Speaker: Dr. Paul Anastas, Audrey Russo, Steve Winberg
Dr. Paul T. Anastas, known as the father of Green Chemistry, joined Yale University as Professor in the Practice of Green Chemistry with appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Chemical Engineering. In addition, Prof. Anastas serves as the Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale.
From 2004 -2006, Dr. Anastas served as Director of the Green Chemistry Institute in Washington, D.C. He was previously the Assistant Director for the Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Trained as a synthetic organic chemist, Dr. Anastas is credited with establishing the green chemistry movement during his time working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the Director of the U.S. Green Chemistry Program. Recognizing that wastes released into the environment represent an economic investment for manufacturers, he sought to redesign benign chemical processes and products at the molecular level, thereby eliminating potential wastes before they are ever produced. His work is credited with having eliminated millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, saved millions of gallons of water, and eliminated millions of pounds of carbon dioxide that otherwise would have been released into the air.
Steve Winberg is the Vice President for CONSOL Energy Research & Development, which focuses on energy development, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. CONSOL is the only U.S. coal company with an R&D department. Mr. Winberg has 29 years of experience in the energy industry, ranging from power generation equipment design and installation to use of innovative fuels. He has worked on a variety of emerging energy initiatives including coal-to-liquids, greenhouse gas reduction technology, fluidized bed combustion, emulsified fuels, fuel cells and coal-water slurry applications.
Steve sits on the FutureGen Industrial Alliance Board of Directors and serves as the Secretary/Treasurer. He has represented the gas industry on EPA’s Acid Rain Advisory Committee and participated in various regulatory rulemaking initiatives involving end-use application of natural gas. Steve also holds two patents related to NOx emissions reduction using coal and natural gas.
CONSOL Energy is a multi-energy producer of coal, gas and electricity. CONSOL produces both high-BTU coal and gas, which collectively fuels two-thirds of all U.S. power generation, from reserves located mainly east of the Mississippi River.
Audrey Russo started as president and chief executive officer at the Pittsburgh Technology Council in early October of 2007. She brought with her a unique mix of experience that included responsibilities for profit and loss, business processes, contract negotiations, client relationships, project management, business development and resource management. As a senior-level human resources and information technology strategist, she led successful efforts to deploy and optimize global IT systems and improve global access to information. She has taught at the university level, and her previous employers and clients run the gamut from entrepreneurial tech to public service non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. The intersection of her varied experience is perfectly suited to lead the Pittsburgh Technology Council at its 25-year mark into a future that will emphasize service and a return on Council member's investment.
Four areas of broad focus within the Pittsburgh region serve as beacons. Objectives include a more competitive business climate, the greater availability of risk capital, workforce development/workforce education and developing an entrepreneurial culture. Audrey's
challenge is to translate these objectives into actionable delivery of value directly to the Council's members, partners and constituents.
Dr. Moira Gunn is Host of Tech Nation and BioTech Nation, which air in such venues as National Public Radio's Satellite Radio channels NPR Now and NPR Talk, and internationally to 133 countries via Armed Forces Radio International. Produced at the studios of KQED in San Francisco, the programming can also be heard on over 200 domestic public stations and through podcasts via iTunes and other Internet distribution venues. Tech Nation is the sole national weekly radio program on the impact of technology, and its weekly BioTech Nation segment enjoys the same status in the area of biotech issues. Dr. Gunn's weekly commentaries touch all aspects of our lives in these unpredictable times. Dr. Gunn is not so much interested in the opinions of the day - she is more interested in how people come to form these opinions, especially when a comprehension of the underlying technology and science is essential.
Dr. Gunn is Program Director of Information Systems at the College of Professional Studies, University of San Francisco and an advisor to both Purdue and Stanford Universities. Her past career is punctuated with science, technology and robotics.