Invited Speakers Bios

Thomas E. Lovejoy has been President of The Heinz Center since May 2002. Before coming to The Heinz Center, he was the World Bank's Chief Biodiversity Advisor and Lead Specialist for Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean and Senior Advisor to the President of the United Nations Foundation. Dr. Lovejoy has been Assistant Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary at the Smithsonian Institution, Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, and Executive Vice President of the World Wildlife Fund-U.S. He conceived the idea for the Minimum Critical Size of Ecosystems project (a joint project between the Smithsonian and Brazil's INPA), originated the concept of debt-for-nature swaps, and is the founder of the public television series Nature. In 2001 he was awarded the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. Dr. Lovejoy served on science and environmental councils or committees under the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations. He received his B. S. and Ph.D. (biology) degrees from
Yale University.

 

Joseph M. Ambrosio, Chief Technical Officer of Odyne Corporation, earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at NYIT in 1993. Mr. Ambrosio is a co-founder of Odyne Corporation, which is currently traded on the NASDAQ (ODYC:BB) and employs 25 people. Mr. Ambrosio?s 14 years of experience in the alternative-fuel transportation industry includes design, development, and integration of a variety of liquid and gaseous fuel systems, battery energy and thermal management, Auxiliary Power Units for HEVs (including fuel cells and microturbines), and vehicle testing procedures.

Mr. Ambrosio has authored 6 technical reports published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on battery energy and thermal management for heavy and light duty electric vehicles.

In addition to EV/HEV system integration and R&D, Mr. Ambrosio has worked closely with electric utilities such as Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), KeySpan Energy, and international organizations such as Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in alternative fuel vehicle development and drive system development and support programs. Mr. Ambrosio leads Odyne in these efforts as Chief Technical Officer and works to develop new funding opportunities and strategic relationships to support Odyne?s growth in the energy storage industries.

Mr. Ambrosio is also the Vice Chairman and member of the board of the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC), an organization which funds AFV projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties through Federal Highway Administration Funding.

Mr. Ambrosio began his involvement in Alternatively Fueled Vehicles (AFVs) as a student at NYIT through his participation in the student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) working on the GM Methanol Challenge, GM NGV Challenge and Ford HEV Challenge.