Research and Sponsored Programs

9:00 am          Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:30 am          Welcome
                        Andrew Gyekenyesi, Director of Research/Chief Scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute

9:40 am           Academic Programs for the Hydrogen Economy
                        Mark Mason, Professor of Chemistry, The University of Toledo      
                                                                   
10:00 am         Mapping the Hydrogen Economy in Ohio and Michigan
                        Kevin Cranick, Economic Research Manager, Workforce Intelligence Network

10:15 am          Liquid Hydrogen in Aviation
                        Matt Moran, Managing Member, Moran Innovation LLC

10:40 am         Liquid Hydrogen Refueling System for Aircraft
                        Mark Haberbusch, President and CEO, NEOEx Systems, Inc.

11:05 am          Networking Break

11:30 am          Honda's Approach to Growing a Hydrogen Economy in the United States
                        David Perzynski, Assistant Manager, Hydrogen Carbon Neutral Solutions, American Honda Motor Co.

11:55 am          BrightLoop™ Chemical Looping H₂ Commercial Demonstration in Massillon, Ohio
                        Nick Vargo, Project Developer, BrightLoop, Babcock & Wilcox

12:20 pm         Lunch and Networking

1:20 pm             Building a Resilient Energy Workforce Amid Uncertainty
                        Pat Hufnagel-Smith, Partner, Creative Links Inc.

1:40 pm            Creating a Hydrogen Workforce Development Pipeline with Hands-On, Industry Emphasis
                        Anil Bika, Director of Workforce Development, Center for Clean Hydrogen, University of Delaware

2:00 pm          Trailblazing California’s Hydrogen Future: Refueling Infrastructure as an Enabler of Academic Innovation and                                    Workforce Development at Cal State LA
                        David Blekhman, Technical Director, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, California State University, Los Angeles

2:20 pm           Hydrogen Workforce Development: Community College Solutions in Times of Economic Stagnation
                        Tiffany Howard, Vice President of Economic Workforce Development & Continuing Education, South Louisiana                                       Community College

2:40 pm           Panel Discussion: Assessment of Hydrogen Workforce Needs
                        Anil Bika
                        David Blekhman
                        Tiffany Howard
                        Pat Hufnagel-Smith

3:25 pm           Final Discussion and Closing Remarks
                        Mark Mason, Professor of Chemistry, The University of Toledo

3:30-4:30 pm Networking Reception

Anil Bika
Director of Workforce Development
Center for Clean Hydrogen (CCH)
University of Delaware

Anil is the Director of Workforce Development at the Center for Clean Hydrogen (CCH), University of Delaware. In this role, he is responsible for building an electrochemical training pipeline that spans high school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional learners. A strong advocate of hands-on learning, Anil and the CCH team emphasize device design, engineering, and industry-relevant skills through hands-on work with CCH laboratory equipment and programs. Before joining CCH, Anil held roles with increasing responsibility at General Motors (GM) across Engine and Battery R&D, Technology Commercialization & Licensing, and Hydrogen Fuel Cells. He is an inventor on more than 15 patents and applications and has authored over 15 journal and conference papers. Anil earned his MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.


David Blekhman
Technical Director
Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility
California State University
Los Angeles

Dr. David Blekhman, a professor of Sustainable Energy and Transportation at Cal State LA, is a pioneering figure in the field. As the founding technical director of the Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, he leads the only academic campus facility that produces hydrogen through electrolysis. He was also recognized as a 2025 Cal State LA President’s Distinguished Professor and 2023 CSU-wide Wang Family Excellence Award for Outstanding Scholarship. His expertise in hydrogen transportation has garnered international acclaim, including the prestigious 2019-20 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Alternative Energy Technology in Sweden. Dr. Blekhman's leadership has secured multimillion-dollar funding from organizations like NSF, DOE, DOT-FHWA and CEC for hydrogen infrastructure and advanced transportation projects. He actively shapes California's clean energy workforce through innovative courses and student-centered research.


