Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program Leadership
Appearing alphabetically
Dr. Chris Bachman (co-director as of 2004) came to ISAT's biotech group in 2004 from UVA's Biomedical Engineering Department, and has research interests in exploring and manipulating novel feedstocks for biofuels production, in characterizing the chemical differences between fuels derived from various feedstocks, and in vehicle design and development. A previous member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, he has aided in the design and construction of amphibious and solar-PV- powered vehicles. His interests in environmental issues are longstanding; he's currently a member of the Society for Environmental Action and has a history of assisting in community environmental issues.
ISAT Assistant Professor Dr. Christie-Joy (CJ) Brodrick (co-director as of 2004) joined JMU in early 2003 and has been an active associate of the Fuels Diversification Program. Her outreach to the community has contributed to a significant increase in local biodiesel consumption. She teaches, leads student projects, directs ISAT's Auxiliary Power Lab and develops curriculum materials for ISAT's transportation program. She specializes in interdisciplinary studies of advanced energy and emissions technologies for heavy-duty vehicles, and has conducted research on vehicle operations, emissions aftertreatment, alternative fuel buses and fuel cell auxiliary power units. She also manages the Auxiliary Power Research Program at the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis.
Mike Kauffman joined JMU Facilities Management as Transportation Director in April 2003, after 24 years experience in a Class 8 heavy-duty truck dealership and repair facility, where he worked his way from a truck technician up to Garage Supervisor and then Service Advisor. He manages three separate areas of University-related transportation needs: the Motor Pool Fleet Operations, the Garage/Maintenance Repair Shop and the Alternative Fuel Vehicles. He's an avid volunteer (Fire/Rescue, Fire Instructor, Hazard Materials Trainer and Decontamination Officer, Emergency Medical Tech, and more) and is active in the community. Mike has interests in promoting renewable fuels in the community, as he continues to improve and expand JMU's Alternative Fuel Vehicle fleet and fuel use.
Chuck McCarty joined JMU's team in 2004 as the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Lab Coordinator. Chuck is an air force veteran with extensive vehicle and mechanics experience. Chuck brings four years of teaching experience from J Seargent Reynolds Community College."
Carollyn S. Oglesby, JMU Scholar in Residence, succeeded Jamie Winebrake in early 2002 as Director of the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program, and grew it into the Fuels Diversification Program. Under her direction, the focus has been on renewable fuels. She helped to create a local non-profit organization dedicated to promoting clean fuels, Blue Ridge Clean Fuels, Inc., which is working to build support for eventual Clean Cities designation by the US Department of Energy. She has obtained and administers FD project grants through the University National Park Energy Partnership Program. Though she is no longer acting as FD Director, she remains an active affiliate of the program, promoting JMU's renewable fuel efforts, directing student projects and performing outreach in the community and through Blue Ridge Clean Fuels, Inc.
Randy Poag graduated from Nashville Technical College. He has had IMPACT Training in Electrial Control Circuits and Programmable Logic, and he has earned an NRI Diploma in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration as well as an NAFTP Diploma in Alternative Fuels from West Virginia University. He joined JMU in 1977 after serving as a heavy vehicle mechanic in the Vietnam War. In 1998 he became Lab Coordinator of the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Lab, maintaining JMU's AFV fleet and managing/mentoring ISAT student projects in alternative fuels. Randy is retired, and continues to contribute part-time.
In 2002, Five years after starting the AFV Program for ISAT, Dr. James J. Winebrake left ISAT to become an Associate Professor and Chair of the Public Policy Department at Rochester Institute of Technology. During his time as AFV Program Director, Jamie mentored student projects and helped establish the original fleet of AFV's at JMU, which included electric, natural gas dual fuel and propane vehicles. Winebrake now teaches and conducts research on future transportation technologies, focusing on the economic, environmental and energy security impacts of alternative fuel vehicles. He is also director of the University-National Park Energy Partnership Program (UNPEPP), which works to build partnership between universities and national parks to address energy-related problems.
