Board of Advisors
The CE-CERT Board of Advisors is an invaluable group of leading engineers and scientists from industry, academia and government which help to increase the center's effectiveness as a research and teaching arm of the University of California. For more information on the Board of Advisors, see Roles and Responsibilities.
Gordon L. Bourns
Chairman of the Board and C.E.O.
Bourns, Inc.
Gordon Bourns joined the Company in 1973 and has managed various business units and operations within Bourns since that time. He was elected Chairman of the Board in December 1988 by the Company’s Board of Directors, and was also elected President in 1990. He now serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
As Chairman and CEO, Mr. Bourns heads a worldwide electronics corporation that produces more than 3,000 different products at 10 domestic and international facilities, with 3,500 employees worldwide. Mr. Bourns currently focuses much of his attention on strategic planning to accomplish the Company’s Mission. He has led the Bourns commitment to the Six Sigma quality process to assure the Company meets or exceeds customer requirements and specifications, while anticipating future needs through the continuous improvement of people, processes, products and services.
Mr. Bourns is the son of the co-founders of Bourns, Inc., Marlan and Rosemary Bourns. He became Vice Chairman of the Board in 1985, prior to becoming CEO in 1987. He presently serves on the Boards of Company subsidiaries throughout the world. Mr. Bourns is Chief Financial Officer of the Woodcrest Christian School System Board of Directors on which he has served since 1993. He is a member and past chairman of the Board of Directors for the UCR Foundation.
Mr. Bourns holds a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of California at Irvine and an MBA in finance/marketing from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Robert D. Brown
Global Director, Vehicle Homologation and Compliance / Vice President Sustainability Environment and Safety Engineering
Ford of Europe
Over the past 30 years, Robert has held numerous engineering positions with increasing responsibilities. He first joined Ford in 1979 as a Technical Standards engineer responsible for automating gasoline and diesel vehicle emissions testing facilities. Later, Robert was responsible for ensuring environmental regulatory compliance of Ford's European and North American vehicle emissions testing laboratories.
In January 1986, Robert joined Horiba Instruments' Project Management Department. While at Horiba, he led a department responsible for providing "turn-key" emissions testing facilities. Services provided included facility design and construction, equipment specification development/purchase/installation, laboratory personnel training, and facility commissioning. Specific projects included: Saturn's Engineering and Pre-Production Build facility, Madison Heights, MI.; Hyundai Motor Company's Vehicle Emissions Testing systems, Ann Arbor MI; Daewoo's Vehicle Emissions Testing systems, Inchon, Korea; and GM Brazil's Vehicle & Engine Testing systems, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Robert retuned to Ford in July 1987 and took on the responsibility of designing, constructing and commissioning Ford Lio Ho's Light Duty Vehicle Emissions Testing Facility in Chug Li, Taiwan. Subsequent assignments included designing special studies to evaluate advanced vehicle technology for environmental benefits, and leading cross-functional teams responsible for negotiating environmental performance standards for advanced technology cars and trucks.
In 1996 he was appointed manager Environmental Regulations with Ford's Governmental Affairs Lobbying Office in Washington, DC. There Robert represented Ford in negotiations with Federal agencies on motor vehicle environmental performance standards. He led numerous industry and manufacturing coalition lobbying efforts on such issues as Global Climate Change, health based National Ambient Air Quality standards, and proposed Regional Haze Air quality standards. Robert returned to Dearborn in December 1999 to lead Ford's vehicle environmental regulatory compliance activity.
In 2004 he was appointed Assistant Director, Advanced Safety and Rulemaking, Automotive Safety Office. In this role Robert led Ford's effort's in responding to several safety notices of proposed rulemaking including Side Impact and Roof Strength. In 2006 he was appointed Director of Ford's Vehicle Environmental Engineering activity. Responsibilities included directing resources to achieve Ford's mobile source regulatory energy and environmental objectives.
In January 2011 Robert was appointed Global Director, Vehicle Homologation and Compliance/Vice President Sustainability Environment and Safety Engineering Ford of Europe. In this role he is responsible for ensuring all Ford cars and trucks meet or exceed environmental and safety requirements in markets where they are sold.
Robert is a member of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) and the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA). Robert also serves on the Board of Advisors to the University of California Riverside's College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology.
Robert holds a Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Michigan Dearborn and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from Wayne State University.
