Davide Cavaliere

Global Battery Management Systems Product Manager, Marelli

Davide Cavaliere is the Global Battery Management Systems (BMS) Product Manager at Marelli. In parallel to work, he is enrolled in the applied chemistry PhD program at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Davide’s research topic is focused on battery cell modeling and on-site degradation diagnosis. He entered the automotive industry in 2014 when he joined Marelli as an application engineer and customer interface for engine control unit (ECU) applications, and in 2020, he moved to the electric powertrain division. Davide holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano.

Don Wright

Vice President – Engineering, Unico

Don Wright is the VP of Engineering at Unico LLC, a seasoned leader with a strong background in mechanical engineering, business development and product design. With a career spanning various roles at Unico and AVL, he has honed his expertise in power electronics control products, focusing on EV battery and powertrain development and testing. He holds a BSEE from Lawrence Technological University and an MEMS in Engineering Management. Don's wife Veronika is also an ev influencer and they drive a Ford F-150 Lightning and a Mustang Mach-E. Don is currently in the process of converting a 1999 Jeep Wrangler to fully electric.

Zoltan Spakovszky, Ph.D.

T. Wilson Professor in Aeronautics and Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory, MIT

Dr. Zoltan Spakovszky is the T. Wilson Professor in Aeronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he also serves as the director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory. He holds a Dipl. Ing. degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich as well as a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. Dr. Spakovszky’s principal fields of interest include propulsion and energy conversion, internal flows in fluid machinery, compressor aerodynamics and stability, micro-fluidics and rotordynamics, aero-acoustics, aircraft design for environment, and electrified aviation. He currently directs analytical and experimental research in these areas and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, propulsion and fluid mechanics, and aero-acoustics. Dr. Spakovszky has authored many technical papers in refereed journals and has been awarded more than a dozen ASME International Gas Turbine Institute best paper awards, the ASME Melville Medal, the ASME Gas Turbine Award, the ASME John P. Davis Award, the ASME IGTI Scholar Award, a NASA Honor Award, several Aero-Astro Undergraduate Advising / Teaching Awards, and the Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is a Technical Consultant to industry and government agencies and an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Turbomachinery, and he previously held positions at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Dr. Spakovszky is a Fellow of the ASME, the Past Chair of the ASME Gas Turbine Technology Group, and an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and served as Chair of the turbomachinery committee and Review Chair of the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute.

Martin Dumberger

Managing Director, MICRO-EPSILON America

Martin Dumberger is an expert on sensors and measurement systems, who serves as MICRO-EPSILON America’s Managing Director. With more than 30 years of experience in the sensor business, he manages the company’s measurement division for the western hemisphere. Martin is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, from where he and his team tackle complex and demanding measurement applications for almost any industry.

Max Van Raaphorst

Business Development Manager – E-mobility and Automotive, Avery Dennison

Max Van Raaphorst is the Business Development Manager for E-mobility and Automotive at Avery Dennison. With nearly a decade of technical, sales, and marketing experience in the chemical manufacturing field, Max strives to help Avery Dennison tape converters grow their business in the fast-evolving E-mobility and Automotive segments.

Georgios Polyzos, Ph.D.

Senior R&D Staff Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Dr. Georgios Polyzos serves as a Research and Development Staff Scientist in Energy Storage and Conversion Manufacturing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he has worked since 2011. He previously worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Penn State University and as a Researcher for Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Dr. Polyzos was the Principal Investigator in more than $7.5M in DOE funding and co-Principal Investigator in more than $9.0M in DOE funding. He has authored or co-authored 70 journal articles, five book chapters, and 28 conference proceedings. He has been granted five patents and was a co-inventor in two licensed technologies. Dr. Polyzos holds a Ph.D. in polymer science from the National Technical University of Athens.

Venkat Srinivasan, Ph.D.

Director – ACCESS and Deputy Director – JCESR, Argonne National Laboratory

Dr. Venkat Srinivasan is the Director of the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS) and the Deputy Director of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR). ACCESS provides the vision and coordinates the energy storage programs at Argonne and serves as a point of entry for industry to take advantage of the unique capabilities and facilities at Argonne to solve their problems in energy storage. JCESR is a national program led by Argonne that focuses on next-generation energy storage research that goes beyond lithium-ion technology. Dr. Srinivasan and his research group develop continuum-based models for battery materials and combine them with experimental characterization to help design new materials, electrodes, and devices. His research interest is in developing next-generation batteries for use in vehicle and grid applications, among other things, and he conceived the idea of CalCharge, a one-of-a-kind public-private partnership in energy storage. Previously, Dr. Srinivasan served as a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as well as the technical manager of the Batteries for Advanced Transportation Technologies (BATT) Program, acting director of the BATT program, department head of the Energy Storage and Distributed Resources (ESDR) department at LBNL, and interim director of the ESDR Division at LBNL. He is also the author of a popular battery blog “This Week in Batteries.” Dr. Srinivasan holds a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.

