On Wednesday, January 10, 2024 from 12 PM – 1:30 PM PST, join us in this dynamic lunch conversation at the Perkins Coie office downtown Seattle with ample time to network!
Featured Speakers:
Corinne Fuller, Co-Director, WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute; Manager, Bioenergy Technologies Programs, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
Corinne Fuller, manager of bioenergy and proproducts technologies programs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has been named the new co-director of the Bioproducts Institute, a research collaboration between Washington State University and PNNL, as of July 2023. Fuller will serve with Joshua Heyne, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the WSU School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and fellow co-director of the Bioproducts Institute. Fuller has been leading PNNL’s bioenergy efforts since 2016.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to build a community with staff, students, and professors at both PNNL and WSU to advance our bioenergy technologies,” Fuller said.
As a leader in PNNL’s work with biofuels, products, and energy research, Fuller brings nearly 20 years of expertise in chemical and biological process development, biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals, catalysis, and energy systems analysis.
The Institute combines comprehensive analytic tools with plant sciences, biotechnology, catalysis, and materials science. It aims to create innovative, economical, and environmentally friendly, engineered, bio-based materials, sustainable fuels, and value-added chemicals. Production, characterization, and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel are core to the Institute.
Corinne received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from University of California, Riverside with a concentration in heterogeneous catalysis. She holds a Master of Science degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, also from UC Riverside.
Josh Heyne, Director, Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab (BSEL), Co-director, WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute (BIO-IN)
Joshua Heyne joined Washington State University Tri-Cities in 2022 as director of the Bioproducts Science and Engineering Laboratory, co-director of the Bioproducts Institute and associate professor of mechanical engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
In his previous position as associate professor at the University of Dayton, Heyne’s expertise in aviation fuels secured regular funding, totaling $5 million, from the nearby Air Force Research Laboratory and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Recently his work has focused on the development of sustainable aviation fuels, which are low-carbon fuels produced from biomass. He was the principal investigator for the integration and coordination activities of the National Jet Fuels Combustion Program of the FAA’s ASCENT Center of Excellence, which was composed of 150 members and 40 institutions at its peak. Heyne’s collaborations with dozens of companies, academic laboratories and national laboratories establish partnerships for sustainable aviation fuel development.
Moderator:
Aubri Margason, Counsel, Perkins Coie
Aubri partners with clients to navigate and resolve regulatory compliance challenges associated with product and project development and operation. Aubri’s product counseling and compliance advice covers a wide range of regulated areas. She advises on food labeling and packaging requirements; extended producer responsibility for packaging; electronic waste and battery labeling and recycling; chemical and substance restrictions in products, including polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); and regulations applicable to the travel industry, such as state and local restrictions on short-term rentals.
As a former in-house product and regulatory counsel, she understands the complexity of the product landscape and provides practical compliance advice that is sensitive to the interplay between compliance requirements and business operations.
Aubri provides regulatory and transactional support to clients pursuing sustainability goals. She advises on corporate sustainability transactions, including agreements related to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), water use and accessibility, and sustainable supply chain. Additionally, she counsels clients on renewable energy project development, from identifying and obtaining federal funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office through permitting and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Aubri rejoined Perkins Coie after working as in-house counsel for Amazon and Booking.com. At Amazon, she was responsible for global product regulatory compliance, including environmental compliance, for the company’s cloud infrastructure and other electronic products. At Booking.com, Aubri provided product counseling advice and developed the company’s first legal operations function.
Introductory Speaker:
Margaret Hupp, Senior Counsel, Firmwide Co-Chair, Clean Technology Practice, Perkins Coie
Marcy Hupp counsels clients assessing and pursuing environmental sustainability goals. She advises companies on strategic business decisions, industry trends, and policy matters related to climate change; carbon reductions; and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Marcy works on transactions to support corporate sustainability pledges, including agreements related to greenhouse gas emissions reductions; water use, discharge, and accessibility; and clean technology development. She regularly works with environmental professionals at manufacturing facilities to implement corporate ESG goals through innovative emissions controls and water technologies.
With an LL.M. in sustainable international development, Marcy helps clients understand evolving climate change-related policies, carbon offset protocols, and environmental justice initiatives. She has assisted with the development and implementation of clients’ initial ESG programs and contributed to sustainability reports. Marcy advises clients complying with Washington’s Climate Commitment Act and other emissions cap-and-trade systems and has performed due diligence for transactions involving carbon offset projects.
Marcy also regularly counsels clients in environmental compliance and litigation matters. She assists them with evaluating and mitigating risks arising under federal, state, and local environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Washington’s Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). Marcy represents clients in federal and state courts and in mediation proceedings and defends clients against citizen suits.