Elizabeth Deakin
Professor of City and Regional Planning
UC Berkeley
Elizabeth Deakin is Professor of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, where she also is an affiliated faculty member of the Energy and Resources Group and the Master of Urban Design group.
Deakin’s research focuses on transportation and land use policy, the environmental impacts of transportation, and equity in transportation. She has published over 200 articles, book chapters, and reports on topics ranging from environmental justice to transportation pricing to development exactions and impact fees.
Deakin has been appointed to a number of government posts including city and county commissions and state advisory boards. She has taught courses at universities in Australia, Germany, Sweden, France, and China and has served as an adviser to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Council of Ministers of Transport, and MISTRA (the Swedish sustainable development foundation), She chairs cooperative research agreements with universities in China, Japan, and the E.U. Her current research includes a study of transportation and land use planning in Chinese cities, a study of policy options and best practices for managing California growth, and a comparison of strategies for shifting transport modes in France and the U.S.
Deakin holds degrees in political science and transportation systems analysis from MIT as well as a law degree from Boston College.
James Eberhardt
Director of the Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies
United States Department of Energy
Dr. James Eberhardt is Chief Scientist for the Office of “Vehicle Technologies” in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, United States Department of Energy. During his career, spanning 33+ years of federal service, Dr. Eberhardt has created and managed three multi-million dollar research and development programs of national significance. His broad experience includes developing energy efficiency and renewable energy R&D programs in technical areas as diverse as Emission Control Technologies for Heavy Trucks and other Heavy Vehicles, Health and Environmental Impacts of New Vehicle Technologies, New Materials, Biocatalysis, and Friction, Wear and Lubrication, as well as serving as a Policy Analyst and a Systems Analyst.
Dr. Eberhardt earned his B.S. degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Seton Hall University and his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry (Computational Quantum Chemistry) from the University of New Hampshire.
Dr. Eberhardt’s publications include articles on the concept of Computational "materials by design” and papers on many facets of energy technology. He is a longtime member (50+years) of the American Chemical Society, and the Society of Automotive Engineers and has been elected to serve on the Federal Affairs Committee of the American Society for Materials (ASM) International and currently serves on three scientific advisory committees. Dr. Eberhardt has been listed in "Who's Who in the East" and "Who's Who in the South and Southwest."
Dr. Eberhardt’s most recent accomplishment includes his multi-million dollar initiative to “clean up the diesel engine”, and his promotion of the development of bioderived clean diesel fuels, thereby enabling “the dieselization of America”. For his leadership on this program, Dr. Eberhardt and his team of researchers were selected to be nominated for the 2008 Service to America Awards (“SAMMIES”).
Richard M. Himes, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Richard M. Himes has conducted research and development projects for the electric power industry in the areas of boiler performance, emissions reduction, and technology evaluations for the past 25 years. He currently is a Senior Project Manager with EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) specializing in combustion optimization and the reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions.
Mr. Himes joined EPRI in 1999 to lead research and development efforts related to cyclone boilers, selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) systems, as well as combustion related issues. Recent projects have included research and development efforts using tunable diode lasers regarding continuous, multi-point measurement capability of CO, O2, and NO in support of combustion optimization, in addition to NH3 and NO or SO3 in support of post combustion NOx control applications.
Mr. Himes holds a Master of Science Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of California at Irvine, along with Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Chemistry. Mr. Himes also holds an MBA in finance/marketing from the University of Southern California.
Michael P. Huerta
Michael P. Huerta is currently the deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. He was confirmed June 23, 2010. As deputy administrator, Huerta oversees the operation of the National Airspace System and a $16 billion budget. He also oversees the FAA's multi-billion dollar NextGen air traffic control modernization program as the United States shifts from ground-based radar to state-of-the-art satellite technology.
Huerta is an experienced transportation official who has held key positions across the country. His reputation for managing complex transportation challenges led him to the international stage when Huerta was tabbed as managing director of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, a position he held from 1998-2002. The Olympics drew 2,400 athletes from 78 countries to Salt Lake City. Huerta was critical in the planning and construction of a variety of Olympic transportation facilities, as well as the development of a highly successful travel demand management system that insured the transportation system operated safely and efficiently.
