External Advisory Board

The Institute Advisory Board advises the University of Maryland on the management of the Institute and consists of nine members: 1) the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Clean Energy Center; 2) the Director of the Institute; and seven members selected by the University of Maryland based on expertise in energy technology commercialization, the clean energy industry, venture capital financing, and energy research.

Adjunct Professor, Columbia University in the City of New York
Principal and Co-Founder, Vicaris Energy and Technology
Formerly General Manager - The Americas, Global CCS Institute
Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy, U.S. DOE (retired)
 

Dr. Victor K. Der completed a distinguished 37-year career of leadership, achievement, and promoting international cooperation in science, research and development at the United States Department of Energy. He retired as Assistant Secretary (acting) for Fossil Energy, with responsibilities for office operations and managing the oversight of Fossil Energy's Research and Development program, which includes one of the world’s foremost coal and carbon capture research efforts, as well as the vitally important U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Dr. Der also served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, where he helped provide strategic planning, direction, and guidance for FE’s daily activities, as well as its long-term goals and objectives.

During his DOE career, he developed and implemented several key programs within the Office of Fossil Energy. Prior to becoming the Principal Deputy, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary forClean Coal, where he was responsible for directing clean coal R&D. Included in these responsibilities were implementation of energy technology and policy initiatives relating to clean coal utilization and its role in climate change mitigation, carbon capture and storage, and fuel cells. His earlier positions at DOE also included management of programs in advanced nuclear energy, nuclear waste management, superconductivity, and magnetohydrodynamics.

As General Manager for the Americas at the Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute,he was responsible for the operations and membership in the Americas regional office which focused on programs for promoting CCS through policy advocacy, thought leadership forums and knowledge dissemination.

Vic is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia.

He also is a principal co-founder of Vicaris Energy and Technology, LLC, a venture capital entity focusing on new technology start-ups, and advising domestic and international clients instrategic low-carbon energy technology, projects and policy.

He holds a bachelor of science, a master of science, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland and is based in the greater metropolitan area of Washington, D.C.

 

Vice Chair of the Maryland Clean Energy Center Board (Interim Chair)
Portfolio Manager - Cornerstone Advisory

Mike is a Portfolio Manager at Cornerstone Advisory, a Boutique Wealth Management firm headquartered in the Baltimore Area. In this role, he is responsible for initiating and managing client relationships. Prior to joining Cornerstone Advisory, Mike was a Business Development Analyst with Bessemer Trust.He currently serves on the Board of Maryland Family Network, as well as the Clemson University Club of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Mike earned an M.B.A. from the Robert H. Smith School at the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in Political Science from Clemson University.

Cell Development Manager, Saft America

Patrick McGrath is the Program Director for Climate Tech at The Schmidt Family Foundation.  Pat has spent his career in R&D for low-carbon energy technologies.  Most recently, Pat has served as an advisor to climate tech companies and investment funds across a range of sectors and development stages.  Pat was previously the Deputy Director for Technology at ARPA-E in the U.S. Department of Energy, where he led a diverse staff of technical and commercialization experts to develop and deploy next-generation energy technologies.  In his time at ARPA-E, Pat oversaw new program initiatives in long duration energy storage, advanced fission and fusion technologies, flexible carbon capture, advanced grid optimization, renewable generation, and low-GHG agriculture.  Prior to ARPA-E, Pat served as a technical advisor to DARPA on power and energy technologies for defense applications.  Pat completed a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and a BS in Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia.

Director, Maryland Energy Administration
 

Paul Pinsky was appointed by Governor Moore to be the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration and he took office on January 18, 2023.

Prior to his appointment as director, he was elected to the Maryland State Senate seven times. As a senator, he chaired the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. He has also served on the Maryland Commission on Climate Change since its inception.

As senator, he sponsored the landmark Climate Solutions Now legislation, passed in 2022,  which requires Maryland to slash emissions 60% by 2031 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. He was also the lead sponsor of: the watershed 2006 Healthy Air Act which included mandating Maryland’s membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI); legislation codifying the Climate Commission; and the 2009 and 2016 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Acts. He also co-sponsored the Clean Energy Jobs Act to require Maryland to obtain at least 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

 
 
 

 

Siemens Corporate Technology
755 College Rd E
Princeton, NJ 08540

 

CEO, Maryland Tech Council

Kelly Schulz is the CEO of the Maryland Tech Council, the largest technology and life science trade association in the state. As Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Labor, she witnessed firsthand Maryland’s global leadership in technology and life science innovation. She also served as a Maryland state delegate from 2011-2015.

Vice-President of Corporate Strategy, Constellation

Wright is the Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Constellation. She is responsible for the development of the enterprise strategy at Constellation, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy and the leading competitive supplier of energy products and services to 2 million homes and businesses across the United States. In this role, Wright also advances new technologies, policies, and business model transformations through partnerships, grants and research and development. Prior to this role, Wright served as Director of Corporate Strategy; Chief of Staff to William A. Von Hoene, Jr., Exelon’s Chief Strategy Officer; and held roles in Government Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy at Exelon. 


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