Stephen Doig, Vice President of RMI's Energy & Resources Team. Mr. Doig is a physical chemist and energy strategy expert. He is an Adjunct Professor of Operations and Information Management, Wharton School of Business, and is currently serving as Department of Defense Air Force Highly Qualified Expert and Special Advisor to U.S. Air Force Smart Operations on Air Force energy strategy and implementation, lean operations applied to aircraft, facilities and vehicles. Previously, Dr. Doig was with McKinsey & Co. for ten years; where he focused on operations strategy, frontline change management, supply chain optimization, and operational cost reduction, strategy and growth. His consulting work involved a wide range of industries including airlines, automotive, aerospace, chemicals, armed services, mining, pulp and paper, health care, insurance, power generation, public transport, steel, food production, consumer goods, banks, and concrete products. Dr. Doig has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley (Thesis Topic: Understanding the primary events in vision and bacterial photosynthesis.) and an A.B. in chemistry from Dartmouth College. He held postdoctoral fellowships at Caltech and the Mayo Clinic.
Alexis Karolides, Principal for RMI’s Energy and Resources Team, is a registered architect who came to Rocky Mountain Institute with six years of experience in commercial, institutional, and industrial architecture. Her consulting projects for RMI's Green Development Services have included a retrofit project at Hickam Air Force Base to set a new "green" standard for the Air Force, a prototype energy-efficient supermarket for Stop & Shop, a sustainable design and energy plan for Madison, Wisc., environmental consulting for the Wildlife Conservation Society, and campus-wide energy planning and building retrofit strategies for Berea College. She has also provided educational seminars and integrated design workshops for communities, businesses, and institutions, including Shell, Perrier, the Departments of Environmental Protection and Urban Planning in Tianjin, China, and the cities of Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. Ms. Karolides is a frequent speaker at national conferences and guest lecturer at colleges and universities; she was the sole representative for the United States at the First International Symposium on Urban Eco Sustainability in Padua, Italy. As a frequent contributor for broadcast and print media, she provides input on topics of energy efficiency, healthy design, and environmental sensitivity for commercial and residential building projects. Ms. Karolides graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College with a bachelor of arts degree in physics and distinction for research work on solar and alternative energy systems. Following a Richter Fellowship in Germany, where she studied post-war architecture, Ms. Karolides completed a master of architecture degree at Rice University. Prior to coming to RMI, she was a project architect and sustainability manager for STG in Austin, a team member with the health care design firm Polkinghorn Cline, and a member of the Austin Sustainable Building Coalition and the local AIA Chapter Sustainability Committee. She was also an adjunct faculty member at Austin Community College in the Building Construction Technology Department.
Katherine Wang, is a Principal with the Energy & Resources Team. Ms. Wang has an MS in environmental engineering and science and a BS in civil engineering, both from Stanford University. She leads RMI’s research and consulting projects for utilities, governments, and industry. Ms. Wang has extensive experience in demand response, demand-side efficiency, utility regulation, and carbon management. Her recent projects include program design for an electric load relief pilot for a northeastern utility, energy innovation workshop for a large mining company, statewide energy strategy recommendations for Hawaii, and evaluation of demand response pilots in California and Nevada. She worked for Utility Engineering as a field mechanical engineer on Xcel Energy's Metro Emissions Reduction Project, overseeing the installation of three scrubber units at two large power stations in Denver and Boulder. Ms. Wang's prior employers also include the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy in Washington DC and the energy and environmental consulting firm Econergy International Corporation in Boulder, where she was a project engineer. Ms. Wang is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and has held various committee posts with that organization. She is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, and rock climbing.
Lena Hansen is a Senior Consultant with RMI's Energy & Resources Team. She holds a master's degree in environmental economics and policy from Duke University, where she was the first recipient of a certificate in energy and environment. She also holds a bachelor's degree in astrophysics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms. Hansen leads RMI’s research and consulting work on renewable energy and biofuels, and has done extensive research on methods for managing the variability of wind power. She has authored a series of conference papers on renewable energy integration as part of RMI’s on-going research into the next generation electric utility. Ms. Hansen also has significant expertise in demand-side management and carbon strategy for corporations, industry, electric utilities, and governments. Recent project work in these areas has focused on electric utilities including Silicon Valley Power, Nebraska Public Power District, and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Additional demand-side and carbon project work is on-going with governments including the State of Hawaii and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and private sector companies including Irving Oil and United Technologies Corporation. Ms. Hansen is a private pilot, a former theatrical stage manager, and an outdoor enthusiast.
