Five students graduate from STEPS Program
Five students—Jonathan Weinert, Zhenhong (David) Lin, Nic Lutsey, Guihua Wang, and Ryohei Hinokuma—will have graduated from the STEPS Program by the end of Summer 2008. Each has been an integral part of the STEPS research team and has contributed to the debate on sustainable transportation and energy technologies in unique ways. The students promise to continue to do excellent work out in the professional world and are sure to become leaders in this emerging field. They will be sorely missed.
· Jonathan Weinert completed his Ph.D. in Transportation Technology and Policy in Fall 2007. His dissertation research focused on the transition to electric bikes in China, its causes, and the consequences on urban transportation, battery technology, and future market growth of this mode in other countries. After completing his Ph.D., Weinert joined the Chevron Technology Center in Richmond, CA, as a planning engineer. His main task in this role is to perform techno-economic analyses on emerging vehicle, fuel, and renewable energy technologies to assist in Chevron's strategic planning.
· Zhenhong (David) Lin completed his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2008. In his dissertation work, he studied the optimization of regional hydrogen transitions, for which he developed Hydrogen Infrastructure Transition (HIT) model. By using the HIT model, Lin analyzed the hydrogen transition in Southern California with respect to technology transition, economic feasibility, subsidy need, and cross-subsidy for the FCV industry, fuel accessibility and environmental impact. He is now working as a research staff scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN, where he will continue to do research on transportation energy issues.
· Nic Lutsey completed his Ph.D. in Transportation Technology and Policy in June 2008. For his dissertation, he created an analytical tool for evaluating technologies to reduce vehicle-related greenhouse gas emissions and compare those strategies with options in other economic sectors. Following the completion of his dissertation, Lutsey will work within the STEPS program as a post-doctoral researcher. His research plans include exploring the potential for co-benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies and possible compliance paths for a low-carbon fuel standard in California.
· Guihua Wang will complete his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering in August 2008. His dissertation research uses a lifecycle analysis approach to analyze potential air quality impacts of hydrogen and gasoline transportation fuels used in light duty vehicles, including impacts from fuel production, delivery, and vehicle use. Wang is currently on the job market and ultimately plans to take a research-related position in one of his fields of interest: Transportation engineering, Environmental engineering, Lifecycle analysis, Air quality, Hydrogen transportation fuel, Alternative energy, and Environmental and resource economics.
· Ryohei Hinokuma will complete his M.S. in Transportation Technology and Policy in September 2008. His research focuses on the utilization of wind energy through the use of battery electric vehicles and a demand response system on the island of San Cristobal, in the Galapagos. His goal is to determine the most economically and environmentally effective approach to minimize the consumption of diesel fuel, which supplies any of the load not met by the wind energy system. After completion of his degree, Ryohei is interested in pursuing a career that promotes the distribution of clean alternative energy or zero emission vehicles in developing nations, especially China.
Donald Gautier, USGS geologist, presents on petroleum in the arctic