New York Tech Energy Conference: Building Sustainable Communities

Robert N. Amundsen, Ph.D., CEM, DGCP, LEED AP BD+C
Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Robert Amundsen is the director of the M.S. in Energy Management program at the NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences. Each year, he helps to plan the annual Energy Conference, an event that brings top experts in the energy and environmental fields to New York Tech. He is an enthusiastic promoter of energy efficiency, and works tirelessly to protect the environment and save energy wherever possible. Amundsen is an advocate of using innovative technologies in virtual and material classrooms. He encourages students to take advantage of distance learning options in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from travel.

As president of the Long Island Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers, Amundsen is actively involved in local events that showcase new trends and technologies in the energy field. He is a past recipient of the Environmental Educator of the Year Award, and the Energy Professional Development Award. He served as the Engineering Faculty Advisor for the New York Tech Solar Decathlon Team.

Amundsen earned a B.S. in Physics and Astronomy and a B.S. in Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Rochester, followed by an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Energy Management and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2018, he was elected to the AEE Energy Managers Hall of Fame, which recognizes "outstanding leaders in the energy industry who over their lifetimes have made significant contributions in the field of energy management."

David G. Schieren M.S. '06
Chief Executive Officer, EmPower Solar

David G. Schieren co-founded EmPower in 2003 to make solar energy the dominant energy source in New York and beyond. This vision continues to drive every action the company takes.

Schieren leads a talented team to deliver the best solar and battery technology, the most financial savings and an amazing customer experience. To date, EmPower has installed over 4,000 residential and commercial solar power and battery systems in the New York Metro and Long Island areas. His areas of expertise and responsibility include commercial project development, community solar, battery systems, leadership and management.

As an advocate, Schieren conducts outreach to build support for clean energy amongst political, community, business and religious leaders, and the public at large. He has testified before the United States Congress and has been involved with numerous TV, print, internet, radio, and documentary interviews. He is the board Vice President of the New York State Solar Energy Industry Association (NYSEIA), and also serves on the boards of the Long Island Association and Vision Long Island.

Schieren has a Master of Science in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology, where he received the Faculty Award for outstanding achievement, and earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Vermont, where he earned the Freeman Saltus Award in Economics. He currently lives in Long Island City with his wife, Cristina Zancani, a sustainable architect and urban designer. They have two young boys.

Tina Shoa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Tina Shoa received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and sub-specialization in Engineering Management from the University of British Columbia in 2010. She joined Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation as a postdoctoral fellow and continued as a research scientist. She was then appointed as a head of research at Cadex Electronics and was in charge of research activities targeting battery modeling. Shoa started her faculty position at New York Tech in 2019 as an assistant professor energy management program, where her focus has been in the area related to power systems, smart grids, and battery and energy storage systems.

Arman Bonakdarpour, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Arman Bonakdarpour is a visiting assistant professor at NYIT-Vancouver and a senior research associate at the University of British Columbia (Chemical and Biological Engineering / Clean Energy Research Center). At New York Tech, he teaches courses in alternative energy technologies, solar energy, and energy storage. He is also a co-founder and a technical advisor to Mangrove Technologies. Bonakdarpour has an extensive R&D background in energy-related areas such as advanced batteries, hydrogen energy technologies, water treatment, and CO2 conversion. His work has led to over 70 peer-reviewed publications and a number of patent/patent applications.

Patricia Keen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Patricia Keen completed three degrees at the University of British Columbia (B.S. in Chemistry (1986) and Master’s (2002) and Ph.D. (2009) in Resource Management and Environmental Science) and a Diploma of Technology in Chemistry and Metallurgy at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (1981). She has extensive experience in applied environmental research and technology development gained from employment in the private, public, and academic sectors. She has completed several years as a teacher and student supervisor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Her corporate experience includes project management, commercialization of technologies, and business development related to environmental science and sustainability. She joined NYIT-Vancouver as an assistant professor of energy management in 2016.

Ehsan Kamel, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Ehsan Kamel obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017. His research is focused on building energy modeling (BEM), the application of building information modeling (BIM) in BEM, energy-smart homes, and building energy retrofit. He also has a background in building science, building enclosure design, and seismic engineering, with an emphasis on the seismic behavior of reinforced lightweight concrete.

He is an assistant professor in the Department of Energy Management at New York Institute of Technology and the director of its Energy and Green Technologies Laboratory (EnTech Lab), where students have hands-on experiences in the energy and green technology disciplines. He also serves as the student branch advisor for ASHRAE's New York Tech student branch, where students connect with different companies in the field of energy and buildings.

Stefan Storey, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Stefan Storey, assistant professor of energy management at NYIT-Vancouver, is an educator and innovator, teaching energy engineering, resource management, and policy in the M.S. in Energy Management program at New York Tech’s Vancouver campus. He also leads Sensible Building Science, an engineering technology company that aims to make buildings smarter and more responsive to the needs of occupants.