Before joining the FAA, Huerta was president of the Transportation Solutions Group of Affiliated Computer Services, now a Xerox company. ACS is a technology services provider serving transportation agencies world wide. It operates the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system for a variety of agencies in the northeastern part of the US and the FastTrak toll system in the San Francisco Bay area. ACS also provides revenue systems and regulatory compliance systems for transit agencies, departments of transportation, motor vehicle agencies and parking authorities located throughout the world.
Huerta was commissioner of New York City's Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce from 1986-89. He then served as the executive director of the Port of San Francisco from 1989-1993. From 1993-98, he held senior positions in the U.S. Transportation Department in Washington, D.C., serving under Secretary Federico Pena and Secretary Rodney E. Slater.
He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California-Riverside and a master's in international relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
John H. Johnson
Presidential Professor Emeritus
Department of Mechanical Engineering - Engineering Mechanics
Michigan Technological University
John Johnson received his bachelor’s, masters and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His experience spans a wide range of analysis and experimental work related to advanced engine concepts, emissions studies, fuel systems, and engine simulation. He joined the mechanical engineering faculty at Michigan Technological University (MTU) in 1970. In 1981, he was named presidential professor in recognition of his leadership in research, teaching and service to the state of Michigan and the nation. Prior to joining MTU, Dr. Johnson was a project engineer, U.S. Army Tank Automotive Center; and chief engineer, Applied Engine Research at the International Harvester Co.
He has served on the National Research Council Committee on Fuel Economy of Automobiles and Light Trucks, the Committee of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Automotive Technologies Plan, and as chair of the Committee on Review of DOE’s Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies. He has also served on many committees related to engine technology, engine emissions, and health effects. Dr. Johnson has authored over 200 papers and reports, and holds one patent. In 2002, he was honored with The American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Soichiro Honda Medal. He was recognized with this medal for advancing the understanding of vehicle cooling problems and research investigations into the origin of diesel exhaust pollutants and their impact on human health. Over 80 graduate students have had Dr. Johnson as their thesis advisor.
Presently, Dr. Johnson is doing funded research at MTU with a number of graduate students and faculty. He consults to a number of government and private sector institutions, and is a past member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mobile Source Advisory Subcommittee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. He recently chaired the National Academies Committee that published the 2008 report “Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership.” Dr. Johnson was a member of the National Academies Committee that published reports in March and June 2008, “Technologies and Approaches to Fuel Consumption Reduction in Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicles” and “Assessment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles.” In July 2010, he was appointed as Chair of the National Academies Committee to review the DOE 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 2.
Timothy V. Johnson
Director, Emerging Technologies and Regulations
Corning, Inc.
Tim Johnson is Director – Emerging Regulations and Technologies for Corning Environmental Technologies, Corning Incorporated. Dr. Johnson is responsible for tracking emerging mobile emissions regulations and technologies, and helps develop strategic positioning via new products. He has been with Corning for 24 years, and 14 years in the current position. He is an acknowledged expert and frequent speaker on diesel emission control technology and trends. In that regard, he received the 2007 and 2009 Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Awards from SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), and in 2008 was awarded the Fellow membership grade by SAE. He is a recipient of California’s 2009 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award.
Dr. Johnson is quite active in various advisory committee roles with various government agencies, universities, and private organizations. He earned his BS and MS Engineering Degrees from the University of Minnesota in 1978 and 1979, and his Doctor of Science from MIT in 1987.
R. A. (Bob) Jorgensen
Executive Director - Product Environmental Management
Cummins Inc.
Since joining Cummins in 1981, Mr. Jorgensen has worked in various capacities in the research and engineering areas. In his current role he helps assure that Cummins engines comply with applicable emissions and noise regulations. He also works with regulatory agencies as they develop future regulations that affect Cummins' products. Mr. Jorgensen is an active participant in the Engine Manufacturers Association.
Mr. Jorgensen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University, a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University.
David Kittelson
Frank B. Rowley Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
University of Minnesota
Professor Kittelson is the Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Diesel Research. He has worked for more than 30 years on improving performance and reducing emissions from engines. Current research interests include sampling and characterization of ultrafine and nanoparticles from engines and other combustion systems; development of advanced engine exhaust aftertreatment systems, production and use of biofuels including biodiesel, butanol, DME, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, ethanol, and biocrudes; use of hydrogen produced on-board to modify combustion in engines; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and development of fast response sensors for engine control. He is a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Ben Knight
Vice President
Honda R&D Americas
Ben Knight is Vice President, Automotive Engineering at Honda R&D Americas, Torrance, California
Mr. Knight’s activities and responsibilities include the planning and implementation of Honda’s environmental product efforts and programs for conventional and alternative fuel vehicles. Programs include Honda’s Low Emission (gasoline) Vehicles, Hybrid-Electric Vehicles (HEV), and Alternative Fuel Vehicles including Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs), Plug-in Electric Vehicles (BEVs and PHEVs) and Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCEVs).
