Speaker Bios

Brian J. Anderson

Brian Anderson is the Director of the West Virginia University (WVU) Energy Institute and the GE Plastics Materials Engineering Professor in chemical engineering at WVU. The WVU Energy Institute is the central university organization coordinating and facilitating collaborative research projects at WVU in Fossil Energy, Sustainable Energy, Energy Policy, and Environmental Stewardship related to energy. Dr. Anderson was awarded the 2012 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers and a 2014 Kavli National Academy of Science Frontiers of Science Fellow. He has been a NETL-RUA Faculty Fellow at the National Energy Technology Laboratory where he served as the coordinator of the International Methane Hydrate Reservoir Simulator Code Comparison study. In 2011, he was awarded a Secretary Honor Achievement Award from the Secretary of the Department of Energy for his role on the Flow Rate Technical Group, a team spanning multiple National Laboratories that worked in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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Aimee Curtwright

Aimee Curtright is a Senior Physical Scientist based in the Pittsburgh, PA office of the RAND Corporation. Her work covers a broad range of energy and infrastructure policy topics and often examines the social, environmental, and economic implications of energy technology adoption. Past research includes multiple studies quantifying the greenhouse-gas implications and tradeoffs of energy choices, with expertise in technologies ranging from biomass to shale gas to solar to building energy efficiency, and assessing the policy and technology barriers for a more resilient future electricity grid. Prior to joining RAND, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy and at the U.S. Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C. She has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.

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Johshua P. Fershee

Joshua Fershee joined the faculty at West Virginia University College of Law in fall 2012 and currently serves as Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development. His research and scholarship focus is primarily on energy law and business law issues. Recent articles have discussed renewable energy programs in the transportation and electricity sectors, climate policy, geothermal energy, and entity governance. His courses include Business Organizations, Energy Law & Policy, and The Energy Business: Law & Strategy. He is also a co-editor of the Business Law Prof Blog and was a contributor to the Agricultural Law Blog. Josh earned his J.D. from Tulane Law School.

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Sarah M. Forbes

Sarah M. Forbes is a scientist at the US Department of Energy (DOE) where she applies her ecological perspective to the regulatory, policy and engineering challenges associated with demonstrating and deploying new energy technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS). Prior to her current position at DOE, Sarah was a senior associate at the World Resources Institute (WRI), a nonprofit environmental think tank. She also worked at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Sarah’s experience includes testifying for US congress on both CCS and US-China cooperation on clean energy, and authoring and co-authoring numerous publications, including the WRI Guidelines for Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transport, and Storage and the Guidelines for Community Engagement in CCS Projects. Sarah has received a B.S. in biology from Wheaton College in Illinois and an M.S., also in Biology, from Mississippi State University.

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Evan Hansen

Evan Hansen founded Downstream Strategies in 1997 and serves as president. Downstream Strategies offers consulting services to help build resilient communities, promote economic development, and protect the environment. Mr. Hansen has more than 25 years of experience consulting for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, attorneys, private businesses, and individuals. He has developed and applied computer models; provided testimony and training on issues related to environmental laws, policies, and permits; and led multi-disciplinary research teams that integrate science and policy. He received a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from M.I.T. and an M.S. in Energy and Resources from U.C.-Berkeley. In addition to his work in West Virginia and Appalachia, he has consulted across sub-Saharan Africa and in China, Egypt, and Barbados.

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Charles L. "Larry" Harris

Dr. Charles L. Harris received a bachelor’s in chemistry and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Illinois. He joined the faculty at West Virginia University in 1972, conducting research and teaching graduate and professional students. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at the WVU School of Medicine, where he still gives lectures to first year medical students. Through grassroots efforts in Trout Unlimited, Dr. Harris has been an advocate for environmental protection and wilderness designation to protect coldwater fisheries. He now serves as Chairman of the National Leadership Council and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Trout Unlimited, a national conservation organization. He is a member of Morgantown’s Green Team and is an appointed member of the West Virginia Governor’s Public Advisory Council of the Department of Environmental Protection. As a board member of ASF, he will help raise awareness of the organization, create long term plans for targeting projects consistent with the organization’s mission and develop ASF’s grant program.

