Speakers 2018
Young Energy Researchers

Michael Ahimbisibwe

• Research Assistant, National Crops Resources Research Institute, National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO), Uganda 
• Previously, procurement and marketing officer, School of Agriculture Students chicken project 
• MSc in Renewable Energy and Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Shruti Athavale

• Energy Expert, Austrian Energy Agency (AEA), Austria
• Work experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency and international development cooperation projects 
• MSc in Environmental Technology and International Affairs, Technische Universität Wien and Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria; BA in International Development, Universität Wien, Austria

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Mostafa Atwa

• Assistant Lecturer and Research Assistant, Building Technology Department, German University in Cairo, Egypt 
• Research experience in the fields of PVT, solar cooling, renewable technologies for buildings in hot climates, passive architectural measures and building energy simulation/modelling 
• MSc in Architectural Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Egypt 

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Archishman Bose

• Master’s student in Environomical Pathways to Sustainable Energy Systems, EIT InnoEnergy Masters School, Politecnico di Torino, Italy 
• Work experience as construction and commissioning engineer and piping design engineer, Linde India Limited, India
• Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, India 

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Nayab Bushra

• Research Assistant, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
• Previously, research assistant, Active Space Technologies, Germany 
• MSc in Renewable Energy, BSc in Electrical Engineering (Electronics)

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Bushra Chalermthai

• PhD student, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE
• Work experience as climate change intern, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Thailand 
• MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE; BSc in Environmental Science, Mahidol University International College, Thailand

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Souran Chatterjee

• PhD Researcher, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Central European University, Hungary 
• Work experience as economist, Advanced Building and Urban Design, Hungary and as researcher, Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy (3CSEP), Central European University, Hungary 
• MSc in Economics, University of Calcutta, India

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Bharat Chhugani

• Scientific Employee, Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern), Germany
• Previously, intern in the field of energy-optimised buildings, ZAE Bayern Germany 
• MSc in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, University Kassel, Germany; BEng in Mechanical Engineering, IITE Ahmedabad, India 

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Eleonora Cordioli

• PhD candidate in Sustainable Energy and Technologies, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
• Experience in research on the valorisation of biomass gasification by-products, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
• Master’s degree in Energy Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy; Bachelor’s degree in Energy Engineering, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy 

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Alex Epik

• Senior Consultant and Researcher, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU)
• Work experience in the fields of climate change issues and energy policies and of pyrolysis and solid biomass combustion investigation, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, NASU, Ukraine 
• Master’s and Bachelor’s of Science in Thermophysics

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Maria Gilbert

• Research Assistant and PhD candidate, Institute of Thermal Engineering, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
• Research experience in combustion of biogenic fuels, corrosion of heat resisting steels and refractory concretes in combustion gases and gasification atmospheres
• Degree in Environmental Engineering, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany 

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

V S K V Harish

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Energy and Environment, TERI School of Advanced Studies, India 
• Work experience as lecturer on solar, numerical methods and building energy modelling 
• PhD, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee; ME in Power Engineering, Jadavpur University; BE in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, MDU Rohtak, India

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Joshua Raj Jaganathan

• Researcher and postgraduate student, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia
• Research experience on the synthesis of task specific ionic liquids for the desulfurisation of fuel oil and removal of dye
• BSc in Material Science, AIMST University. Malaysia

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Peliwe Jubase

• Junior Project Coordinator for Sustainable Energy and Climate Change, Sustainable Energy Africa, South Africa
• Experience as research assistant and analytical chemist, SA Agulhas 
• Bachelor’s degree in Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and Master’s in Climate Change and Sustainable Development (in progress), University of Cape Town, South Africa

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Sooridarsan Krishnan

• Research officer and postgraduate student, Centre of Research in Ionic Liquids, University Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia
• Research experience in the fields of microbiology, molecular biology, plant bioprospecting and employing green technology for renewable energy research
• BSc in Biotechnology, AIMST University, Malaysia

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Marija Krstic

• PhD Candidate, research assistant, adjunct lecturer and graduate assistant, City College of New York, USA
• Research experience on recycled post-consumer glass as supplementary cementitious material for high performance concrete 
• MSc in Structural Engineering, The City College of New York (USA) and University of Niš (Serbia); BSc in Civil Engineering, University of Niš (Serbia) 

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Jimmy Anderson Martinez R.