Stefan has an interdisciplinary engineering background and is a specialist in energy policy, energy efficiency planning, life cycle analysis, and the long-term financial management of commercial buildings. His areas of expertise include data science, automation, risk analysis, operations and maintenance, financial modelling, post occupancy evaluation, energy performance verification and measurement, indoor environmental air quality, and whole-building environmental impact analysis.

Remi Charron, Ph.D., P. Eng.
Assistant Dean and Associate Professor of Energy Management, New York Institute of Technology

Remi Charron has over 15 years of experience working to improve energy efficiency and integrate renewable energy on buildings in Canada. He has been working as a senior research and education consultant with BC Housing since 2012. In that role, he has helped the building industry adapt to the continuously evolving building code requirements. Charron has headed the Master of Science in Energy Management at NYIT-Vancouver since its launch in 2016 where he serves as an assistant dean and associate professor.

Herbert Sinnock, P. Eng., CEM, CMVP, CBCP, LEED
Green Associate Director, Office for Sustainability, Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

As Director of Sustainability for Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Herb Sinnock is responsible for all aspects of corporate sustainability vision, strategy, and culture, including implementation of Mission Zero, the institution’s ambitious plan to reduce energy consumption, waste to landfill, and greenhouse gas emissions. He is an energy engineer with 25 years’ experience working in commercial/industrial energy assessment, project management, teaching, and product development. He is a Certified Energy Manager, Certified Measurement & Verification Professional, Certified Building Commissioning Professional, and LEED Green Associate. His passion is driving transformational change throughout organizations of all scale and scope, with a focus to realizing a livable future for all species on earth.

Jeffrey Raven, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
Associate Professor, Graduate Program in Urban + Regional Design New York Institute of Technology
Principal, RAVEN Architecture + Urban Design, LLC
Co-Chair of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter Planning & Urban Design Committee

Jeffrey Raven is a specialist in sustainable and resilient urban design whose research is applied through his professional practice and disseminated throughout the profession, government, and allied disciplines. As Associate Professor in the New York Tech Graduate Program in Urban and Regional Design, he has shaped the program to engage the fluid, interdisciplinary and global urban design profession that is practiced in the 21st century.

His professional practice focuses on US-international urban design projects and knowledge transfer. Projects in the Arabian Gulf, India, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and the United States include low-carbon communities, green buildings, and smart growth. Jeffrey contributes to the development of US and international sustainable-resilient guidelines-metrics, including STAR Communities, the Global EcoDistrict Protocol, McKinsey’s Green Districts and Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel. His work expands on the traditional influence and capabilities of architect-urbanists by bridging climate science, policy and design practice. His lectures and workshops include MIT-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge University (England), The World Bank (Washington), the Humboldt Foundation (Germany), Le Monde CITIES (Paris), the Pavillon de l’Arsenal (Paris), Université Paris-Est, the Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris), Columbia University, Cornell University, Tongji University (Shanghai), Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Peking University, Xiamen University (China), Chinese University of Hong Kong, Mumbai First (India), Asian Development Bank (Manila), Climate Change Summit 2017 (Morocco), Urban Design Climate Workshop for Durban (South Africa), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), United Nations (UNEP, Habitat, UNDP), the Regional Assembly (NYC), the Center for Architecture (NYC), Interview for Nature Research (Springer) and The New York Times Knowledge Network. He is a member of the Awards Selection Committee for Le Monde CITIES (Paris).

His publications include coordinating lead author of Urban Planning & Urban Design - Climate Change and Cities (Cambridge University Press 2018); From Climate Science to Practice, Urban Design & Climate Change, (Urban Design Journal-London 2019), Covid19-Climate Connections for newspaper Le Monde (2020), Cool District Hot City from La Revue Urbanisme (2020), Integrating Climate Adaptation & Climate Mitigation in Zero Carbon Action Plan (2020), Urban Design Climate Workshop (Urban Land Institute 2020), Climate Resilient Urban Design, Resilient Cities (Springer 2011); and Shaping Resilient Cities in China, India and the United States (P. Lang 2014).

His recent externally funded research includes National Science Foundation grants totaling $1.17 million: The EU-USA Sustainable Urbanisation Global Initiative-Belmont and City-As-Lab INFEWS/T3 RCN. Elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in 2015 in the category of research. Since 2016, he serves as Co-Chair of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter Planning & Urban Design Committee and on the Board of Directors for AIA New York State. He is a member of the Le Monde CITIES Awards Selection Committee (Paris), I-Site FUTURE Scientific Committee at Université Gustave Eiffel (Paris), and Pilot4Dev sustainable cities NGO Steering Board (Brussels). He was educated at Cambridge University (England), the Rhode Island School of Design and Trinity College.