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Susan Packard LeGros

Susan Packard LeGros is the President and Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Shale Development (CRSD) and has extensive experience in environmental, energy and natural resources law across multiple industries and applications. Prior to CRSD, Susan was Partner and Of Counsel at several law firms where she represented and advised clients on a broad range of matters including environmental management and compliance, litigation before federal and state environmental agencies and state utility commissions, and renewable energy and energy efficiency policy development and finance. She began her career as an attorney for the United States Environmental Protection Agency and went on to work as in-house counsel at several large international corporations before entering private practice. Susan holds a BA in Social Sciences from The Ohio State University and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.

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Autumn Long

Autumn Long is the Program Director for Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia, a nonprofit organization that helps people go solar, join together, and fight for their energy rights. She works with West Virginia residents and communities to expand access to and support for renewable energy across the state. Autumn has been an entrepreneur, community organizer, advocate, writer, editor, researcher, and homesteader. She holds a B.Phil in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. in Geography from West Virginia University. Born and raised in West Virginia, Autumn lives on a farm in rural Harrison County with her husband, dog, horse, donkey, chickens, and net-metered solar PV system.

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Hank Love

Hank Love is the Executive Director of the American Jobs Project. After graduating from Central Michigan University with a degree in Entrepreneurial Business and Finance, Hank provided consulting services to nonprofit organizations and small business owners. His work with nonprofits eventually led him to serve as the Assistant Director of Michigan Energy Options (MEO), a statewide nonprofit energy efficiency and renewable energy organization. He moved to the Bay Area in 2011, staying on as an executive consultant to MEO and providing executive consulting services to several California nonprofit organizations. In 2014, Henry helped start the American Jobs Project at the Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute. In 2016, Hank and several UCB alumni spun AJP out of the university as a standalone nonprofit organization. Hank has recently worked on paired leadership research at the Haas School of Business with leadership expert Dan Mulhern and currently serves on the board of Community Energy Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization that implements energy efficiency and healthy homes programs.

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Patrick McGinley

Professor Patrick McGinley is the Charles H. Haden II Professor of Law at WVU, where he teaches courses in administrative, environmental, coal and natural resources law. He is admitted to practice law in federal courts and in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. McGinley served from 1972-1975 as Special Assistant Attorney General, Pennsylvania Environmental Strike Force where he enforced the Commonwealth’s environmental and coal mine safety laws. Professor McGinley was co-editor of the five-volume treatise “Coal Law & Regulation” and the annual proceedings of the Eastern Mineral Law Foundation. He also served as chair of the American Bar Association-American Law Institute Course of Study: “Legal issues in the Coal Industry.” Professor McGinley provided support for the Independent Investigation of the 2006 Sago Mine disaster and was a member of the Governor’s Independent Investigation Panel that investigated the 2010 Massey Energy Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster. He has been recognized for his work on behalf of coalfield citizens and organizations and in March 2016 Professor McGinley received the Kravchenko Environmental Rights Award for "four decades work as a . . . public interest environmental litigator committed to the rule of law, speaking truth to power, and empowering families and communities marginalized by discrimination based on race, wealth, and ethnicity." McGinley joined thh WVU Law faculty in 1975. He earned his J.D. from Duke University.

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Todd Miller

Todd works closely with landowners, watershed associations, agency partners, mitigation banks, and private clients to meet our restoration goals of restoring natural functions in watersheds, streams and wetlands, and decreasing risks to people from stream bank erosion, flooding and other issues. Todd works with his team to effectively assess and prioritize restoration sites, develop new restoration plans, and manage on-the-ground projects. His experience in the Peace Corps and background in community planning are invaluable as we strive to work collaboratively with our communities and agencies in restoring our region’s streams and watersheds. Todd holds a bachelor of science degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in community and regional planning, with additional training in applied fluvial geomorphology, natural channel design techniques, multiple project management, and land use dispute resolution.

