Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
John H. Johnson (Chair) is a presidential professor emeritus in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Technological University (MTU) and a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). His experience spans a wide range of analysis and experimental work related to advanced engine concepts, diesel and other internal engine emissions studies, fuel systems, and engine simulation. He was previously project engineer at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Center and chief engineer in applied engine research at the International Harvester Company before joining the MTU mechanical engineering faculty. He served as chairman of the MTU mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics department from 1986 to 1993. He has served on many committees related to engine technology, engine emissions, and health effects—for example, committees of the SAE, the National Research Council (NRC), the Combustion Institute, the Health Effects Institute, and the Environmental Protection Agency—and consults to a number of government and private sector institutions. In particular, he served on many NRC committees, including the Committee on Fuel Economy of Automobiles and Light Trucks, the Committee on Advanced Automotive Technologies Plan, the Committee on the Impact and Effectiveness of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, and the Committee to Assess Fuel Economy for Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. He chaired the NRC Committee on Review of DOE’s Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies, the NRC Committee on Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 1, and the NRC Committee on Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 2. Dr. Johnson received from SAE the Horning Memorial Award, Colwell Merit Award (two), McFarland Award, Myers Award for Outstanding Student Paper, the Franz Pischinger Powertrain Innovation Award, and from ASME the Honda Medal and the Internal Combustion Engine Award. He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
Julie Chen is a professor of mechanical engineering and vice provost for research at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML). She was one of three founding codirectors of the UML Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence and is also codirector of the Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Research Laboratory. From 2002 until 2004, Dr. Chen served as a program director for materials processing and nanomanufacturing at the National Science Foundation. She has been a NASA-Langley Summer Faculty fellow and an invited participant on three occasions in the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE’s) Frontiers of Engineering Program. Dr. Chen has more than 25 years of experience in the mechanical behavior and deformation of fiber structures, fiber assemblies, and composite materials, with an emphasis on composites processing and nanomanufacturing. She recently served as a member of the NRC Committee on Benchmarking the Technology and Application of Lightweighting, which wrote the report Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles, Vessels and Aircraft; the NRC Panel on Review of Manufacturing-Related Programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and the NRC Panel on Air and Ground Vehicles Technology. Dr. Chen has co-organized several national and international symposia and workshops on composites manufacturing, including a National Science Foundation (NSF) composites sheet forming workshop, which led to an international benchmarking effort and the ASC International Symposium on Affordable Composites Manufacturing. Dr. Chen served as the technical program chair for the 2010 ASME International Mechanical Engineers Congress and as the ASME Materials Division chair. Dr. Chen holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
David E. Foster, the Phil and Jean Myers Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973 and 1975 respectively. He
received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 1979 from MIT. He was a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin (UW) after completing his Ph.D. He is an active member of the Engine Research Center (ERC), which he served as director from 1994 through 1999 and from September 2008 through December 2011. He was also the founding codirector of the General Motors–ERC–collaborative research laboratory, from its inception in 2002 until he retired in July 2012. Dr. Foster is a registered professional engineer in the State of Wisconsin and has won departmental, engineering society, and university awards for his classroom teaching. He was a member of NRC’s standing committee to review the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles for 6 years, and has served on the Committee to Assess Fuel Economy Technologies of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, the NRC committee to review the DOE FreedomCAR and Fuels Partnership Program, the 21st Century Truck Review, and USDRIVE program review. He has been the recipient of the Academic Contribution Award from JSAE, the UW Engineering Byron Bird Excellence in Research Publication Award, the ASME Honda Gold Medal for outstanding contributions in the field of personal transportation, the 2011 SAE Horning Award, and is a fellow of SAE.