Kevin Cranick
Economic Research Manager
Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN)

Kevin Cranick serves as an Economic Research Manager for the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN), specializing in strategic workforce development research and statistical analyses. With extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, Kevin has a proven track record of bringing diverse groups together to achieve common goals. His expertise also includes data visualization and presentation, ensuring complex research findings are communicated clearly and effectively. Kevin received his undergraduate degree from Lake Superior State University and his MBA from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.


Mark S. Haberbusch,
President and CEO 
NEOEx Systems, Inc.

Mr. Mark Haberbusch is founder, President and CEO of NEOEx Systems, Inc. developer of the EXTEND™ Energy and Power System for long-duration Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). He has 33 years of aerospace engineering experience with 19 of those years as the Director of Research and Technology for a mid-sized aerospace and defense firm.  Currently he is the Principal Investigator on Air Force and Army development contracts for long-range UAVs.  He has conducted research on cryogenic rocket engines and slush hydrogen for the National Aerospace Plane program for NASA and the Air Force.  He has been a Principal Investigator on many other research programs with DARPA, NASA, Navy, and the Air Force related to energy and power systems involving cryogenic propellants.  He has won two R&D 100 Awards, has over 40 technical publications and nine patents.  He holds BS and MS degrees in Fluid and Thermal Engineering Science from Case Western Reserve University.


Tiffany Howard
Vice President of Economic Workforce Development & Continuing Education
South Louisiana Community College

Dr. Tiffany Howard serves as the interim Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development & Continuing Education. In her role, Dr. Howard oversees the strategic plan for noncredit Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL), Manufacturing, Industrial Trades, Healthcare, Broadband, Adult Education, and Maritime. She also leads the Noncredit and Credit Alignment Team, which recently integrated financial services for noncredit students in preparation for Workforce Pell. Dr. Howard brings 15 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, policy, research, and workforce development. In her previous role as the External Partnerships Officer at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), she led initiatives that spanned a $59 million portfolio, including high-level projects in transportation, broadband, and clean energy. Dr. Howard also negotiated and secured a $30 million Broadband Project for the LCTCS aimed at workforce development in new telecommunication and infrastructure sectors. She currently serves as co-chair of the LSU FUEL Workforce Subcommittee, is a foundation board member of NextGen in Trucking, an appointee to the Louisiana Trucking Research and Education Council, and a current board member of Louisiana Clean Fuels. Dr. Howard also designed the first and only CNA post-training internship, serves as a Coach for both the National Advance CTE Fellowship and the New York State Advanced CTE Fellowship, and has been selected to tour the Hyundai Steel Plant in Seoul, South Korea. 


Pat Hufnagel-Smith
Partner
Creative Links Inc.

Pat has over 20 years of consulting experience focused on socio-economic factors associated with energy development. She specializes in providing insights into the dynamics of Canada’s evolving energy industry and its impacts on workforce requirements. Pat is dedicated to collaborating with others to develop and implement progressive practices to enhance the energy industry’s capacity to attract, retain, and advance a diverse and inclusive workforce. She is recognized internationally as a thought leader in assessing talent needs to support energy transition and in developing strategies to ensure equitable employment as the world shifts towards a lower-carbon industry.


Matt Moran
Managing Member
Moran Innovation LLC

Matt Moran is the Managing Member at Moran Innovation LLC, and previous Managing Partner at Isotherm Energy. He's been developing power and propulsion systems for more than 40 years; and first-of-a-kind gas, slush, and liquid hydrogen systems since the mid-1980s. Matt was also the Sector Manager for Energy & Materials in his final position at NASA where he worked for 31 years. He's been a cofounder in seven technology-based startups; and provided R&D, engineering, and innovation consulting to several hundred organizations. Matt has three patents and more than 50 publications including his online Cryogenic Fluid Management guide and Decarbonizing Mobility with Liquid Hydrogen SAE report. He has created and taught liquid hydrogen courses, webinars, and workshops to global audiences. Matt also writes about liquid hydrogen on his LH2 Era™ blog.


David Perzynski
Assistant Manager
Hydrogen Carbon Neutral Solutions
American Honda Motor Co.

