About the Judges
John Ackerly
John Ackerly is the founder and President of Alliance for Green Heat, a non-profit that promotes cleaner, more efficient, and more affordable renewable heating. In 2011, he founded the Wood Stove Design Challenge, a semi-annual technology competition to advance automation in wood stove design. He is one of the leading wood and pellet stove policy experts in the US and is a certified NFI pellet appliance specialist. He attended Dartmouth College and American University Law School and lives in Takoma Park, Maryland.
Thomas Butcher
Dr. Butcher received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1987. He is a Research Engineer at the Senior Scientist level and Head of the Energy Conversion Group at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY. His long-standing research interests include advanced concepts for building heating and cooling and the application of conventional and biofuels in stationary combustion applications. He has been a part-time lecturer at Stony Brook University since 2008 and acts as a mentor at BNL in programs for visiting engineering students.
Vi Rapp
Dr. Vi Rapp is a problem-solving scientist who develops technology and software to improve human health. As a Research Scientist and Department Deputy, she leads and directs research on zero and low-carbon heat and power generation technologies. By fostering teamwork and creating productive environments, she advances scientific knowledge, while bringing technologies and projects to success. More...
Rebecca Trojanowski
Rebecca Trojanowski received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and plans to defend soon to earn her Doctorate of Engineering Science in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. Rebecca’s expertise is in advancing building energy systems, reducing fossil fuel dependence, and providing technical solutions to reduce combustion related emissions. More...
Larry Brockman
Larry Brockman is a graduate of Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Larry has worked for EPA over 30 years and is in EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation in Research Triangle Park, NC. Larry leads EPA’s voluntary Burn Wise Education Program that provides information to EPA’s partners. The last 18 years, Larry has worked in partnership with state, local and tribal governments, non-profits, other federal agencies and the hearth industry encouraging and supporting wood burning appliance changeout programs and education around best burn practices. More...
Bill Clarke
After establishing the Osprey Foundation in 2003, Bill Clarke retired from a successful career in finance to devote his full time to the foundation in 2007. His work with Mayan communities in the highlands of Guatemala helped shape his passion for the current focus areas in WASH and cleaner cooking solutions in the developing world. Extensive travel in an ever-shrinking world has highlighted his pursuit of another foundation focus: ecumenical and interfaith relations. Personal contact is particularly important to him in developing a close rapport and understanding of grantees and the issues they are working to solve. More...
Prof. Paul DesJardin
Dr. DesJardin is a Professor with the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Prior to joining SUNY Buffalo he was senior member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories in the Fire Science and Technology department. His modeling research efforts in biomass combustion have focused on the use of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of fires with application to fire safety and predicting emission from biomass appliances. More...
Prof. Phil Hopke
Dr. Philip K. Hopke is the Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Clarkson University and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He was the founding Director of the Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science (CARES), and the Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment (ISE). Dr. Hopke was the Chair of EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), President of the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR), and was a member of the more than a dozen National Research Council committees. More...
Craig Issod
Craig opened a wood stove shop in 1978 in Medford NJ. The retail store was a success and the Issods opened a second retail stove, bought an importing company, patented a new hearth product and even operated a stove manufacturing business. With the emergence of the Internet, Craig saw an opportunity to converge his skills in the computer and information technology fields. The result was Hearth.com an on-line hearth publication now seen by over 3 1/4 million visitors a year. More...
Norbert Senf
Norbert Senf has been building masonry heaters since 1979. He joined early efforts to write codes and standards and was a founding member of the Masonry Heater Association of North America (MHA). As the need to measure masonry heater performance and emissions became evident, he worked through MHA to develop in-house testing expertise and build a database on PM emissions performance. He hopes that the recent development of simpler testing technology will accelerate the search for the cleanest ways to burn cordwood.