Thomas M. Jahns (NAE), Grainger Professor of Power Electronics and Electric Machines at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been a driving force behind the development of high-performance permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machine drives, distinguished by magnets in their spinning rotors. Since early in his professional career at General Electric, Dr. Jahns has made important technical contributions leading to pioneering applications of PM drives in machine tools, home appliances, aerospace actuators, and electric vehicles. Drawing on these principles, nearly all hybrid and battery-electric passenger vehicles in high-volume commercial production today have adopted PM synchronous machines for their electric propulsion systems. A fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Dr. Jahns’s many honors include the 2005 IEEE Nikola Tesla Technical Field Award that recognizes the significance of his PM machine contributions. He has served as president of the IEEE Power Electronics Society and as Division II director on the IEEE board of directors. Both the IEEE Industry Applications Society and the IEEE Power Electronics Society have recognized him as a Distinguished Lecturer. He has served on a number of NRC committees, including the Committee on Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 1; the Review for the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative, Phase 1, and the Committee on Advanced Automotive Technologies Plan. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT.
Timothy V. Johnson is director for emerging regulations and technologies at Corning Incorporated. He tracks emerging mobile emissions regulations and technologies and helps develop strategic positioning for new products. He has been with Corning for 28 years, and has 18 years in his current position. He is a three-time recipient of the Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Awards from SAE, and in 2008 was named SAE fellow. He also received California’s 2009 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award. Dr. Johnson is active in various advisory committees with government agencies, universities, and private organizations and is a frequent speaker at international technical conferences. He is on the editorial board of three leading engine journals. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1978 and 1979 and received a Doctor of Science from MIT in 1987.
Paul Menig is CEO of Tech-I-M, a consultancy. Previously he was employed by Freightliner, where he was responsible for daily production problems, field problems, custom work orders, and advanced engineering for electrical and electronic items such as engines, transmissions, brakes, and safety devices. Mr. Menig joined Daimler Trucks North America in July of 1994 and initially led the development of electronics for the new Freightliner Century Class truck product line. Before joining Freightliner, Mr. Menig spent 7 years with Eaton Truck Components, leading a team of as many as 65 people in the development of electronic products for automated mechanical transmissions, brakes, and tire pressure control. These activities included some worldwide responsibility and coordination with engineering in Europe and joint venture development with Japanese companies. Before that, Mr. Menig worked for the industrial automation part of Eaton known as Cutler-Hammer. During those 8 years he lead teams working on sensors, factory communications, programmable and motion controllers and vision inspection equipment. Earlier, Mr. Menig worked 5 years for General Electric in the areas of medical equipment for hospitals, remotely guided military vehicles (smart bombs), and charge- coupled device imagers and signal processors. He is currently cochair of the Future Truck/Far Horizon committee of the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations and also serves on the NRC Committee on Approaches and Technologies for Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. Mr. Menig graduated from MIT in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He participated in the ABC program of General Electric, completing the A and B portions. Master’s degree work in electrical engineering was completed with the exception of a thesis at Marquette University. In addition, Mr. Menig has participated in numerous training programs such as total quality management, software development, strategic planning, finance for the nonfinancial manager, ISO 9000, and vehicle dynamics.
James W. Morris is retired from his position as director, advanced engineering, Volvo Powertrain North America (VPTNA). Previous positions with Mack Trucks and Volvo
Powertrain included director, Product Development Laboratories and Engineering Services; chief engineer for the Mack ETECH Engine and Engineering Services; Mack engineering liaison to the Atlantis Project, a joint program between Renault and Mack to design and develop a new 13 L engine; chief engineer 10 L and 16 L product engineering; manager of emissions control; manager of engine development; and a number of the positions related to the development of not only engines but also electronic control engine products, transmissions, structures, and fuel systems. At Mack Trucks and Volvo he gained extensive expertise in development, design, validation, and production support of new technologies, especially for engines, drivelines, exhaust emissions, engine maintenance, and cost reduction, as well as knowledge of the needs and requirements of the trucking industry. He also served as a consultant from September 2010 to June 2012 for the Advanced Combustion Group of Volvo Power Train. He has a BSME from Pennsylvania State University.