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Thomas Minney

Thomas Minney is the State Director of West Virginia Chapter and the sponsor of the Central Appalachians Whole System Program for The Nature Conservancy. He leads the Nature Conservancy’s West Virginia staff and Central Appalachians team in protecting West Virginia’s and the Appalachians important natural assets through cross-boundary assessments, planning, and cooperative partnerships for protection, restoration, and management actions to ensure effective landscape-scale conservation of West Virginia’s and the Central Appalachians most important natural resources and iconic landscapes. He grew up on Jessie Run, a small “holler” in Gilmer County, West Virginia, surrounded by nature and versed in farm work. Thomas attended Shepherd College, in Shepherdstown, WV. After college Thomas spent several years living abroad, working in Japan and then taking a Master’s degree in England. He went on to work on international development issues in Africa and Central and South America. Thomas moved back to his native West Virginia in 2001, and was formerly the Conservation Programs Director for The West Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He has worked closely with private landowners, timber and energy industry, the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Divisions of Natural Resources, researchers and scientists, and others to identify, prioritize, and protect West Virginia the Central Appalachians’ most significant natural assets.

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L. Jeremy Richardson

Dr. Jeremy Richardson is a senior energy analyst in the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, conducting analytical work on the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon regulations, and working in other areas of energy research. He is continuing research on economic diversification in his native West Virginia that he began while in his previous position as the program’s Kendall Science Fellow. Dr. Richardson’s Kendall work examined the economic impacts of projected future coal production on the state’s economy, and looked at the potential of other sectors for creating jobs; his research found strong support for economic diversification. During a two-day forum held in Charleston, West Virginia, Dr. Richardson shared these results with local leaders as they discussed their long-term visions for the state. Before joining UCS, Dr. Richardson was a senior analyst at New West Technologies. Prior to that, he served as senior fellow for science policy at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. He was also a science and technology fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where he analyzed the potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy in the U.S. He served as a postdoctoral fellow at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, studying the atmospheres of planets around other stars. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in physics from the University of Colorado Boulder and earned a B.S. in physics from West Virginia University.

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Angie Rosser

Angie Rosser joined West Virginia Rivers Coalition as the Executive Director in 2012, bringing a background of working in West Virginia on social justice issues in the non-profit sector. Her motivation for clean water advocacy is personal; she wants to be able to swim in her backyard river. Her motivation is also political; she believes everyone has a right to enjoy clean water and that conservation of our water resources is central to a shared prosperity. Angie serves as Co-Chair of the National Wildlife Federation’s Water Caucus. She is also the current Co-Chair of the Choose Clean Water Coalition, which works to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Angie holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MA in Organizational Communication from West Virginia University, and earlier this year was recognized by River Network with their national “River Hero” award.

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Walton C. Shephard

A graduate of the WVU College of Law, Walton is a staff attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. He focuses his energy policy advocacy at the state level, implementing carbon cap-and-trade programs that unlock investment in efficiency and renewables. Prior to joining NRDC, he worked in his native West Virginia on energy economy transition, and has also previously worked as a school teacher and in book publishing.

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Jamie Van Nostrand

James M. "Jamie" Van Nostrand joined the faculty of the West Virginia University College of Law in July of 2011 to serve as the Director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. Professor Van Nostrand came to the WVU College of Law from the Pace Law School in White Plains, NY, where he served as Executive Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center. Prior to the spring of 2008, Professor Van Nostrand had a successful career as a partner in the Environmental and Natural Resources practice group of a large law firm based in the Pacific Northwest. In his 22-year career in private practice, Professor Van Nostrand represented energy clients in state regulatory proceedings in eight western states, as well as proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Professor Van Nostrand was recognized by the Energy Bar Association as the 2007 State Regulatory Practitioner of the Year.Jamie earned his LL.M. (Climate Change track) from Pace University and J.D. from the University of Iowa.

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