About Us

Stephen Stella leads EPRI’s Technology Innovation Program which is focused on exploring the impact of Emerging Topics, Trends, and Technologies across the energy industry.  He works with researchers, early-stage technology developers, subject matter experts and utilities to identify the impact of emerging products and technologies in a diverse array of energy applications. Prior to joining EPRI, Stephen worked in numerous engineering, marketing, and business development roles spanning multiple companies and industries, including stints in the semiconductor, alternative energy, and automotive industries. Stephen holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University, and an MBA from the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan.  He currently resides in Iowa City, IA.

Mark McGranaghan is a Fellow at EPRI, located at the EPRI Europe office in Dublin.   He received his BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo (Ohio) in 1977 and 1978, respectively.  He has authored more than 70 technical papers and articles on topics ranging from power quality to insulation coordination.  Mark has been a leader in the areas of power quality, development of the smart grid, and distributed resource integration for over 20 years.  He is an IEEE Fellow and in 2014 received the Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award for his expertise and dedication to power engineering standards development.

Dr. Jeremy Renshaw leads Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing R&D for EPRI, as well as Innovation for EPRI’s Nuclear Sector.  He has been with EPRI since 2012, previously leading EPRI’s Used Fuel and High-Level Waste Program. Prior to EPRI, he was a Sr. R&D Engineer at AREVA (now Framatome), and a Product Development Engineer at Danfoss. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, all from Iowa State University.

Agatha Kazdan is a Principal Technical Leader at the Electric Power Research Institute with over 17 years of experience developing and managing utility and government clean energy and sustainable building programs. In her current role as part of the Advanced Buildings and Communities Program, she leads technology scouting, emerging technology evaluations and customer programs research targeting solutions that enable cost effective and scalable building decarbonization and resilience. She is a graduate of Middlebury College and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. 

Dr. Ashley Roberts is a Technical Leader in EPRI’s Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI) and Generation Sector, based in Charlotte, NC. Her expertise centers on the development of low-emission technologies and markets. At EPRI she works across projects focused on hydrogen and low-carbon fuels, lifecycle assessment, workforce development, and strategic management. She was an officer of two start-ups and has over 10 years of experience in the energy sector, having worked with public, private, and government organizations. She received her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and holds an MS in Engineering Physics and MBA in International Business from Appalachian State University.

Dr. Suma Jothibasu is Technical Leader with the Energy Storage Group at Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto. Her research focus is on Microgrid design for improved resiliency, feasibility analysis and valuation studies. She is Principal Investigator for several CEC and DoD funded projects Microgrid demonstration and feasibility studies. She received her PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Her PhD dissertation was on electric power network design for high resiliency and high DER integration. She has over 10 years of research experience in power system and DER modeling area.

Dr. Charlyne Smith is a Nuclear Engineer and Scientist at the Electric Power Research Institute, where she co-leads the Nuclear Innovation Program. She is also a research scientist at the University of Florida, working on nuclear materials projects. Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry from Coppin State University, as well as a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering, both from the University of Florida. With a background as a Distinguished Research Fellow at Idaho National Laboratory and Research Scientist at the University of Florida, Dr. Smith specializes in advanced characterization and post-irradiation examination of nuclear fuels and materials, publishing extensively in leading nuclear materials and engineering journals. She spearheads initiatives like the Nuclear Energy – SMR Symposium and Nuclear Engineering Bootcamp to enhance education and research in developing countries.

Nancy LaFlair  is a Engineer IV  at the Electric Power Research Institute with the Energy Delivery and Consumer Solutions sector. In her current role, she supports testing and evaluations in power quality and continuity of power in critical applications. Prior to joining EPRI, she served 10 years in the United States Navy, working in the Nuclear Power Program. Nancy has a combined 16 years of experience in operations, maintenance, training, and electrical safety and risk analysis. Nancy holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Citadel.