David Perzynski is assistant manager of Hydrogen Solutions Development at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., (AHM), responsible for leading the company's hydrogen product, service, business strategy and business development activities in North America.

Perzynski began working with Honda as a co-op student in May 2012. This included supporting the Sustainable Supply Chains Department within Honda R&D Americas, Inc., now part of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC (HDMA) in improving annual supplier environmental data collection efforts. In December 2012, he became a co-op in the Environment Health and Safety Department at Honda of America Mfg., Inc., also now part of HDMA, where he supported green factory initiatives.

From 2013 to 2023, Perzynski worked for several companies in the energy management field, including work on combined heat and power microturbine solutions, microgrid and nanogrid solutions, energy storage systems, backup power generation, as well as solar systems, and fuel cell and EV charging technologies.

In April 2023, he joined American Honda Motor Co., Inc. as assistant manager for Hydrogen Solutions Business Development, focused on the companies four core domains for hydrogen fuel cell technology: automobiles, commercial vehicles, stationary power stations and construction equipment. In this position, he plays a key role in establishing collaborations and partnerships to enhance and support Honda hydrogen fuel cell business, supporting new product applications for Honda hydrogen fuel cell systems, as well as new services for products that are developed.

Perzynski holds a B.S. in Honors Environmental Policy and Management with a focus on Economic Sustainability (EEDS) from The Ohio State University.


Lisa Rimpf
Director of Strategic Improvement
Babcock & Wilcox

Lisa Rimpf is Director, Strategic Improvement, for Babcock & Wilcox (B&W). In this role, which she has held since August 2025, she drives key business and process improvements identified by B&W’s executive leadership to enhance the company’s business efficiency and improve employee’s overall work experiences. Prior to this, Rimpf was the Senior Proposals manager for B&W’s BrightLoop™ organization supporting chemical looping technology commercialization.

Before rejoining B&W in 2024, she held leadership roles with Dürr, a global mechanical and plant engineering firm, from 2018 to 2023, including a long-term assignment at its company headquarters near Stuttgart, Germany. Rimpf joined Dürr’s Clean Technology Systems division in 2018, following the company’s acquisition of the former B&W Universal and B&W MEGTEC businesses. During her tenure at Dürr, she took on roles including Director of Operational Excellence, Business Application IT Manager, Lithium Ion Battery Program Management, and Director of Continuous Improvement. She began her career at B&W in 2006, serving in various roles of increasing responsibility including Research Engineer, Environmental Technology Research Team Leader, Business Process Improvement Specialist, and Integration Manager for Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions. Before joining B&W, Rimpf was a Graduate Research Assistant at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Rimpf holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from The University of Toledo. She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).


Nick Vargo
Project Developer BrightLoop
Babcock & Wilcox

Nick Vargo is a seasoned mechanical engineer, project manager and weekend woodworker currently leading initiatives within the BrightLoop division at Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), a global leader in energy and environmental technologies and services for power and industrial markets worldwide. With over 10 years of experience in engineering and project management, Nick has cultivated a career centered on delivering innovative solutions in the energy sector. Nick is responsible for the supporting the development of B&W’s BrightLoop technology and projects.

Nick's tenure at B&W began in 2013 as a Field Service Engineer after graduating from Ohio University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. In this roll he honed his technical expertise in diagnosing equipment issues and optimizing plant operations. His aptitude for leadership and international collaboration led to his work as an International Project Manager starting in 2018, overseeing global proposals and projects focused on regions such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. During this time, he successfully managed multiple large boiler retrofits, competitor equipment engineering contracts and continued to support clients with onsite consulting services. In 2023, he transitioned to his current role as Project Developer for BrightLoop Technology, focusing on the technology’s commercial roll out. Currently he leads the development of both commercial and government proposals focused on clean hydrogen and carbon capture technologies. He plays a central role in evaluating the techno-economics and life cycle analyses of emerging projects, ensuring their commercial viability and alignment with strategic goals. Nick also engages closely with key technology and community stakeholders—ranging from industry / community partners to research institutions—to advance BrightLoop’s innovation pipeline and position B&W as a leader in decarbonization solutions.