Dr. Markus Beck joined the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in March, 2021, as the program manager for the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team. Markus and the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team assist businesses of all sizes with their U.S.-manufactured technologies and innovation in order to help drive down costs and increase the deployment of solar energy on the nation’s grid.

Markus is an innovator and strategist with over 20 years of senior and executive R&D, project & operations management expertise in the renewable energy industry and has been recognized as one of the top thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologists in the world. Dr. Beck’s career in PV spans three decades and he helped build the U.S. PV manufacturing industry in his roles as chief technology officer (CTO) at Violet Power, CTO at Siva Power, chief technologist at First Solar, CTO at Solyndra, and senior scientist at Global Solar Energy. He also served as vice president of the PV Development Team at Samsung. In addition to his industry tenure, Dr. Beck held a research sabbatical at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as well as a research scientist position at the Hahn-Meitner Institute and a postdoctoral fellowship at NREL. He has advised global companies in the renewable energy sector on technology and business related aspects and sees significant synergies between the proliferation of renewable energy, hydrogen and battery storage, intelligent energy network interactions through advanced software integration, transformation of the transportation sector to battery and fuel cell based electric vehicles, and energy efficient construction in creating greater value for society.

Dr. Beck holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Guelph and has been awarded over a dozen scholarships and awards in the field of PV research and manufacturing. He is the primary inventor on 22 patents. As a subject-matter expert of American National Standards U.S. Technical Advisory Groups and the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee 82 Working Group 2, he is actively engaged in global PV-standards activities. Dr. Beck has served on numerous Energy Department PV review boards and chaired the IEEE Santa Clara Valley PV Chapter from 2013–2015. He is a subject-matter expert for the peer-reviewed journals ‘Thin Solid Films’ and ‘Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells,’ and in 2012 was appointed to the editorial board of the latter.

Company: Boston Government Services

Tim Cycyota joined the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in March 2023 as a technology advisor on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team.

Prior to joining SETO, Tim worked in energy efficiency research and development. As a consultant for CLEAResult he supported the development and operation of utility Commonwealth Edison’s Emerging Technologies efforts, including creation of reporting and tracking infrastructure; proposal evaluation, selection, and scoping; and active project management for a wide variety of research and pilot projects. Tim has also worked in the carbon projects industry, building and implementing a program to find, collect, and destroy ozone-depleting substances from around the country.

Tim holds a CAPM certification from the Project Management Institute. He graduated with a B.S. from Northwestern University, and graduated with an M.Sc. in environmental science, policy, and management from a university consortium including Central European University, Lund University, and University of the Aegean. When not assisting in the transition to a clean energy future, Tim enjoys printmaking and gardening.

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow

Ayodeji Dabiri is an ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). He joined SETO in July 2022 and works on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team.

Prior to joining SETO, Ayodeji was co-founder and managing director of a marketing- and technology-focused start-up, Swift Digital Motions, which was focused on creating new data-driven ways for organizations to reach their clients. He also spent time at Daystar Power as a sales engineer, performing energy audits and designing hybrid solar systems for companies with poor grid connectivity in Nigeria. Ayodeji also was a project manager for the construction of two 10-megawatt powerplants.

He received his M.S. in electrical and electronic engineering with communications from University College London. He interested in swimming, scuba diving, underwater photography, and basketball.

Company: Boston Government Services

Dr. Jennifer DiStefano is a Solar Innovation Technical Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). She joined SETO in June 2022 as a member of the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team.

Prior to joining SETO, Jennifer was the deputy director of research at the clean energy think tank Energy Futures Initiative (EFI), where she conducted strategic planning, research, and analysis of decarbonization pathways, policy and regulatory frameworks, and energy market development. Jennifer was the manager of the clean hydrogen portfolio, focusing on hydrogen market development and scalable infrastructure deployment. Jennifer also contributed to research on clean energy topics including industrial decarbonization, carbon management and infrastructure, the labor-energy nexus, and environmental justice, and co-authored five EFI studies.

