 2.0, by focusing on the integration and criteria of the water requirements.

Bioenergy Track

Ganti Murthy, Assistant Professor
Dept. of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University

Ganti Murthy's areas of specialization include: energy from renewable bioresources, control of dynamic systems, process modeling & simulation, and microwave heating. An Oregon BEST Member Faculty, his current research includes the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies to utilize renewable bioresources for economically viable production of fuels and value added coproducts. View a video and read about his research into growing bioplastics in poplar trees.

Water: Innovation Toward Net Zero Track

Mark Owen, CEO, Puralytics

Mark Owen's Beaverton, OR-based company Puralytics is pioneering a new photochemical technology for water purification by combining the latest technological innovations with advanced engineering. Their water purification products effectively remove emerging contaminants such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, eliminate heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury, and provide disinfection of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

Design Innovations from Building Science Track 

Sergio Palleroni, Professor & Fellow Portland State University's Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices; Co-founder, BaSiC Initiative

Sergio Palleroni has worked on housing and community development since the 1970s, for not-for-profit, governmental, and international development and relief agencies such as the United Nations and the World Bank, as well as the governments of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, India, and Taiwan. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and design work for underserved communities, including the National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institution and the White House. His books include Time & Other Constructs: The Work of Carlos Miijares; Studio at Large: Architecture in Service of Global Communities; and Teaching Sustainability in Asia.

Green Chemistry & Green Materials Track

Jordan Palmeri, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality

An environmental scientist with the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality, Jordan Palmeri has worked for federal and state governments on forestry, water quality, site cleanup, and greenbuilding topics. His current efforts focus on reducing the lifecycle environmental impacts of building material consumption. He uses holistic thinking and analysis to promote greenbuilding practices in the design, construction, remodel, and deconstruction of residential buildings. He holds a master's degree in Environmental Science from Tulane University.

Bioenergy Track

Steve Potochnik, Co-founder, Trillium FiberFuels, Inc.

Steve Potochnik, the lead process developer at Trillium FiberFuels, has developed technologies for the conversion of biomass to ethanol and other products since 2006. Prior to starting Trillium, he did research at Hewlett-Packard on inkjet and micro-device systems. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado and has seven issued patents and expertise in catalysis, surface chemistry, materials, microelectromechnaical systems (MEMS) and, increasingly, more traditional chemical process development and scale-up.

Natural Resources Panel

Bob Rogers, Renewable Energy Engineer
Lake County Resources Initiative

Based in Lakeview, Oregon, Bob Rogers has helped Lake County develop its renewable energy resources to become a “zero energy” County by 2013. He holds a master's in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and has taught at Cal Poly University and the Oregon Institute of Technology, where he helped develop the Oregon Renewable Energy Center and worked for the Oregon Geo-Heat Center. He has been involved in the design of many renewable energy systems, from the remodel of the Boise, ID State Capitol geothermal heating systems to his own off-grid solar photovoltaic house. He helped develop two of Oregon’s most well known “net-zero” energy homes: the Rose House and the Cannon Beach Cottage. In 2004 he was recognized in Oregon Business Magazine as one of “Oregon’s 50 Great Leaders”.

Bioenergy Track

Susan Safford, Operations Director, Oregon BEST

As Operations Director for the Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center, Susan Safford collaborates with Oregon BEST’s president/executive director, management team, and faculty to run the programs that are driving Oregon BEST’s mission of transforming university research discoveries into new green building and renewable energy products, companies, and jobs. She leads Oregon BEST’s activities to accelerate the commercialization of new bioenergy technologies (including biomass, biogas, biofuels, and bioproducts). Her responsibilities also include management of Oregon BEST’s financial and administrative systems, consultants, and contracts, as well as coordination of the Oregon BEST Shared-User Research Facilities network. 

Water: Innovation Toward Net Zero Track

Katie Spataro, Cascadia Green Building Council

Katie has more than 15 years of experience working in the building industry as a construction project manager, program manager, and green building consultant to support her role at Cascadia, where she provides research on code and regulatory pathways in support of green building. Working collaboratively across jurisdictional boundaries, Katie’s efforts to address obstacles and identify solutions to more sustainable development practices has assisted in the creation of policies, programs and code-related curriculum around the region. Katie holds a BS in Construction Engineering and Management from Purdue University, a certificate in permaculture design, and is a certified Sustainable Building Advisor.

Energy Technologies Track: Solar

Carl Wamser, Professor of Chemistry
Portland State University

Carl Wamser researches methods of artificial photosynthesis, imagining and improving the materials and processes used to absorb and convert sunlight into energy. His current research includes a National Science Foundation-funded project examining the possible synergies when solar panels are installed on eco-roofs. Another NSF-funded project explores how certain materials can be used to fabricate and coat nanofibers, which could then be incorporated into next-generation solar cells.

Adam Zimmerman, Sr. Vice President, Enterpise Cascadia

Adam Zimmerman manages Enterprise Cascadia’s Energy Efficiency lending program, working closely with a broad variety of public and private partners to deliver capital for energy efficiency projects throughout the Northwest. Enterprise Cascadia is a certified non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) serving urban and rural communities of Oregon and Washington. In 2002 he created a Sustainability Index for the State of Oregon, basing his work on the ground-breaking data aggregation efforts of the Oregon Progress Board. The project yielded a state-wide “index of sustainability” that informed the Progress Board’s effort to comply with the Governor’s Executive Order on Sustainability.