Richard Simmons is currently a Principal Research Engineer and the Director of Research and Studies at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) where he directs cross-cutting energy projects with an emphasis on clean electric power, vehicle efficiency and alternative fuels. He is also an instructor in Georgia Tech’s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization in design, mechatronics, and thermal systems. 

Simmons received his bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech, and masters and Ph.D. from Purdue, all in Mechanical Engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer (PE) with more than 20 years of RD&D experience in automotive, advanced materials, and alternative energy and fuels. 

From 2009 to 2012, he served a prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science S&T (Science and Technology) Policy Fellowship at the U.S. Department of State, providing technical analysis on international policy issues related to renewable energy. He has recently authored numerous publications including an open-access eBook entitled “Understanding the Global Energy Crisis” (Purdue Press, 2014), several book chapters and journal articles related to advanced energy technologies, transportation energy technology, and future energy policy strategies.

As Director of Activities for three of Tech's Interdisciplinary Research Institutes: the Strategic Energy Institute, the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, and the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, I'll help bring together researchers from different disciplines to address topics of strategic importance. Each interdisciplinary research group mobilizes faculty to address the needs of external stakeholders (federal, state, and local entities, corporations, foundations, and communities) by fostering an Institute-wide innovation ecosystem around a specific focus.

A principal research scientist, Christine Conwell serves as the director of planning and operations since 2020 and served as the interim executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) between September 2024 to January 2026. At SEI, Conwell oversees strategic and annual planning within SEI and partners with campus researchers and units to create and execute strategic programs and events. Most recently, she led the development of a new five-year action plan and launched a signature initiative to build energy-focused research partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions.  

Before her role at SEI, Conwell was managing director of the $40 million NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution (CCE) in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where she oversaw daily operations, fostered collaborations between 12 universities and other partners, and developed outreach and educational programs. Annually, she worked with more than 80 faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students and advised on key opportunities to maximize the center's impact. She served as a key leader within CCE’s management team and, in 2020, she was awarded Georgia Tech’s prestigious Outstanding Achievement in the Research Enterprise Award for her leadership.

Conwell holds a B.S. in molecular biology and chemistry from Westminster College in Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Georgia Tech. She has authored several peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and grants on her research in DNA biophysics and non-viral gene delivery, and was a postdoctoral recipient of the NIH Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award. During her time at Georgia Tech, Conwell has served as a member of the Research Faculty Senate and the Faculty Executive Board, and she was selected as a member of the fifth Leading Women at Georgia Tech cohort.

Richard joined Georgia Tech in 2023 and focuses on energy and cleantech company formation, market strategy, funding, and partnerships in support of faculty led research and resulting startups. His domain expertise is in regulated and competitive energy markets, energy infrastructure development, project finance, go-to-market strategies, energy policy, multi-stakeholder negotiations and process improvement.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Richard co-founded several successful startups including Merit Sustainable Infrastructure, served as VP of Project Development for First Solar, and held leadership positions with power grid operator ERCOT, Energy Management Associates, Electronic Data Systems and Tenneco. Since 2007, Richard has led project development resulting in over 4,000 megawatts (nominally $4 billion) of operating solar and wind projects across the US. Most recently he has spearheaded development of ATL Cleantech Connect, a partnership between the Strategic Energy Institute at GT and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce to grow the clean energy and sustainability startup ecosystem in and around Atlanta.

Richard holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, a BA in Economics from Southern Methodist University and attend the Advance Management Program (AMP) at the Harvard Business School.

Laura Taylor is the director of Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPIcenter) at Georgia Tech. 

Taylor has more than 30 years of experience in economics research, outreach, and policy engagement in the Southeast. Her research focuses on policy evaluation and the valuation of natural resources and the environment, including measuring the broader economic benefits associated with improved air, water, and ecosystem quality. Recent applications include understanding the land-use and community impacts of renewable energy deployment; quantifying the health effects of air pollution; and improving benefits estimation for policies designed to reduce human mortality. Her research has received funding from a variety of sources including the U.S. EPA, USDA, U.S. Department of Interior and the National Science Foundation.    

Prior to her leadership role at the EPIcenter, Taylor served as the chair of the School of Economics at Georgia Tech from 2018-2024. During her time as chair, the School of Economics increased its size significantly, hiring 19 new faculty members, and the number of students pursuing a major in economics increased by more than 50%. Economics also expanded its teaching and research in several areas including health, energy, environment, globalization, theory, and data analytics. The school’s bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs achieved federal STEM designation in 2019, reflecting the curriculum’s tech-centered approach to liberal arts education and emphasis on using mathematical and statistical models. The school’s undergraduate economics program is ranked No. 1 among public universities in Georgia and No. 21 among public universities nationally in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. Prior to joining the faculty at Georgia Tech in 2018, Taylor was director of the Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy at North Carolina State University from 2007-2018.  

Taylor is an elected fellow and past president of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. She has held numerous advisory board positions, including the environmental economics subcommittee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s science advisory board and the legislative research commission advisory subcommittee on offshore energy exploration for the North Carolina General Assembly.