Jennifer’s technical background is on nanomaterials and advanced materials. She was awarded an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and International Institute of Nanotechnology Ryan Fellowship to complete her Ph.D. research, which focused on synthesis and characterization of curved 2D materials. Jennifer has co-authored 13 peer-reviewed original research publications, a U.S. patent, and a scientific review paper. She has presented her research at an array of international conferences and received multiple presentation awards, in addition to several “science as art” awards. As a Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences, Jennifer contributed to consensus studies on light-duty vehicles, deep decarbonization, and electric grid modernization. She has further engaged in science policy and outreach activities as a member of the Materials Research Society’s Government Affairs Committee.

Jennifer received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Science in materials science and engineering from Penn State University. Further, she holds a Certificate in Management for Scientists and Engineers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow 

Dr. Caria Evans is an ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). She joined SETO in January 2024 on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team. Prior to joining SETO, Caria earned her Ph.D. in organic and materials chemistry from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT). She received both an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and a GT Renewable Bioproducts Institute Fellowship to support her doctoral research. Her research involved synthesizing and developing nitrogen-containing and nitrogen-substituted aromatic compounds for direct applications in photovoltaic technology, organic synthesis methodology, biotechnology, and materials science projects. Notably, a significant aspect of her research project involved understanding the mechanisms of surface and grain boundary passivation in perovskite solar cells. 

Caria has co-authored 8 peer-reviewed articles and presented her research at numerous conferences. During her Ph.D., she was selected to participate in the Monash University – Georgia Tech Photovoltaic Exchange Program. As a visiting scientist at the Flexible Electronics Laboratory of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Melbourne, Australia, her research focused on the development of organic cations for the fabrication of air-stable 2D and 3D hybrid perovskite solar cells and exploring air and scalable processing techniques. 

She holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Georgia. In her spare time, Caria enjoys traveling, visiting museums, and watching football. 

Company: Boston Government Services

Dr. Daniel Inns joined the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in April 2022 as a technology advisor on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team. His project portfolio focuses on solar cell and module technology, and associated manufacturing and measurement equipment. 

Daniel came to SETO with 20 years of product development experience. This includes over 10 years in solar cell R&D, in addition to roles as a product manager in the circuit boards industry, semiconductor process engineering, and applications development for printed electronics.

Daniel’s education was focused on silicon solar cells, with bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering (UNSW, Sydney, Australia). He has more than 40 scientific publications and over 20 patents to his name.

Company: Boston Government Services

Dr. Scott McCalmont joined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in April 2023 as a technology advisor with the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team.

Prior to joining SETO, Scott held a variety of positions with solar energy startups, helping to bring innovative new ideas to market. Most recently, he was principal engineer and co-founder of Paired Power, where he designed and developed solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations. Scott is always ready for a lively debate on the merits of different charging protocols, whether it be CHAdeMO, ISO 15118, GB/T 27930 or SAE J1772. At Paired Power he actively participated in international testing events, demonstrating interoperability between the Paired Power charging station and various electric vehicles. While at Tigo Energy, Scott directed the development of modeling and analysis tools for performance data collected at the PV module level and served as principal investigator for two DOE SunShot Initiative awards. Early in his solar career he developed an online monitoring platform for residential and small commercial solar installations. Before transitioning to solar energy, Scott designed mixed-signal integrated circuits, primarily for automotive and power management applications.

Scott received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Duke University and an M.S. and B.S in electrical engineering from Iowa State University. He holds 8 U.S. patents with several others pending, and is a registered professional engineer. He enjoys being outdoors, woodworking projects, and a good crossword puzzle.

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow  

Dr. Carrie McIntosh is an ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). She joined SETO in January 2023 and works on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness Team.  