Thomas E. Reinhart is an institute engineer in the Department of Engine Design and Development, which is part of the Division of Emissions and Vehicle Research at Southwest Research Institute. His previous positions include Cummins Inc., 1980-2000; Roush Industries, Inc., 2001-2004, and Visteon Corporation, 2004-2005. He leads projects in engine design, performance and emissions development, and gasoline and diesel engine noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) improvement. Since 2007, he has led a number of projects to investigate technologies for improved engine, power train, and vehicle fuel efficiency and GHG reduction, focused on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Currently, Mr. Reinhart is leading projects for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to evaluate the costs and benefits of various fuel efficiency technologies that could be applied to comply with future truck fuel efficiency regulations. Mr. Reinhart has served on two previous NRC committees: Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 2. He is a member of SAE, the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE), where he served on the board of directors from 2008 through 2011, and the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration (IIAV). He has a B.S. and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
Bernard Robertson (NAE) is president of BIR1, LLC, an engineering consultancy specializing in transportation and energy matters that he founded in January 2004 on his retirement from DaimlerChrysler Corporation. During the latter part of his 38-year career in the automotive industry, Mr. Robertson was elected an officer of Chrysler Corporation in February 1992. He was appointed senior vice president coincident with the merger of Chrysler Corporation and Daimler-Benz AG in November 1998 and was named senior vice president of engineering technologies and regulatory affairs in January 2001. In his last position, he led the Liberty and Technical Affairs Research group; advanced technology management and FreedomCAR activities; and hybrid electric, battery electric, fuel cell, and military vehicle development. In addition, he was responsible for regulatory analysis and compliance for safety and emissions. He is a member of the NAE, a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (U.K.), a Chartered Engineer (U.K.), and a fellow of SAE. He has served on a number of NRC committees, including the Committee on Review of the Research Program of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership and the Committee on Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 2. Mr. Robertson holds an M.B.A. degree from Michigan State University, a master’s degree in automotive engineering from the Chrysler Institute, and a master’s degree in mechanical sciences from Cambridge University, England.
Subhash C. Singhal (NAE) is Battelle fellow emeritus, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). At PNNL he worked in the Energy Science and Technology Directorate after having worked at Siemens Power Generation (formerly Westinghouse Electric Corporation) for over 29 years. At PNNL, Dr. Singhal provided senior technical, managerial, and commercialization leadership to the laboratory’s extensive fuel cell program. At Siemens Westinghouse, he conducted and/or managed major research, development, and demonstration programs in advanced materials for various energy conversion systems, including steam and gas turbines, coal gasification, and fuel cells. He was manager of fuel cell technology there, and was responsible for the development of high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for stationary power generation. In this role, he led an internationally recognized group in SOFC technology and brought this technology from a laboratory curiosity of a few watts to fully integrated, 200 kW power generation systems. He has authored 100 scientific publications, edited 17 books, received 13 patents, and given numerous plenary, keynote, and other invited presentations worldwide. Dr. Singhal is a member of the National Academy of Engineering; a fellow of four professional societies (American Ceramic Society, The Electrochemical Society, ASM International, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS]); a senior member of the Mineral, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), received the Electrochemical Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award in High Temperature Materials in 1994, and continues as the chairman of the Society’s International Symposium on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. He served as president of the International Society for Solid State Ionics during 2003-2005. He received the American Ceramic Society’s Edward Orton Jr. Memorial Award in 2001; an Invited Professorship Award from the Japan Ministry of Science, Education and Culture in 2002; and the Christian Friedrich Schoenbein Gold Medal from the European Fuel Cell Forum in 2006. He serves on the
editorial boards of Elsevier’s Journal of Power Sources and the Fuel Cell Virtual Journal and is an associate editor of ASME’s Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology. He has also served on many national and international advisory panels including those of the National Materials Advisory Board of the National Research Council, National Science Foundation, Materials Properties Council, U.S. Department of Energy, NATO Advanced Study Institutes and NATO Science for Peace Programs, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Energy Agency (IEA), and the European Commission. He has a B.S. in physics, chemistry, and mathematics from Agra University; a B.E. in metallurgy from the Indian Institute of Science; a Ph.D. in materials engineering and science from the University of Pennsylvania; and an M.B.A. in technology management from the University of Pittsburgh.
