Dr. Powell has more than 15 years of research experience in the areas of high-temperature phase and microstructural development in structural materials, and the effect of these phase changes on the bulk properties of the material.  She received her Ph.D. in materials science from Case Western Reserve University in 1989, preceded by an M.S. and B.S. in ceramic engineering from Clemson University, in 1985 and 1983, respectively.  Her research has also addressed microstructure/processing relationships in a wide range of intermetallic, metallic, ceramic, and composite materials, and the influence of microstructure on the tribological performance of ceramics and ceramic-based composites.  She has more than 40 publications in these areas. 

Ms. Klara is responsible for coordinating the operational aspects of the Alliance to ensure that this collaboration is best positioned to collectively provide solutions to the region’s and the Nation’s most compelling energy issues.  Prior to this position, Julianne served as a senior analyst at NETL.  Ms. Klara managed and conducted engineering and analysis studies for coal gasification- and combustion-based energy systems to determine the technical, economic, and environmental performance of these processes for the production of power, industrial fuel gas, synthesis gas, and value-added products.  The results of these assessments continue to guide NETL research and development projects, assess progress of R&D towards Department goals, and identify new projects in fossil energy lead areas.  These lead areas include advanced power generation employing gasification, combustion, fuel cells, advanced turbines, and hybrid cycles. Under her management, NETL issued its landmark “Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants” report, which continues to be one of the most comprehensive sets of cost and performance data available in public literature.  She also implemented NETL’s integrated benefit estimation program to assess the value of the Lab’s fossil energy research and development program.  She earned a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1983 from the University of Pittsburgh.

Prior to this, Dr. Foley was the dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Penn State University from November 20, 2006, to December 31, 2009.  In his role as Vice President for research and Dean of the graduate school, Foley is responsible for overseeing a research enterprise with over $765 million dollars in expenditures and over 9,000 graduate students in more than 150 graduate degree programs, including 121 doctorate, 110 academic master’s, and 73 professional master’s degree programs.

Dr. Foley earned a B.S. in chemistry from Providence College in 1977, M.S. in chemistry from Purdue University in 1979, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Penn State University in 1982.  Foley returned to Penn State University in 2000 as the Walter L. Robb Family Endowed Chair and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering.  Before accepting the position of Dean of IST, Foley served as the University's Associate Vice President for research and Director of strategic initiatives (beginning in 2004), where he was responsible for the development of major new research initiatives and worked closely with State and Federal agencies to enhance Penn State's research opportunities.  Foley also provided overall leadership for the University's Homeland Security Coordination Council, the Office of Military and Security Programs, the Worldwide Universities Network, the Center for Space Research, and the Animal Resource Program.  One of his primary responsibilities was to assist with the development of major new initiatives that bring interested parties together from disparate colleges and geographic locations.

Prior to coming to Penn State, Dr. Foley was a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Delaware.  There, he also directed the University's Center for Catalytic Science and Technology.

Foley's extensive industrial experience includes working for American Cyanamid Company and consulting with Air Products, Monsanto, DuPont, Englehard Corporation, and many other companies.

Foley holds numerous memberships in professional and honorary societies including the American Society for Cybernetics, the Computing Research Association, Sigma Xi, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Sigma Pi Sigma, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society.  He was a founding member of the AIChE's Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division and served as its chair.

His awards and recognition include the New York Metropolitan Catalysis Society's Excellence in Catalysis Award, the Philadelphia Catalysis Club's Annual Award, the Leo C. Friend Award from the I&EC Division of the American Chemical Society, the Research Innovation Recognition Award from Union Carbide Corporation, the Presidential Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation, and the Thiele Lecture at the University of Notre Dame.  He has authored more than 100 papers, holds almost 20 patents, and is author of the textbook, Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis Using Mathematica, published in 2003.

Previously McNulty was Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and focused on the development projects in Carnegie Mellon’s major research areas of cyber security, energy technology, and robotics.

McNulty joined Carnegie Mellon in January 2003 after 8 years in the administration of Governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker–serving in the Department of Community and Economic Development as Executive Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary and as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor for Technology Initiatives.  McNulty directed the design and implementation of Governor Ridge’s Digital and Life Sciences Greenhouses, the Governor’s $2 billion investment in biotechnology, and participated in Governor Ridge’s success in restoring commercial shipbuilding at the Philadelphia Shipyard.  For Governor Schweiker he coordinated the development of the free tuition initiative for unemployed workers in 2002. 

McNulty led the Pittsburgh Regional Revitalization Initiative in 1994 for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and directed a regional technology development consortium at Argonne National Laboratory.  He was also the Executive Director of the Council of Great Lakes Governors.  McNulty holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and an M. A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  He is a member of the board of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Tobacco Settlement Investment Board and the board of Innovation Works.  McNulty also volunteers as a board member of a number of technology and education related organizations, including the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation, the SciTech Spectacular, Asset Incorporated, and the Pennsylvania Learning Network.