Dr. Stephen Dooley
Stephen Dooley is Professor in Energy Science at the School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin and an interdisciplinary engineering scientist of a chemical bias dedicated to fundamental and translational research in sustainability and clean energy technologies. Prior to this he held independent academic appointments in Chemical & Environmental Sciences at the University of Limerick, held postdoctoral and professional research staff appointments in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, and worked as a Thermal Fluids Technical Specialist at Cummins Engine Company, UK. Prior to that, Stephen obtained his BSc (Chemistry) and PhD (Physical Chemistry) at National University of Ireland, Galway. His principal contributions have been in chemical reaction kinetics with a record of industry application in fuel and feedstock conversion devices (sustainable aviation fuel, biofuel synthesis, fuel additive design, gas turbines, reciprocating engines and gasifiers). He is a European Research Council awardee, the Founding Director of the Trinity Research Centre in Low Carbon Technologies, Trinity's MSc in Energy Science, The Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre, and the Trinity College Dublin SMBC Aviation Capital SAF Research Facility. Since 2023 he is also the Founding Director of the EU Sustainable Aviation Fuel Clearing House managed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Dr. Joshua Steven Heyne
Dr. Joshua Steven Heyne serves as the Director of the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory at WSU Tri-Cities, Co-Director of the WSU PNNL Bioproducts Institute, a Joint Appointee at PNNL, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University, and a Battelle Distinguished Professor. Dr. Heyne has dedicated over a decade to advancing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies. His efforts focus on streamlining the qualification process for novel SAF candidates, developing new SAF technologies, and investigating their chemical compositions to ensure they meet rigorous aerospace safety standards while minimizing aviation’s environmental and health impacts. Holding the FAA’s sustainable aviation fuel prescreening program, he has reviewed and tested over 320 samples from more than 37 institutions across the world. Dr. Heyne’s work in green energy has earned him several awards, including an EPA Green Chemistry Award, an ACS Energy & Fuels Rising Stars Award, and a Leadership Award from the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). He brings an educational background of four degrees from three institutions, culminating in a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2014.
Dr. Jinxia Fu
Dr. Jinxia Fu earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Brown University and currently serves as the Chief Scientist at the Second Research Institute of CAAC. Her comprehensive expertise in biomass and waste resource assessment, feedstock processing, conversion processes, and end-product evaluation anchors her leadership in developing novel aviation fuels. Dr. Fu directs key projects that focus on the development of sustainable aviation fuels and lubricants, and high-energy density and thermal stability fuels. Dr. Fu has contributed over 50 peer-reviewed publications to the field and has been an editor for the journal Fuel since 2021, as well as serving as a guest editor for various other scientific journals. As a longstanding member of the American Society for Testing and Materials and the American Chemical Society (ACS), she initiated the first significant collaboration between these organizations, entitled “A World Apart Coming Together in the Energy & Fuel World.” Additionally, she holds a key role on the advisory board and is the 2025 Program Chair for the ACS Energy and Fuels Division. Dr. Fu’s contributions continue to drive significant advancements in the fields of energy and fuels, fostering international collaboration and innovation.