Virginia Lacy is a Consultant with the RMI Energy & Resources Team and contributes to projects undertaken by RMI's Built Environment Team. She holds a Master's of Environmental Management from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from the University of Virginia. At RMI, Ms. Lacy consults with utilities, corporations and governments in the development of integrated energy plans and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions strategies. Ms. Lacy has co-authored numerous client reports, providing quantitative modeling and analysis on a variety of topics including distributed generation, biofuels, energy efficiency, and fuel price volatility. At Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Ms. Lacy focused in energy policy and investment and served as the co-coordinator of the Yale Climate Initiative, an ongoing effort to recommend and implement greenhouse gas mitigation strategies at the University. Prior to her graduate studies, Ms. Lacy was a research analyst with the Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC), a socially responsible investment research firm, where she analyzed the environmental performance of S&P 1500 companies for institutional investors and other clients. Prior to joining IRRC, Virginia worked in the political arena in Washington, D.C., serving as the Special Assistant to the Chairman of League of Conservation Voters (LCV).
Natalie Mims, is a Consultant with RMI's Energy & Resources Team. Ms. Mims holds a bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School. Ms. Mims joined RMI as an intern in September 2004 and worked intermittently for RMI until 2005 when she became a full time staff member. Ms. Mims contributes to consulting projects for utilities, government entities, and private industry. Her recent work includes renewable energy market assessments and research on regulatory incentives for utilities. Ms. Mims has worked on regulatory and legislative issues surrounding the establishment of a sustainable, comprehensive energy policy for the State of Hawaii, which included contributions to the new regulatory structure for energy efficiency in Hawaii. In 2005, Ms. Mims co-authored “Legislative Options to Improve Transportation Efficiency,” a paper providing state legislatures with options to improve vehicle transportation within their states. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, surfing, hiking and climbing.
Kendra Tupper, is a Consultant with the Energy & Resources Team. Ms. Tupper holds an MS in Building Systems engineering from the University of Colorado, and a BE in Mechanical Engineering modified with Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. She contributes to RMI’s consulting and research projects for utilities and industrial process efficiency and serves as a liaison with the Built Environment Team. Ms. Tupper has extensive experience in the building energy and HVAC industries, and a solid background in alternative energy and fuels. While her graduate coursework focused on distributed generation and HVAC design, her master’s thesis investigated the life cycle impacts of various hydrogen production technologies. Prior to joining RMI, Kendra worked in the solar industry in Boston, contributing to the design and installation of a number of PV systems as part of the Million Solar Roofs project. A LEED Accredited professional, Kendra also worked as a project manager with the building energy analysis team at Flack + Kurtz, a large MEP design and consulting firm. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, road biking, trail running, and swimming.
Luisa Lombera, Analyst with RMI's Energy & Resources Team. Ms. Lombera received a bachelor’s degree in earth systems and a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, both from Stanford University. At RMI, Ms. Lombera has worked with utilities, state governments, and private companies to help reduce their resource consumption and evaluate their environmental risk. Ms. Lombera is specifically interested in international energy issues and carbon markets. She participated in a summer academy on emissions trading in Germany and she worked with the Mexico Green Building Council to identify ways to promote affordable green housing. While at Stanford, Ms. Lombera researched the current state and future prospects of the Mexican electricity sector through a project conducted by the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD). Ms. Lombera’s experience also includes a MAP Fellowship at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). With NRDC, Ms. Lombera evaluated the prospects for registering an efficiency project in Jiangsu Province, China, as a clean development mechanism (CDM) and analyzed preliminary regulations for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Sam Newman, Analyst with RMI’s Energy & Resources Team, has a background in civil engineering, with B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University. Mr. Newman came to RMI in 2007 through the MAP Sustainable Energy Fellowship program, which funds fellowships in several non-profit organizations. Prior to that, his graduate studies at Stanford focused on alternative energy, green building strategies, and construction project management. He has been a LEED accredited professional since 2006. At RMI, Mr. Newman’s expertise in building mechanical systems and energy efficiency opportunities has developed through research for RMI’s Next Generation Utility project. He has developed spreadsheet models to quantify the efficiency potential of state-of-the-art air conditioning systems and other residential and commercial electricity end uses. Mr. Newman has also contributed to the ERT’s consulting work with various industrial clients, focusing on corporate greenhouse gas strategy and integrated design for improved process efficiency.
Cynthia Knock, Administrative Assistant to the Energy & Resources Team, grew up in Oxford, Ohio, and attended Bowling Green State University, where she majored in English literature and sociology and minored in women's studies. Ms. Knock brings more than 15 years' office management/administrative experience to RMI. Prior to joining RMI, she worked in the software industry in Boulder and was on the management staff of a restaurant/catering business in Newburyport, Mass. Ms. Knock is an avid gardener and is active in the Boulder Community Gardens/Children's Peace Garden volunteer program, where she has been instrumental in implementing fund-raising events. She also enjoys volunteering in her son's elementary school class, and is the assistant organizer for an annual world music festival, which benefits the Black Biomedical Research Movement. Ms. Knock's hobbies (like she has time for those!) include hiking, environmental and social activism, art history, her family, reading, and extremely difficult crossword puzzles.
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