• Researcher, Institute of Biotechnology and Agroindustry, National University of Colombia at Manizales, Colombia
• Experience in the field of techno-economic and environmental evaluation of biorefineries using coffee residues and lignocellulosic residues with recirculation schemes of microorganisms
• Degree in Chemical Engineering, National University of Colombia at Manizales, Colombia 

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Saim Memon

• Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, London South Bank University, UK
• Researcher in sustainable building energy technologies, vacuum insulated glazing systems and solar thermal energy applications
• PhD in Energy & Buildings, Loughborough University, UK; MSc in Mechatronics, Staffordshire University, UK; BEng in Electrical Engineering, Mehran UET, Pakistan

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Isah Mohammed 

• Lecturer, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Nigeria
• Postdoctoral research associate, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Malaysia
• PhD and MSc in Chemical Engineering, University of Nottingham (UK); BEng in Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Technology Minna (Nigeria)

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Carsten Palkowski

• PhD candidate, Technical University of Munich, and expert for energy efficiency in heating and cooling systems, BAM - Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Germany
• Previously, research associate on ecodesign and energy labelling (BAM), fuel cell research (Volkswagen), and power diagnostics (Siemens Energy)
• MSc in Regenerative Energy Systems, Technical University of Berlin, Germany; BEng. In Mechanical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund, Germany

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Soumya Pandit

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
• Research experience in the fields of environmental biotechnology and algal biomass production for food, feed, biochemicals and biofuels 
• PhD in Bioenergy, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Anna Partridge

• MSc student in Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland
• Work experience as research assistant in hydrothermal carbonisation, Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland) and as Intern Research Assistant in biomass torrefaction, Schatz Energy Research Center (USA) 
• BSc in Engineering Science, Smith College, USA

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Ksenia Petrichenko

• Senior Advisor, Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency, UNEP DTU Partnership, Denmark
• Previously, building policy analyst, Global Building Performance Network (GBPN), France
• PhD and MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, Hungary; MA in Economics, Higher School of Economics, Russia

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Eduardo Antonio Pina

• PhD student in mechanical engineering, University of Zaragoza, Spain
• Previously, researcher on the integration of thermal energy storage into district heating and cooling systems to increase the solar fraction and renewable energy sources (DISTRITES project) 
• MSc in Energy, BSc in Energy Engineering

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Mirzokurbon Pochchoev

• Postgraduate student, Tajik Technical University, Tajikistan; energy efficiency expert, group for the environment, renewable energy and solidarity (GERES) 
• Work experience in the fields of energy efficiency and passive solar energy in buildings, sustainable rural development projects and as senior teacher at Tajik Technical University, Tajikistan
• Master’s degree in Heating and Ventilation

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Raju Pokharel

• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Idaho, USA
• Experience in the fields of wildfire, future carbon accounts, bioenergy, forest product market, transportation system optimisation and biomass utilisation for bioenergy production
• PhD in Forest Resources, Mississippi State University (USA); MBA, University of Sunderland (UK); MS in Environmental Sciences, Tribhuvan University (Nepal)

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Gabriel Reichert

• PhD student, Graz University of Technology, Austria and Researcher in the field of biomass small-scale combustion systems, Bioenergy 2020+, Austria 
• Previously, research associate, University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg, Germany 
• MSc in Renewable Energy Systems & Technical Energy Management, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (Austria); Engineering Degree in Applied Forest Sciences, University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg (Germany), 

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Alireza Talaei

• PhD Candidate in Engineering Management/Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada
• Work experience as sustainability scholar, City of Edmonton (Canada), energy and environmental research engineer, University of Utrecht (NL) and project coordinator, Department of the Environment, United Nation Development Program 
• MSc in Carbon Management, University of Edinburgh (NL); MSc in Energy Systems Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (Iran)

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Franz Theuretzbacher

• PhD student, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Austria and researcher, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt for Business and Engineering, Austria 
• Experience in research projects in energetic use of residual biomass and energy markets 
• MSc in Material and Energetic Exploitation of Renewable Raw Materials; BSc in Environment and Bio-Resources Management, BOKU, Austria 

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Patrik Šuhaj 

• PhD student, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia
• Work experience at Slovnaft, Slovakia 
• MSc in Chemical Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Ariel Xian Toh

• Academic Researcher on ecological modelling to assess industry energy-environment impacts 
• Experience in systems engineering methods and decision modelling for sustainable development targets
• MSc Sustainable Energy (on-going) 

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Oleksandra Tryboi

• Junior Researcher and PhD candidate, Bioenergy Department, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Experience in the assessment of biomass potentials, identification of biomass-to-energy value chains and sustainability criteria for biofuels
• Master’s degree in Heat and Power Engineering, National Technical University of Ukraine, Ukraine

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Freek Van Riet

• PhD student, Research Group Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings, University of Antwerp, Belgium
• Experience as research assistant on micro-CHP and design of combined heating and domestic hot water systems
• MSc in Biosience Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

<link>Speaker at the Young Energy Efficiency Researchers Conference

Valerija Vrček Habazin

• Project Leader, North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency, Croatia
• Work experience on EU projects in the field of renewable energy and on bioenergy concepts 
• Master’s degree in Project Management, University of Applied Sciences Baltazar Zaprešić, Croatia

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference

Michael Zellinger

• Junior Researcher, Bioenergy 2020+, Austria
• Previously, junior product manager, ENGEL Austria; Design Engineer, Andritz Hydro, Austria
• MSc in Renewable Energy Systems & Technical Energy Management, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (AT); BSc in Innovation Engineering & Management, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (AT)

<link>Speaker at the Young Biomass Researchers Conference