Speakers

Focus:

Kate Gordon has spent over two decades working at the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and equitable economic development. From the Biden-Harris administration to the Governor’s Office in California, her work focuses on integrating climate strategy with regional economic resilience to ensure a just transition for all communities.

Professional Bio:

Kate Gordon is the CEO of CA FWD. Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, where she led initiatives like the Community Benefits Plan framework and the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative. Prior to her federal service, Gordon was the Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and Senior Climate Policy Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, launching the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF).

Before public service, she was the founding director of the Risky Business Project and held leadership roles at the Henry M. Paulson Institute and the Center for American Progress. Gordon earned a J.D. and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from UC-Berkeley. She currently serves on several boards, teaches at UC-Berkeley, and is a Non-resident Scholar at Carnegie California.

Abstract:

Borates have been used as an industrial mineral for thousands of years. Sodium Borates have been mined and refined at Rio Tinto Borates Boron Operations for 100 years. Borates are used in many everyday products with wide-ranging applications including agricultural uses, wood building material preservatives, fiberglass insulation, ceramics, heat tempered glass, electronics, computer chips, and vehicle parts. The US Geological Survey has recently included Boron on the list of Critical Minerals for the United States, underscoring boron's economic and national security importance.

Professional Bio:

Brandon Griffiths is the Senior Geologist at Rio Tinto Borates Boron Operations with over 20 years of experience in geology roles. A Kern County native from Boron, CA, Brandon attended UC Santa Barbara and graduated with a degree in Geological Sciences in 2001. He worked in Environmental Consulting for 4 years before joining Rio Tinto Borates, where he has spent 20 years performing geotechnical and mine geology work. He currently manages the Mine Geology program at Boron Operations overseeing ore control and resource geology, and serves as the Competent Person for Ore Reserve & Resource reporting.

Research Focus:

Dr. Hegde’s research is primarily focused on Agricultural Economics and regional economic issues. His work bridges the gap between academic study and community impact, specifically through the development of the Ag Business degree program at CSUB.

Professional Bio:

Aaron Hegde is Professor of Economics at CSU Bakersfield and serves as the Executive Director of the Grimm Family Center for Agricultural Business. After receiving his PhD in Agricultural Economics from North Carolina State University and spending several years at Pennsylvania State University, Aaron moved to Bakersfield in 2003.

During his tenure at CSUB, he has led numerous service initiatives, most notably the establishment of the Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business. This program continues to grow as a vital resource for the local community, reflecting his dedication to the economic development of Kern County and the surrounding region.

Core Mission:

Dr. Olson focuses on ethical issues in professional life and the sciences, believing that ethics education thrives through cross-disciplinary conversations. His work bridges clinical research and community health through active roles in bioethics committees and institutional review.

Professional Bio:

Dr. Nate Olson is the Interim Director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics, Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, and a Professor of Philosophy at CSU Bakersfield. He teaches courses in ethical theory and practical ethics, with a research emphasis on bioethics, including clinical and research ethics.

He serves on the CSUB Institutional Review Board and the Dignity Health Memorial Hospital Ethics Committee. Dr. Olson earned his PhD from Georgetown University and previously served as a post-doctoral teaching fellow at Stanford University, where he collaborated with the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.

Abstract:

Critical materials enable modern societies and are essential to economic, energy, and national security. They enable much of the technology of modern life such as strong magnets needed for efficient motors, energy storage for EVs, and advanced semiconductors. This talk will provide an overview of critical minerals & materials and where there are opportunities for domestic industry.

Professional Bio:

Dr. Scott McCall is the Actinide and Lanthanide Science Group Leader within the Materials Science Division of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a founding member of the Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI). He currently serves as the Crosscutting Research Focus Area Lead for CMI, a consortium of 9 national laboratories and 25 universities dedicated to advancing early-stage research in critical materials. He also serves as lead for the Alloy Design and Advanced Manufacturing (ADAM) Center within METALLIC.