Ben served on the U.S. Federal Advisory Committee on Personal Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Reductions in 1994-1995. Currently, he participates on the California Fuel Cell Partnership Steering Team, and UC Riverside CE-CERT Board of Advisors. He graduated with honors in Mechanical Engineering (BSME), and in Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford. In his career at Honda R&D that began in 1976, Ben has managed market and technology research, product planning and development for new N.A. models, and served as Honda’s first Large Project Leader (LPL) for new model development in North America, coordinating Sales, Manufacturing, and R&D.
Lawrence Orcutt
Chief, Division of Research and Innovation
California Department of Transportation
Larry Orcutt is a 25-year veteran of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). He currently is the Chief of Caltrans Division of Research and Innovation (DRI) He previously served as the Chief of Caltrans Division of Maintenance and spent 18 months as Acting Caltrans Deputy Director for Maintenance and Operations. Prior to working for Caltrans, Mr. Orcutt spent five years working for the U.S. Forest Service.
Mr. Orcutt has a B.S. degree in civil engineering from California State University, Sacramento and an M.S. degree in Transportation Management from the Business School-Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University. Mr. Orcutt has been a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) by the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors since 1982.
Mr. Orcutt is a member of the National Academies of Science, Transportation Research Board (TRB), Research and Technology Coordinating Committee, as well as TRB’s Technology Transfer Committee. He serves on a number of university advisory committees, including the Advisory Council of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Davis; the Civil Engineering Council at California State University Sacramento; the Advisory Board of the Center for Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California at Riverside; and the Advisory Committee of the University of California Transportation Center.
Mitchell Pratt
Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary
Clean Energy
Mitchell W. Pratt is Clean Energy Fuels Corp.’s Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Pratt has served as Clean Energy’s Senior Vice President, Engineering, Operations and Public Affairs since January 2006, and as Corporate Secretary on the Company’s Board of Directors since December 2002. Mr. Pratt has over 26 years of experience in the natural gas industry, and prior to joining Clean Energy, he was General Manager for the Natural Gas Vehicle Department at San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company, where he held a variety of sales and operational positions over his 18-year career. Throughout his career he has held diverse leadership roles ranging from customer satisfaction, financial and distribution operations, to public policy, sales and market development.
Mr. Pratt earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the California State University at Northridge, and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.
Ron Reinsfelder
Regional Manager
Shell Global Solutions (U.S.), Inc.
Ron Reinsfelder is currently the Regional Manager for the Americas for Shell's Innovation/Biodomain R&D activities. In this capacity he is part of a global team responsible for coordination of internal and external research opportunities ranging across the entire Bio value chain.
Ron holds a PhD in Chemistry and has worked in many areas of Shell’s business during his 30 years with the company. His assignments have included fuels, biofuels, analytical chemistry, agricultural chemicals, refinery process/product support, regulatory liaison/negotiation, customer technical support and a variety of management assignments.
Robert Sawyer
Class of 1935 Professor of Energy Emeritus
University of California, Berkeley
During his forty-five-year career at Berkeley as a professor of mechanical engineering, Dr. Sawyer’s teaching and research have included rocket propulsion, energy conversion, combustion, air pollution, and regulatory policy. He has authored or co-authored more than 350 publications including two books. He chaired the Energy and Resources Group and was selected to be the first Class of 1935 Professor of Energy at Berkeley. From 2003-2005 he headed the University of California Education Abroad Program in London. In January 2006, Dr. Sawyer left the University of California to accept the appointment by Governor Schwarzenegger to head the California Air Resources Board, a position he held through June 2007. Currently he is the Class of 1935 Professor of Energy Emeritus at UC Berkeley. He is a graduate of Stanford and Princeton universities. He received the Berkeley Citation, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Soichiro Honda Medal, and the California Air Resources Board Haagen-Smit Award. He is past president of the Combustion Institute, a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
Rashid Shaikh
Director of Science
Health Effects Institute
Rashid Shaikh is a science administrator with more than 25 years of experience in leading and organizing a variety of scientific organizations and programs. Since 2008, he has been the Director of Science for Health Effects Institute where he is responsible for management and oversight of the Institute’s diverse research initiatives and review activities, and recently been particularly interested in the potential impact of new fuels and technologies on health. Previously, he was the Director of Programs at the New York Academy of Sciences where he launched several new programs focused on cutting edge areas of science. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Dr. Shaikh served as the director of HEI’s asbestos program and as the director of scientific review and evaluation. He has served as an advisor or consultant to the Combinatorial Science and Materials Informatics Collaboratory (Iowa State University, Ames), The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), the United Nations and others. He received his bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier’s College in Bombay, India, and his maters in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India. He received his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health.
