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Topic: Energy

Azure Avery

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Azure Avery, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Physics at Metropolitan State University of Denver and joint appointee at the National Renewable Laboratory of the Rockies. Her areas of expertise encompass experimental condensed-matter physics. Avery is studying how heat and electricity move through thin carbon films, with a specific emphasis on materials with thermoelectric properties. Her work focuses on advancing sustainable technologies through the development and enhancement of thermoelectric technology.

Avery’s joint NLR and MSU Denver research focuses on thermal and electrical transport properties of carbon nanotube films. She is the co-author of, “Tailoring semiconducting carbon nanotube networks with enhanced thermoelectric properties,” published in Nature Energy as well as “Size- and Temperature-Dependent Suppression of Phonon Thermal Conductivity in Carbon Nanotube Thermoelectric Films,” published in Advanced Electronic Materials. She also holds a patent as a co-inventor for methods of preparing single-walled carbon nanotube networks (Patent 11796488).

She holds affiliations with several professional organizations such as the Advanced Laboratory Physics Association, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the American Physical Society.

Azure earned her Doctorate in Physics from the University of Denver. Her Bachelor’s of Science in Physics from Metropolitan State University of Denver, as well as a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and Clinical Psychology from Mississippi State University.

Megan Lazorski

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Megan Lazorski, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Metropolitan State University of Denver and joint appointee at the National Laboratory of the Rockies.

Uwe Kackstaetter

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Uwe Richard Kackstaetter, Ph.D., is a professor of geology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His expertise spans two continents from environmental testing of drinking water wells, groundwater flow modeling, site contaminant evaluations, as well as geologic and hydrologic field investigations.
As an educator, he taught in college and secondary classrooms, where he conducted numerous national and international geological field courses. Kackstaetter received the prestigious 2014 Faculty Senate teacher of the year award from MSU Denver. His current interests are in developing various practical approaches as advanced tools for the geosciences, such as automated percolation water testers, new wavelength dependent night prospecting tools, improved processes of rock and mineral thin sectioning, and clay mineral analytical processing and computations.
Kackstaetter, received his master’s in Geology from BYU, Provo and his Ph.D. in applied geology and mineralogy from the University of Würzburg, Germany.

See also http://college.earthscienceeducation.net/page2.html

Sara Jackson Shumate

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Sara Jackson Shumate, Ph.D., is a human geographer and the director of the Center for Individualized Learning at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Shumate has been teaching geography since 2004 in various other universities including University of British Columbia, York University, Central New Mexico Community College, Community College of Aurora and University of Colorado Boulder. She also volunteered with numerous organizations over the years as a writer, research analyst, teacher and trainer.

Her research interests include sustainability studies, economic geography, political geography and political ecology. Shumate has conducted research on how mining infrastructure development in Mongolia transforms livelihoods and landscapes. She also works with MSU Denver students to analyze sustainability practices in the Denver Metro Area, including surveying the Auraria Campus for the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program to better understand travel behaviors and calculate campus greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

Shumate received her doctorate in geography from York University in 2015, a master’s in geography from University of British Columbia in 2006 and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from University of Washington in 2003.

Mingli He

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Mingli He, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His areas of expertise include mechanical engineering, thermal, fluids, HVAC and energies. He currently teaches Introduction to Engineering Technology, Machine Design, Thermodynamics I, Machine Elements and Mechanical Systems, and Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer and oversees senior projects.

Prior to joining MSU Denver, He worked at Aeroengine Research Institute in Shenyang, China, the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, the AT&T Microelectronics Plant and the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Technology Center and taught courses at the University of Central Florida. He currently serves as the coordinator of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at MSU Denver. He served in the role as chair of the Engineering and Engineering Technology Department from 2013-2019 and has served in various MSU Denver faculty positions since August 1998.

He is a member of or has been associated with various organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, SAE International, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, among others. He has worked on various projects such as the DEMOSAT Project – NASA and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium to develop interest in STEM programs in education. He is currently working with the Colorado Community College System, on the CHAMP program and on the Denver Public Schools Career Connect program.

He received his doctorate in Philosophy and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree from Nanjing Aeronautical Institute in Nanjing, China. He holds a certification as a Professional Engineer from the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Barb EchoHawk

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Barbara EchoHawk, Ph.D., is a professor of geology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

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