Panels

Wednesday July 29 | Grand Ballroom ABC, 2nd Fl | 9:05am-10:05am

Panel Description: As AI and high-performance computing drive unprecedented demand, data centers are pushing the limits of power, cooling, and infrastructure design. Join industry leaders and researchers for a forward-looking discussion on emerging cooling strategies and technologies, and the impact on energy usage, and energy demand.

Panelists:

• Dr. Guangdong Zhu, NLR
• Ahmad Bilal, Google
• Paul Lacourciere, Climate Edge Law Group
• Rajat Bhagat, Arcadis
• Dr. Yogendra Joshi, Georgia Institute of Technology

Monday, July 27 | 10:25am- 12:05pm | Regency F, 2nd Fl.

Panel Description: This panel explores how intelligent building systems can better link indoor and outdoor environments to enhance human wellbeing. Topics include sensing and quantifying occupant health and comfort, smart management of energy and air quality systems, physics-based and AI-driven models of indoor–outdoor pollutant and heat transport, and real-world case studies demonstrating integrated, data-informed solutions across diverse building types and climates.

Moderator: Dr. Jorge Gonzalez-Cruz, Empire Innovation Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Founding Editor – ASME Journal of Engineering of Sustainable Buildings and Cities, University at Albany, United States

Panelists:

• Dr. Abdlmonem H. Beitelmal, Principal Scientist, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Qatar
• Dr. Andrea Gasparella, Professor of Building Physics and Building Energy Systems, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
• Dr. Ravi Annapragada, Head of Strategy, Carrier Energy & Sustainability
• Dr. Zheng O'Neill, J. Mike Walker '66 Professor II of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Monday, July 27 | 9:05am-10:05am | Regency F, 2nd Fl.

Description: Invited panelists, including representatives from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will discuss current and upcoming research and education funding opportunities across federal agencies. The panel will provide insights into program priorities, proposal strategies, and best practices for engaging with program directors and project managers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain guidance on aligning their research and education plan with agency missions and funding calls.

Moderator: Like Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Central Florida

Panelists:

Lindsay Walter, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Energy Systems Office
Dr. Lindsay Walter is a Solar Research and Development Engineer at ManTech International, where she supports the U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Energy Systems Office (IESO). She works with the Thermal Energy Systems team to advance research and development of solar-thermal technologies for mid- to high-temperature applications. Lindsay holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Utah.

Sumanta Acharya, Ph.D., U.S. National Science Foundation
Dr. Sumanta Acharya is a Program Director in the ENG Directorate, Engineering Education and Centers (EEC), Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program. He will talk about opportunities at the ERC level and in the EEC division at NSF.

Tuesday, July 28 | 10:25am- 12:05pm | Regency F, 2nd Fl.

Panel Description: Industrial process heat (IPH) is a significant consumer of domestic energy supply and is used to serve processes at a wide range of temperatures and heat transfer media. Solar thermal technologies have a history of producing electricity at scale and have more recently exhibited deployment as solar heat for industrial processes (SHIP). In this panel, we will discuss recent research focused on SHIP systems as well as opportunities to bridge the gap between the existing deployment experience and existing heat integration requirements in relevant industries that utilize temperature ranges compatible with existing and developing SHIP technologies.

Panelists:

• Prof. Laura Schaefer, Rice University
• Prof. Greg Jackson, Colorado School of Mines
• Dr. Guangdong Zhu, National Laboratory of the Rockies
• Dr. Jeremy Sment, Sandia National Laboratories