Martina Petranikova, Ph.D.

Associate Professor – Energy and Materials | Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology

Dr. Martina Petranikova leads the battery recycling research at Chalmers University of Technology where she serves as Associate Professor of Energy and Materials and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. She has more than 16 years’ experience in the waste management of spent batteries of all chemistries including directive, collection systems, discharging, dismantling, and material recycling. Her focus includes development of chemical processes for recovery and reuse of valuable metals and non-metallic components and has experience in the optimization and scaling up of the developed chemical processes. In addition, Dr. Petranikova is manager of a pilot plant for metal separation and mechanical pre-treatment.

John Gewarges

CEO and Co-Founder, Ganaio Inc.

John Gewarges is an accomplished Mechanical Design Engineer and the CEO and Co-Founder of Ganaio Inc. There he leads innovative efforts to advance engineering solutions, particularly in extending the driving range of electric vehicles through enhancing battery aiding capabilities. John’s career highlights include significant improvements in mechanical design such as aerodynamics, thermal management, and manufacturing efficiency. John’s contributions have earned him multiple awards including a patent for a coil regenerative device and the 2023 SAE Create the Future Contest Award in Automotive and Transportation for his innovative regenerative damper technology. He previously worked at Tesla, first as a product specialist and then as a mechanical engineer. John's work at the Naval Information Warfare Center for the U.S. Navy involves leading projects on the conceptual development and integration of UAV payload systems. His work focuses on refining overall efficiency by increasing naval mission times requiring fewer operations. John holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from San Diego State University.

Gao Liu, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist and Group Leader – Applied Energy Materials Group, Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory

Dr. Gao Liu is a Senior Scientist and Group Leader of the Applied Energy Materials Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is also a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry. With more than 20 years of experience in developing materials and system engineering for electrical energy storage, Dr. Liu’s research integrates synthetic chemistry, composite engineering, and electrochemistry to address interdisciplinary challenges in energy generation, storage, and usage. His lab employs advanced diagnostics to uncover fundamental and critical issues in energy systems and utilizes synthetic techniques to create new materials that enhance overall system performance. Dr. Liu pioneered research in multifunctional conductive polymer adhesives and has significantly contributed to the fundamental understanding of polymeric binder behaviors in composite electrodes. This work has led to the rational design of functional electrode binders for new storage chemistries. Dr. Liu’s current research in energy storage encompasses a broad range of topics including electrode binders, silicon, sulfur, and lithium metal materials, electrode engineering, electrolytes and additives, and solid-state conductors. In addition to energy storage research, he is also involved in materials and engineering research focused on building resiliency, circular economy, and advanced manufacturing. He has authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications and holds 28 granted patents. Dr. Liu serves as the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Consortium lead and coordinator for the Net Zero World Initiative, a global partnership dedicated to helping countries achieve their climate goals and accelerate transitions to net zero, resilient, and inclusive energy systems.

Kaitlyn Sommer

Moderator, SAE Media Group

Kaitlyn Sommer serves as Director of Marketing for SAE Media Group.

Amanda Hosey

Moderator, SAE Media Group

Amanda Hosey serves as the Editor of Custom Content for SAE Media Group.

Christian Sauerland

Senior Engineering Manager, dSPACE Inc.

Christian Sauerland is a Senior Engineering Manager at dSPACE Inc. where he is responsible for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) application engineering for the company's North American market. He joined dSPACE in 2008 as a project engineer, later progressed into management, and today oversees application engineering for HIL and related technology areas. His responsibilities also include the development of e-mobility related business for dSPACE, including solutions for motor simulation, power electronics, smart charging, and battery management. Throughout his career with dSPACE, he has gained expertise in the application of tools for embedded-controls software, specifically verification and validation through HIL simulation.

Pranav Jaswani

Technology Analyst, IDTechEx

Pranav Jaswani is a Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, focusing on electric vehicle technologies. He is currently focused on future mobility, with an emphasis on electric vehicles in construction and mining and batteries for off-highway machinery. Pranav is the lead author on multiple market research reports in this area including “Electric Vehicles in Construction.” He holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College London.