Prior to joining SETO, Carrie earned her Ph.D. in earth sciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. During her Ph.D., she was the co-principal investigator and co-chief scientist on a research cruise in the Pacific Ocean that sampled underwater volcanoes. Prior to SETO, she interned at the RTI Innovation Advisors where she advised clients on innovation, commercialization, and technology transfer strategies. During her Ph.D., Carrie was selected to participate in the American Geophysical Physical Union’s Voices for Science program, which provides scientists with specialized science policy training. As a Voices for Science participant, she co-authored a publication on equitably increasing access to distributed energy resources in California. As part of her Ph.D., she was selected to participate in the Planetary Science Summer School at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While participating in this program, she was the science lead and collaborated with engineers, physicists, and geologists to design a hypothetical mission to Venus.  

She received her B.S. in geological sciences from the University of South Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, hiking, backpacking, and reading. 

Robert Meagley is a technology manager on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team since June 2020. His portfolio focuses on advanced technology development and integration into emerging commercial solar energy applications. These projects also drive quality, scaling, and affordability. 

Prior to joining SETO, Robert founded two start-ups, and a principal for two others (2007-2020) where he invented and developed advanced materials and processes enabling photovoltaic, optoelectronic, and MEMs devices. He created and led Intel Corporation Components Research Molecules for Advanced Patterning Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) from 2004-2007. Before LBNL, Robert was the manager of Intel Corp.'s Lithography Materials Team, responsible for advanced patterning materials pre-manufacturing readiness as well as their sustained supply for worldwide manufacturing. In parallel, he served as a mentor for two corporate patent teams, various external programs, and the Technology Development nanomaterials, environmental safety, and health program. Before graduate school, he worked as a synthetic chemist at DuPont Central Research (Electronic Materials Division) and Johnson Matthey (Biomedical Division).

During postdoctoral fellowships at Cornell University and U.C. Berkeley, Rob collaborated with IBM (Almaden) and International Sematech, creating advanced photopatterning materials. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware and a B.S. from the University of Maryland in Chemistry. He was awarded the University of Delaware Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement in September 2005, as well as Intel Corporation company-wide awards for innovation, environmental excellence, quality, cost savings, and engineering. Robert holds >45 U.S. patents, has authored many technical papers, and volunteers as a senior research fellow with Foresight Institute. His interests include light-matter interactions, interfacial engineering, self-assembly phenomena, graphic art, and bicycling.

Company: Boston Government Services

Dr. George Stefopoulos is a Solar Innovation Technical Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). He joined SETO in September 2021 and works with the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team.

Prior to joining SETO, George was with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for over 12 years. He joined NYPA in 2009 as a Research and Technology Development Engineer investigating innovative approaches for improving the performance and reliability of NYPA’s transmission and generation facilities. He worked very closely with academic and other research institutions as well as various equipment vendors and technology providers participating in a variety of internally- and externally-funded R&D projects. From 2015 to 2018, he served as NYPA’s Smart Grid Solution Architect, leading the company’s smart grid group and engaging in the deployment of new technologies to modernize NYPA’s transmission grid and generating facilities. From 2018 to 2021, he was the first Director of NYPA’s Advanced Grid Innovation Laboratory for Energy (AGILe), a newly created research, development, and testing facility aimed at developing new technologies and demonstrating future-thinking electric power grid projects in collaboration with a variety of research partners and technology providers. Besides being responsible for the lab operations and business development, his research work focused on grid modeling and real-time digital simulation, software/hardware-in-the-loop testing, grid automation, protection and control applications, renewable energy integration, and power system communications and cyber security.

George received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2009. His research focused on electric power system modeling and simulation with applications to voltage recovery and optimization of reactive power support. During his Ph.D. he was awarded three best paper awards for his work at three different conferences. He also received his M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2002 from Georgia Tech and his Diploma in the same field from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 2001. George also holds a MBA degree from Pace University of New York – Lubin School of Business since 2015.

