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Biosketches
John P. Abraham, P.E.
John Abraham has been with EPA for 9 years and brings diverse experience in environmental, cost, and nuclear engineering fields gained from over 25 years as an environmental engineering consultant and in industry. John's career has included many efforts efforts for EPA encompassing research, policy/regulatory analysis and development, compliance and enforcement support, and cost-benefit analysis. Specific projects involved a wide variety of emissions and sources, e.g., development of background information for New Source Performance Standards (Industrial Fossil-Fuel-Fired Steam Generators), techniques and cost analyses for controlling radon emissions from uranium mill tailings, analyses of impacts and enforceability of proposed regulations (VOC emissions) on segments of the printing industry, EPA Region and Justice Department support of regulation enforcement, and BACT/LAER Clearinghouse data. Research project efforts ranged from SOx and NOx emission inventory estimates and analyses by sector for acid rain studies, studies of technologies for treating RCRA wastes, to the development of computer programs to generate cost estimates for hazardous waste cleanup technologies and control of emissions from electric power plants. For DOE, John was the Project Leader for development and implementation of the Cost Estimating System for the Independent Cost Estimating Staff. In other DOE efforts, he evaluated the technical and economic feasibility of converting industrial and utility boilers back to coal firing with consideration of environmental regulations, and directed various projects on visibility impacts of emission reductions via fuel switching and trace element emission estimation from coal firing. He has also prepared P2 studies and reports for both the Air Force and the Navy.
Diana Bless
Diana Bless is a staff member of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Systems Analysis Branch. Diana is a chemical engineer with 16 years of experience within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Her research interests focus on the biological removal of metals in mine drainage and the health/ecological impacts of mercury and arsenic contamination from abandoned mines. Diana serves as the Project Manager for the Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP). This congressionally mandated Mine Waste Technology Program oversees the research, development and deployment of innovative technologies to effectively deal with mine waste associated with active and abandoned mines.
Jane C. Bare
Jane Bare is the Impact Assessment and Measurement Team Leader for the SAB. Jane has been active in ISO 14042 (Life Cycle Impact Assessment) providing written and verbal comments to the U.S. position and representing the U.S. position. She is also one of 14 experts on the UNEP International Life Cycle Panel, which is the governing body of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. Jane is a chemical engineer with 21 years of experience within the U.S. EPA. Her research and development of Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) and the underlying impact assessment methodologies were recognized in April 2006 with the individual Gold Medal for Exceptional Service - the highest EPA honor award.
Dr. James T. Ciszewski
James received his Ph.D. (Organometallic Chemistry) in December 2004 at Michigan State University under Prof. Aaron L. Odom. His dissertation research involved high-oxidation state transition metal complexes, including titanium (IV) complexes as catalysts for the hydromamination of alkynes with primary amines. He also synthesized the first group 6 self-tethered alkylidene. Dr. Ciszewski has an extensive background in synthetic, physical, and analytical chemistry. His postdoctoral research at the US EPA concerns the use of spinning tube-in-tube reactors (STT, Kreido Biofuels) for the continuous, sustainable synthesis of commodity and fine chemicals.
Mary Ann Curran
Mary Ann Curran is the Life Cycle Assessment Research Program Manager for the SAB. Mary Ann has been with the EPA for 26 years and has worked in LCA research since 1990. She provides technical review and assistance both internally to EPA and to outside groups on LCA methodology development and application. She has participated in the technical peer review of industry-sponsored life-cycle studies, and has represented the Agency in international activities for establishing LCA-based guidance, including the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, as well as the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) which has been instrumental in encouraging the adoption of life cycle thinking in environmental management.Mary Ann serves on the editorial advisory boards for the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Progress. She has authored and co-authored numerous papers that address LCA concepts and applications, including editing a book entitled Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Journal of Cleaner Production, published by McGraw-Hill in July 1996, and has presented EPA’s activities in LCA-related research at technical meetings across the U.S. and in Europe.
Dr. David Meyer
David received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2006 as an NSF IGERT fellow. The focus of his research was the development of various nanocomposite materials for environmental separations ranging from ground water remediation to mercury removal. He has brought his knowledge of nanomaterials to the Systems Analysis Branch within the Office of Research and Development to study the potential life cycle impacts that can be attributed to the use of nanotechnologies. The ultimate goal of his work is the creation of a comprehensive integrated decision-making framework for the evaluation of nanotechnologies. This will require establishing a suitable system of valuation for nanomaterials relying on metrics that account for potential socioeconomical impacts in addition to traditional environmental impacts
Dr. Tricia Petras
Tricia is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Post Doctoral Researcher stationed at the United States Environmental Protection Agency where she is researching sustainable urban systems and metrics and indicators for sustainability. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in civil engineering (B.S.C.E., Ohio University; M.S., Syracuse University) and is a graduate of the School of Public Policy and Management (M.A.) and the John Glenn School of Public Affairs (Ph.D.) at The Ohio State University. In addition to research on the effects of sustainability, she also conducts research in the areas of economic development, housing, and urban policy. She has experience in land development and project management in both the private sector and public sector and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in public policy.
Dr. Michael A. Gonzalez
Michael, obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Texas – El Paso in 1992. He then went on to pursue his Doctorate in the area of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Florida. Under the direction of Professor Russell S. Drago, Michael performed and conducted research in the area of catalyst development for use in the production of industrially relevant chemicals, with an emphasis on pollution prevention. He was awarded his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry in 1997. He then joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1997 as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Post-Doctoral Fellow. He then joined EPA permanently in 1999. Michael then served as a primary investigator for the Green Chemistry and Engineering for Chemical Synthesis project. His research efforts are focused on the development of sustainable chemical processes which incorporate a holistic view of the on-going chemistry and processing. His areas of expertise include green catalyst development, catalytic processes for the oxygenation of saturated hydrocarbons, biorenewables as a potential feedstock for chemical production and the use of water as a reaction medium. Michael is currently the Branch Chief for the Systems Analysis Branch.
Dr. Raymond L. Smith
Ray Smith is a Chemical Engineer within the Systems Analysis Branch. He obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering in the area of process design from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Ray develops sustainability indicators and metrics for evaluating process designs, green chemistries and technologies, and buildings. He also works on hierarchical methods to increase the usability of life cycle assessment, new methodologies in impact assessment, and analyses of recycling processes in the field of industrial ecology. Publications are available upon request.