Hock-Yew Yeap

Solutions Manager – Automotive Electronics | Automotive and Energy Solutions, Keysight Technologies

Hock-Yew Yeap works as a Solutions Manager on Keysight’s Automotive and Energy Solutions team. He focuses on enabling functional test solutions for radar, lidar, and general automotive electronics. Hock-Yew has more than 20 years of experience in testing automotive, RF, and mmWave technologies. Currently, he works closely with leading companies and suppliers in the automotive ecosystem. Hock-Yew’s areas of interest include automated test equipment, electric vehicle components manufacturing, automotive radar and sensor fusion, and manufacturing quality control.

Michael Abdelmaseh

Director of Engineering, PyroDelta

Michael Abdelmaseh is an electrical engineer and the Co-Founder and Director of Engineering of PyroDelta. With eight years of research and development experience, he has developed a proprietary thermoelectric generator, including a unique semiconductor casting process, technology which is patented in the US and Canada. Before starting PyroDelta, Michael worked as a senior commissioning engineer at Toyota. His work at PyroDelta focuses on improving solar systems, especially in space-constrained settings where traditional solar solutions may not be viable. Also, Michael is passionate about implementing PyroDelta's thermoelectric modules into internal combustion vehicles to replace alternators and improve fuel efficiency.

Michael Burz

President and CEO, Enzinc

Michael Burz is CEO and Co-Founder of Enzinc, a pioneering developer of advanced rechargeable zinc battery technology. He is an aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur: In his previous endeavors, he designed cruise missiles, was part of Nissan’s Design Studio in the US where he worked on an eco-car for the Tokyo Auto Show, and was program manager for Nissan’s all-carbon composite Group C car that raced at Le Mans. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Cal Poly and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from San Diego State University.

Jeff Spangenberger

Materials Recycling R&D Group Lead, Argonne National Laboratory | Director, ReCell Center

Jeff Spangenberger is the Materials Recycling R&D Group Lead in the Applied Materials Division at Argonne National Laboratory. His group works to solve material separation, recovery, and recycling challenges, resulting in cost effective and environmentally sustainable processes that are then transferrable to industry. Jeff is also the director of the ReCell center, an advanced battery recycling program funded by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, to evaluate and advance the cost effective and sustainable recycling of end-of-life batteries.

Tyler Gurian

Senior Program Engineer, Aspen Aerogels

Tyler Gurian is a Senior Program Engineer at Aspen Aerogels. He collaborates with major automotive OEMs and cell manufacturers to demonstrate how PyroThin thermal barriers can help them achieve their safety and performance goals. Before joining Aspen, Tyler supported cooling system design at major global aerospace and marine organizations. He holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Union College.

Somasekhar Bobba

Global Technical Manager, SABIC

Somasekhar “Soma” Bobba serves as the Global Technical Manager, Automotive, for SABIC’s Specialties business division. In this executive role, he is responsible for working closely with OEMs and Tiers to identify new and innovative solutions for automotive applications using SABIC’s thermoplastic materials to achieve benefits like lightweighting, part integration for improved production rates, performance enhancement, and cost optimization. Soma has more than 17 years of professional experience in automotive industry, and his achievements include 26 invention disclosures, with 17 issued patents, and multiple articles in technical magazines, international journals, and conference publications. He is currently vice chair of SAE's Polymers & Coatings committee and has been serving as a session organizer for the SAE World Congress & Exhibition since 2011.

Tine Tomažič, Ph.D.

Director of Engineering and Programs, Pipistrel

As the Director of Engineering and Programs for Pipistrel, Tine Tomažič oversees the development and implementation of engineering projects and technological strategies, ensuring the advancement and innovation of the company's aviation products and solutions. Tine holds a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from University of Ljubljana. His work in systems automation and human machine interfaces ranges from autopilot technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles to electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems. Tine was involved in development of world's first two-seat and the world's first electric four-seat aircraft, the Taurus Electro and the Taurus G4. He has been pilot since age 15, an instructor since age 19, and test pilot since age 22. Tine has flown in eight different electric aircraft and participated in the development of five of them. He is a deep believer in electric flight and has dedicated his Ph.D thesis, titled “Development of control strategies and systems to optimize flying with hybrid-powered aeroplanes,” to research technologies to identify the future of electric flight, including distributed electric propulsion architectures, powertrain modeling, and flight mission optimization.