JCDREAM TEAM
Aaron Feaver, PhD
Executive Director
As Director of JCDREAM, Aaron aims to bring together researchers and industry leaders across Washington State to focus on sustainable material supply chains for clean energy and transportation. Under the umbrella of JCDREAM, Aaron has led the development of the Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-Fuels (CHARGE), which supports the growth of the regional hydrogen economy. Prior to this, Aaron specialized in energy storage, nanotechnology and ultra-capacitors. He co-founded EnerG2 and Group14 Technologies: two startups in the Seattle area focused on the synthesis and processing of high-performance carbon materials. Aaron received a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Washington.
Vishal Agarwal, PhD
Director of Business Development
Vishal brings more than 25 years of hydrogen and business experience to the table from his work in SOFC/PEM fuel cell research and development, product development, manufacturing scale-up and strategy. As CHARGE’s business development director, Vishal leads the cultivation of strategic, private-public partnerships that support e-fuel decarbonization across sectors – helping to develop regional hydrogen hubs as well as shape a sustainable, far-reaching hydrogen ecosystem. Before joining CHARGE, Vishal also led cleantech market strategy in use cases including solar, wind, waste-to-energy and energy efficiency. He has a PhD in Materials Sciences from Georgia Tech.
Aida Urazaliyeva
Research Analyst
Aida is a research analyst with more than 10 years of experience in economic development and energy industry. At CHARGE, she focuses on analyzing the low-carbon hydrogen value chain and contributing to the development of a Pacific Northwest hydrogen hub. She also supports the strategic development of clean energy clusters and is involved in grant proposals and market potential analysis. Aida holds a Master of Arts degree in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University and an International Relations degree from Eurasian National University.
Melanie Eng
Communications Manager
Melanie is a mission-driven communications specialist who believes that a well-crafted piece of content has the power to change the world. She joins us with 7 years of experience leading communications strategy in the global health, public health and nonprofit sectors — and specializes in whipping up creative, data-driven copy that sparks action. She is excited to transition into the clean energy space, and looks forward to elevating JCDREAM’s messaging, branding and outreach as the newest member of the team. Melanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and International Studies from the University of Washington.