Abstract:

This talk will cover two geomechanics-related issues for CO2 sequestration: stress estimation and the effect of thermoelastic stress changes. During CO2 sequestration, it is important to inject below the frac gradient to maintain seal integrity. Fracture injection tests are commonly used to estimate stress, however some methods systematically underestimate stress. During long-term injection, the formation gradually cools around the well, inducing localized stress reduction which can cause small fractures to form, potentially affecting cap rock integrity.

Professional Bio:

Mark McClure established ResFrac in 2015 to help operators maximize value through the application of advanced geomechanics and reservoir simulation. Before founding ResFrac, Mark was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. After earning a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and a Master of Science in petroleum engineering from Stanford University, Mark earned a PhD in energy resources engineering at Stanford.

Abstract:

While California possesses prolific conventional basins, recent regulations like SB 1137 and permitting bottlenecks have constrained development. This presentation analyzes the impact of restrictive policy on production and reserves over the past decade and explores how new legislation like SB 237 may create a turning point for streamlined permitting in Kern County.

Professional Bio:

Joe Mello has been a petroleum engineering consultant at NSAI since 2015, with extensive experience in offshore deepwater assets and conventional reservoirs across the United States. He specializes in dynamic reservoir simulation for oil and gas evaluations and leads NSAI’s efforts in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project assessments.

Prior to joining NSAI, Joe served as a reservoir and production engineer for ExxonMobil at the Santa Ynez Unit offshore California. His expertise is frequently utilized by both private producers and state government entities for reserve evaluations and regional economic impact studies.

Abstract:

In this study, the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry on Kern County's economy will be presented.

Professional Bio:

Nyakundi Michieka is a Professor in the department of Economics at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), where he also serves as the Director for the Center for Economic Education and Research. His primary research focuses on energy, environmental economics and regional economics. Dr. Michieka has presented his work at numerous conferences and has authored over 38 research publications in esteemed journals, including Energy Economics, Applied Energy, Energy Policy, Economic Modelling and Economic Analysis and Policy. His current research examines the long- and short-run effects of oil prices on Kern County's economy. Originally from Kenya, Dr. Michieka earned his undergraduate degree in Mechatronic Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. He was honored with the CSUB Unity Award in 2024.

Abstract:

Darcy Partners will share insights on how recent trends in the energy industry (Data Centers, load growth, technology evolution) are bringing together erstwhile disparate energy industries of Oil & Gas and Utilities. Priorities of each industry, their position in the evolving chain (molecules to electrons), and examples of how the industries are collaborating will be shared in this session.

Professional Bio:

Nikhil brings together a background in energy and management consulting to his current role at Darcy Partners, a technology research and innovation advisory firm focused on the energy industry. His career started at Indian Oil Corporation (India's largest oil refiner) in Corporate Planning & Economic Studies, followed by an LNG Procurement role. After earning his MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he worked at Boston Consulting Group focusing on Energy & Sustainability topics. In his current role, Nikhil helps O&G producers understand the latest technologies and identify the right partners to unlock value.

Focus Areas:

Suri specializes in the lifecycle management of wells, focusing on integrity, design, and failure analysis. His work ensures that subsurface infrastructure is resilient against geomechanical stresses and environmental factors throughout its productive life.

Professional Bio:

PV (Suri) Suryanarayana is the CEO and President of Blade Energy Partners. He has over 30 years of experience in well engineering, including casing and tubing design, geomechanics, and underbalanced drilling. He has authored numerous technical papers and has been a lead instructor for industry courses worldwide. Suri holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and is a recognized leader in the global energy community for his expertise in well integrity and lifecycle engineering.

Abstract:

Traditional compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology has been around for decades, but has not been broadly deployed because of constraints around heat, siting, and efficiency. Hydrostor has improved on this model with their patented advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) technology. The result is the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center, being built in Kern County, California. In this session, Hydrostor will discuss how they solved these issues to create an efficient, long-duration energy storage system with emissions-free operations.

Professional Bio:

Lucas is an Engineering manager at Hydrostor who has been working on the development and advancement of the Advanced Compressed Energy Storage (A-CAES) technology for over 8 years. Lucas has been supporting the adoption of the A-CAES technology at Hydrostor's Willow Rock project in Rosamond, CA from the project conception.