Susan L. Sharp
HSSE Services Manager
BP Carson Refinery
Susan Sharp is the HSSE Services Manager for BP’s Carson Refinery in Carson, California. Susan leads a team of over 100 Health, Safety, Process Safety and Environmental experts. Her team supports the day-to-day operations of the refinery as well as external relationships, process safety and integrity management, technical training, fire brigade and emergency response. The HSSE Manager establishes HSSE policies and procedures to support HSSE performance, compliance and assurance as well as leadership, coaching and training to the 2500+ employee refining facility. Susan has over 20 years of experience in managing health, safety and environmental issues for the Oil and Gas industry and 17 years managing environmental issues in all segments of the global BP business. She’s held a broad range of leadership positions covering Refining and Marketing, Exploration and Production, Remediation Management, and Group HSSE and has a strong background in U.S. environmental regulation.
Susan’s expertise in environmental major projects and mergers and acquisitions has taken her to BP facilities across the U.S. including the North Slope of Alaska. She returned from London in 2005 where she completed an assignment as an Executive Assistant to the GVP of HSSE for BP. She was the Carson refinery Environmental Manager prior to becoming the HSSE Services Manager.
Susan holds a BS (1987) in Civil Engineering from University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
Eugene J. Tierney
Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Transportation and Air Quality
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Tierney has been with the EPA since 1979. He currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Transportation and Air Quality with the U.S. EPA. This position involves a wide range of mobile source air pollution issues.
He was previously in charge of model development (MOBILE6, NONROAD, and MOVES), emission research (Kansas City PM project, E55/59), and development of portable emission measurement systems (PEMS). He also worked for the State of Hawaii on transportation control measures.
Mr. Tierney earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Hawaii in 1977, and a Master’s degree in resource policy management from the University of Michigan in 1982.
Barry Wallerstein, D. Env.
Executive Officer
South Coast Air Quality Management District
A longtime Southern California resident, Barry R. Wallerstein holds a doctorate in environmental science and engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles - School of Public Health, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in biological science from the University of Southern California. He has over two decades of experience in urban planning and environmental studies, with an emphasis in air pollution control and public policy development. He has been AQMD's Executive Officer for 13 years, having served the agency in increasingly responsible positions since 1984.
Previously in his career, Barry held positions as an Environmental Control Administrator at Northrop and as a member of rule development staff at the California Air Resources Board.
As executive officer, he serves as chief of staff to implement environmental protection policies as approved by the agency's 13-member Governing Board, working proactively with state and federal regulatory officials, local governments, regulated businesses, and community stakeholders. In recent years, he has executed innovative programs to:
- Achieve concurrent reduction of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and air toxics for simultaneous progress toward public health & climate protection goals;
- Strengthen public-private investment in clean fuels and renewable energy technologies;
- Address specific community and neighborhood environmental justice issues, including the evolving area of cumulative impacts;
- Identify and reduce air toxics exposure (especially diesel particulate); and
- Integrate voluntary cleanup incentives into regulatory structures.
During Barry's tenure, he has overseen the development and continuing implementation of the first local-district air toxics control plan in the United States, an outgrowth of the agency's Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Studies (MATES-II and III). Findings from these studies point to diesel engine exhaust as the primary contributor to community cancer risk from air toxics in Southern California – especially in neighborhoods adjoining heavy diesel activity such as ports, freeways, and rail yards. As a result, Barry has also led implementation of AQMD's historic Clean Fleet Vehicle rules, which are achieving international recognition as a strategic model to accelerate the transition to clean-fueled fleets based on advanced technologies.