Dr. Stefopoulos is author or co-author of over 60 scientific papers and articles and has presented his works at many international scientific conferences. He has also delivered several invited talks at a variety of meetings and other events. George is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET), a member of the Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Electrical Engineering Honor Society, and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society of Business Programs. He serves as a reviewer for a number of scientific journals and as a technical committee program chair (TCPC) of the Power System Dynamic Performance Committee of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. George is a registered professional engineer in Greece and a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece. In 2018 he was awarded the outstanding service to the profession award by the Westchester/Putman chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers.

George’s interests include science and technology, cooking, hiking, bicycling, and traveling (he has visited all 50 US states, most Canadian provinces and territories, and several other countries overseas).

Company: Allegheny Science & Technology

Katie Taylor joined the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in September 2022 as a technology advisor on the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team. 

Katie came to SETO from the cleantech startup world, spending the past six years in India as the CEO and co-founder of Khethworks, an MIT spinoff company. Khethworks develops, manufactures, and sells affordable, portable solar-powered irrigation systems, enabling year-round irrigation for smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa. While at MIT, Katie and her team began developing the patented technology behind the hyper-efficient solar pump, then moved to India in 2016 to raise funds, be closer to the customers, build a team, develop in-country manufacturing, and take the product to market.

Katie started her studies in liberal arts but decided the hard tool of engineering would best help her make scalable impact in the intersecting realms of climate change and poverty alleviation. So, she became one of the first women to complete the dual degree program between Pomona College and Caltech, earning a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in mechanical engineering, respectively. At Caltech, Katie conducted research in the Biological Propulsion Laboratory on vertical axis turbines for water and wind energy extraction. She went on to earn an M.S. from MIT in mechanical engineering, where her research in the Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Lab focused on the modeling and design of a low-power pressure-compensating drip irrigation emitter.

Katie has been selected as a Rainer Arnhold Fellow, an Unreasonable Impact Fellow, an MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design Fellow, and for the MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 in the humanitarian category. She and her work have been featured by CNN, Wired Magazine, the Techer, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Katie's interests include user-centered design, pasta, biking, and impromptu chats, especially if a hot cup of coffee is involved.

Dr. Woojun Yoon took on the role of Technology Manager for the Manufacturing and Competitiveness (M&C) team at the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in May 2023.

Previously, Woojun served as an Electrical Engineer at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC, where he supervised numerous programs focused on photovoltaic (PV) technologies. These programs were specifically tailored to meet the power and energy requirements of the Navy and Marine Corps. Woojun is an accomplished expert in PV technologies, with a broad range of knowledge spanning from emerging PVs that utilize novel materials to conventional PVs based on traditional semiconductors. His contributions in PV technology development have had a substantial impact on the power and energy applications of the Department of Defense (DoD). Noteworthy achievements include reducing the need for dangerous fuel resupply to safeguard the lives of warfighters, enabling the power supply for expeditionary advanced base operations in contested environments, and significantly extending the mission duration of many unmanned systems to enhance situational awareness and force protection.

Over his 13-year tenure at NRL, he played a pivotal role in the development, leadership, and management of numerous programs involving a diverse array of challenging PV technologies. His dedicated work in this field has earned him widespread recognition. He has authored or co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles and proceedings published in high-impact journals and prestigious conferences, amassing over 1200 citations. Furthermore, he holds five issued U.S. patents as an inventor or co-inventor. Dr. Yoon's early career accomplishments were acknowledged through prestigious accolades such as the NRL Karles Fellowship and an IEEE Senior Membership in 2014. He is frequently sought after as a subject matter expert on PV technologies for various government and DoD interagency programs. Dr. Yoon has also been highly active in engaging with the DoD's small business programs to enhance the defense industrial base. He has provided support as both a performer and subject matter expert in the development of advanced PV technologies for the DoD. His success in these endeavors has earned him the respect and trust of his peers.

Dr. Yoon holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in electrical engineering from the Ohio State University, and he obtained his B.S. from Korea University in Seoul, Korea. Additionally, he has received the Defense Energy Certificate through the Distance Learning program at the Naval Postgraduate School.