James A. (Jim) Spearot is currently president of his own consulting company, Mountain Ridgeline Consulting, LLC. His consulting efforts focus on transportation energy and automotive fuel and lubricant issues as they affect emissions and fuel efficiency. In 2009, Dr. Spearot retired from General Motors Research and Development Center, where he was director of the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Laboratory, whose mission was to develop cost-effective environmental strategies and systems for GM’s products and processes. Additionally, Dr. Spearot served as chief scientist for GM’s Public Policy Center, lead executive for research programs in Russia and CIS countries, and manager of GM’s Hydrogen Storage Innovation Program. Dr. Spearot began his GM career in 1972 as an assistant senior research engineer in the Fuels and Lubricants Department. He was appointed department head of Fuels and Lubricants in 1992 and director of the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Laboratory in 1998. He is a member of several organizations: SAE, the Society of Rheology, the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He is a former chairman of the SAE Fuels and Lubricants Division and a former chairman of the Coordinating Research Council (CRC). He has served as chairman of the Fuels Working Group of the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) and the USCAR Environmental and Hydrogen Technical Leadership Councils. His professional honors include an ASTM Award for Excellence in 1990; the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award from SAE in 1987; and the Award for Research on Automotive Lubricants, also from the SAE, in 1987. He is a fellow member of the SAE and has received a Lifetime Achievement award from USCAR. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Syracuse University and master’s and doctorate degrees, also in chemical engineering, from the University of Delaware.
Kathleen C. Taylor (NAE) is retired director of the Materials and Processes Laboratory at General Motors Research and Development and Planning Center. She was simultaneously chief scientist for General Motors of Canada, Ltd. in Oshawa, Ontario. Earlier Dr. Taylor was department head for physics and physical chemistry and department head for environmental sciences. Currently Dr. Taylor is a member of the DOE Hydrogen Technology Advisory Committee. Dr. Taylor was awarded the Garvan Medal from the American Chemical Society. She is a member of NAE, a fellow of SAE International and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a foreign fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering. She has been president of the Materials Research Society and chair of the board of directors of the Gordon Research Conferences. She has served on many NRC committees, including the Committee on Review of the U.S. DRIVE Research Program, Phase 4, and the Review of the 21st Century Truck, Phase 2, and was a member of the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems. She has expertise in R&D management, fuel cells, batteries, catalysis, exhaust emission control, and automotive materials. She received an A.B. in chemistry from Douglass College and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Northwestern University.
John Woodrooffe heads Transportation Safety Analytics and is director of the Commercial Vehicle Research and Policy program at the University of Michigan Transportation Institute (UMTRI). He is responsible for the Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics, which conducts nationwide surveys of trucks involved in fatal accidents (TIFA) and buses involved in fatal accidents (BIFA), and for the Statistical Analysis Group, which performs analytical modeling and conducts research to advance statistical methods for road and vehicle safety analysis. He is an international expert on policy and safety evaluation of large vehicles, including stability and control, accident reconstruction, vehicle productivity, fuel use, and environmental impact. He has participated in many large international technical projects and has been a member of vehicle-related Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) technical expert working groups, most recently the OECD/JTRC project entitled “Heavy Vehicles: Regulatory, Operational and Productivity Improvements.” This Paris-based international task force examined regulatory concepts and future truck technology for sustainable road transport. Before joining UMTRI, Mr. Woodrooffe founded the Road Vehicle Research Program at the National Research Council of Canada and developed it into a successful, internationally active heavy truck research laboratory. He served on the NRC Committee on Fuel Economy of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase 1, and is currently serving on the Committee on Fuel Economy of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase 2, and the Committee on Motor Vehicle Size and Weight. He was a consultant to Australia’s National Road Transport Commission for a unique 3-year performance-based standards development project that produced a new performance-based regulatory system for large vehicle combinations. Mr. Woodrooffe holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Ottawa.
