Expert Details
Science/ Engineering: Structural Materials, Hydraulic Fracturing, Oil and Gas, Environmental Issues, and Cement and Concrete
ID: 735737
Oregon, USA
Computing and Software Competencies:
MATLAB, C++, Optimization Methods, Linear Programming, COMSOL, Geospatial Statistics, Big Data, Reactive Transport, Python, Machine Learning, Uncertainty Analysis, R/Splus/JMP Pro, Java, Graph Theory, Numerical Modeling, Image Analysis, ArcGIS, NLP Methods, Open FOAM, Linux
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2019 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Civil and Construction Engineering | Institution: Oregon State University |
| Year: 2013 | Degree: MS | Subject: Geophysics | Institution: University of Pittsburgh |
| Year: 2005 | Degree: JD | Subject: Law | Institution: Duquesne University |
| Year: 2002 | Degree: BA | Subject: Computational Linguistics | Institution: The Ohio State University |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2020 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Assistant Professor | Department: Engineering and Design and Institute for Energy Studies |
Responsibilities:Appointments in Institute for Energy Studies, Engineering and Design, and Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center. Develop and teach courses, advise and mentor students on topics related to energy, and engineering, and perform independent research and scholarship in the domain of renewable energy. Current work includes cement chemistry, thermal energy storage, and thermodynamics. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2020 | Employer: Oregon State University | Title: PhD Research Associate | Department: Civil and Construction Engineering |
Responsibilities:Develop and implement novel computational models to describe and predict reaction and reactive-transport phenomenon in cement-based materials. Work includes a thermodynamic model to predict cement properties (pore size, phase volumes, pore water alkalinity, chemical shrinkage) in mixtures containing supplementary cement materials (SCMs), and a kinetic model to predict dissolution and reaction of SCMs. SCMs are a lower cost, environmentally responsible alternative to cement, but to date little work has been done to tie SCM kinetics to cement properties and performance. Other work includes reactive-transport modeling of reactive species in concrete, and corrosion modeling with applicability to concrete and utility infrastructure. Expert has regularly communicated and presented work at scientific meetings and to staff and research sponsors. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2016 to 2019 | Employer: Oregon Public Utility Commission | Title: Senior Energy and Utility Analyst (Regulator) | Department: Energy |
Responsibilities:Monitored, analyzed, researched, and evaluated utility company energy resource and engineering-based filings for the state of Oregon to ensure compliance with relevant state and federal energy and environmental regulations. Developed policies associated with natural gas energy resource planning, including evaluating utility stochastic and deterministic modeling, and considering cost effectiveness, system stability, and system reliability. Expert also evaluated energy efficiency, avoided cost, and other economic/policy matters. Recommended actions regarding state energy and emergency preparedness policies. Presented and testified at public meetings on matters related to energy resources and compliance with regulations. Supervised staff and projects. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2012 to 2016 | Employer: US Department of Energy/ORISE | Title: ORISE Research Fellow | Department: Geologic and Environmental Science/Structural Materials |
Responsibilities:Developed analytical and mathematical models for engineered and natural materials and systems, including spatial, temporal and physics-based models in order to bridge the gap between experimental and computational aspects of materials science. For example, Expert developed a physics-based model to compute the energetics of foamed wellbore cement design and mixing processes in the lab and field, and related differences between lab and field-based physics to the experimentally determined physical structures and mechanical performance of the cements. Expert also served as a technical expert on a multi-agency Task Force convened to examine natural gas storage wellbore integrity. In this role as technical expert, Expert helped to organize a workshop attended by federal stakeholders (including the Undersecretary of Energy), state regulators, industry, and environmental groups; presented technical results from my wellbore modeling work; and assisted in the preparation of a report for examination by Congress. In addition to the Task Force, Expert has also led work groups on multi-DOE lab efforts, such as the NETL/Sandia/LANL collaboration responsible for developing statistical methods to assess the relationship between induced seismicity from subsurface injection. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2010 to 2011 | Employer: University of Pittsburgh | Title: Research Associate | Department: Geology and Planetary Science |
Responsibilities:Developed and tested research questions and modeling techniques related to human/environmental risk assessment using GIS; Used remote sensing (aeromagnetic) and tabular based map data to perform geospatial analysis. Modeled flow and transport in porous media. Performed geochemical assays. Specific focus on impacts from hydraulic fracturing. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2010 | Employer: Ernst & Young and others | Title: Regulatory Attorney/Analyst | Department: Tax |
Responsibilities:Performed legal research using LexisNexis online database; Analyzed case law regarding the corporate opportunity doctrine and summarized relevant cases; Developed and applied qualitative and quantitative asset protection and tax reduction strategies for international business clients: completed transfer pricing studies, developed audit defense strategies; Interacted with clients, regulators, investigators, and developed and maintained business relationships. |
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Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2012 to 2016 | Agency: United States Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory | Role: ORISE Research Fellow | Description: Fellowship to perform research at US DOE/NETL |
| Years: 2016 to 2019 | Agency: Oregon Public Utility Commission | Role: Sr. Energy and Utility Analyst | Description: Analyst/Utility Regulator |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Concrete Institute (ACI) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Maryland Law License, current |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Courses Taught: Physical Geology, University of Pittsburgh – instructor of record for laboratory section Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate: Energy Systems Modeling, University of Pittsburgh – instructor of record for laboratory section Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue, Pacific Northwest Mountaineers – volunteer instructor Avalanche safety and education, Pacific Northwest Mountaineers – volunteer instructor |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| • RSP Summer Research Grant – Merit-based research award. • UV/Vis Photospectrometer, STS – Equipment award. • AEES Summer Curriculum Development Program – Funding to develop inclusive student-centered teaching strategies for ENGD 225, shared with Dr Tarek Algeddawy. • ACI Wason Medal for Materials Research – Honor bestowed by the Board of Directors of the American Concrete Research Institute. • ASTM International Mather Scholarship – Competitive merit-based scholarship for demonstrated contributions in cement or concrete materials technology. • National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship – Alternate Selectee. • PacTrans Fellowship (2 years) – The PacTrans fellowship is an annual merit-based cash award for contributions to civil engineering research offered by the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. • University Laurels Block Grant – The UGLBG program is a competitive tuition remission scholarship administered by the Oregon State University Graduate School awarded based on student merit. • Provosts Distinguished Graduate Student Scholarship – The Provost’s Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Program is a prestigious Oregon State University fellowships, and is comprised of twelve-month stipends, plus tuition scholarships and subsidized health insurance for one year. • ARCS Foundation Scholar (3 years) – ARCS Awards are unrestricted cash awards to the top students in approved departments of science, engineering and medical research at academic partner universities, and are based upon merit, funded by the ARCS Foundation. • Certificate of Merit, Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy – Certificate of Recognition from Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy for foamed cement work published in the Journal of Petroleum Technology. • Society of Petroleum Engineers, STAR Fellowship – Four-year cash award in recognition of excellence in energy related research. • Mascaro Center for Sustainable Energy – Travel grant to present research findings at American Geophysical Union Conference. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Publications: 22 Presentations: 18 |
Additional Experience
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Seminar on how to give expert witness testimony, Oregon PUC 2017 |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Several years of legal/business consulting with Ernst & Young and other firms |
Fields of Expertise
Oil and Gas Engineering, air-entrained cement, aluminosilicate cement, cement, cement chemistry, biogeochemistry, environmental geophysics, building construction regulation, electric power utility, energy efficiency, natural gas, construction, fly ash modified concrete, coal (fuel), clean coal, equilibrium thermodynamics, ceramic thermodynamic property, environmental statistics