Sandra leads the Incubatenergy® Labs program at EPRI, helping utilities   accelerate innovation through real-world technology deployments. Prior to   joining EPRI, she was on the Partnerships team at Breakthrough Energy,   where she worked with startups, utilities, and investors to advance   commercialization of critical solutions to reach net zero. She also served   as a Director at Powerhouse Innovation and held roles at the World Bank   and IRENA, supporting clean energy deployments in emerging markets. Sandra   holds an M.Sc. in Renewable Energy and certifications in corporate   innovation and disruptive strategy. 

Shelly is a seasoned project operations expert at EPRI living at the crux of financial, operational, contracting, and legal matters. In her seven + years at EPRI, Shelly has worked with many of EPRI’s technical teams and its members across different research divisions and has cultivated a solid background in project management, finance, and communication. With her daughters both settled into college, Shelly relocated to Johns Island, SC, where she enjoys playing pickleball, visiting the beach, and spending time with her husband Geoff.

Alex McKay has been a research engineer of the Substations team since joining the organization in 2023. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Alex holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Alex’s primary area of research focuses on the detection and sealing of SF₆ gas leaks in high-voltage circuit breakers to enhance equipment reliability and reduce environmental impact. He also contributes to a range of technical projects across the Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure (TDI) sector, supporting innovation and reliability in power system operations.

Ben York serves as Applications Manager at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), where his applications team leads EPRI's efforts to apply leading-edge technologies and subject matter expertise to member-specific challenges in grid planning and operations, distributed energy resources, customer systems, and climate analysis. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. His team develops actionable insights regarding impact and capabilities of new technologies through utility-driven demonstrations and cross-cutting projects, collaborating with experts across EPRI to produce deliverables focused on individual member needs.

Dr. Charlyne Smith is a Nuclear Engineer and Scientist at the Electric Power Research Institute, where she co-leads the Nuclear Innovation Program. She is also a research scientist at the University of Florida, working on nuclear materials projects. Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry from Coppin State University, as well as a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering, both from the University of Florida. With a background as a Distinguished Research Fellow at Idaho National Laboratory and Research Scientist at the University of Florida, Dr. Smith specializes in advanced characterization and post-irradiation examination of nuclear fuels and materials, publishing extensively in leading nuclear materials and engineering journals.

Emma Wong is the Lead of Nuclear Innovation with an additional focus on International Engagement and Support at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). She has just returned from a two-year secondment at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency in Paris, France where she was the Senior Nuclear Technology and Innovation Advisor. There she led the efforts on the SMR Dashboard, Nuclear Innovation 2050, Global Forum for Nuclear Innovation, and disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Rick’s areas of expertise related to his work on the Electrification team at EPRI includes: foodservice and also process industries including food, chemicals, forest products, textiles; knowledge of environmental solutions for wastewater, air treatment and solid/hazardous waste handling; evaluation of electric non-road transportation technologies. He has over professional experience ranging from customer audits to program development, strategic planning, sales training, market potential studies, and market research related to both small and large commercial business customers.