AEE Fall Forum Series at ETEC – Energy Lunch Panel

This fall, AEE Capital Region Chapter is teaming up with UAlbany Innovation Center, located in the ETEC building, for a three-part forum series bringing energy professionals together across three signature events to connect, innovate, and advocate. Kick things off with a networking event on September 24, dig into energy topics (HVAC, sustainability, resiliency) at our October 14 lunch panel, and close out the series with a featured speaker luncheon on November 18.

Energy Lunch Panel – PDH credits available

Join AEE Capital Region Chapter and the UAlbany Innovation Center for the Energy Lunch Panel, the second installment of our Fall Forum Series at ETEC, on October 14 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. This PDH-eligible session brings together leading voices in sustainability, innovation, and energy systems, featuring Professor Jorge González-Cruz on urban climate and environmental sustainability, Dr. Lu Li on how digital twins and AI are shaping smarter, more resilient cities, and Indu Lnu on UAlbany’s ambitious $1B Net Zero Carbon Roadmap. Brett Orzechowski will moderate the discussion, drawing on his work connecting UAlbany’s research and innovation ecosystem with industry partners. For $35, attendees receive admission to the panel, lunch, and PDH credits — don’t miss this chance to hear directly from the experts driving the region’s energy future.

Here is more information about our speakers:

Jorge González-Cruz

Professor – Empire Innovation, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, University at Albany (SUNY)

Prof. Jorge González is a researcher in urban energy sustainability, urban climate, and remote sensing, whose work has attracted over $40M in external funding and includes a NSF CAREER Award. Before joining ASRC, he was the City College of New York Presidential Professor of Mechanical Engineering, director of CCNY’s CiPASS initiative, and lead scientist of the Coastal-Urban Environmental Research Group (CUERG). He holds a Doctorate from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor’s from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. A Fellow of ASME and former Vice-Chairman of the American Meteorological Society’s Board on the Urban Environment, he has served on New York City’s Climate Change Panel and as a Senior Visiting Scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Beijing Institute of Urban Meteorology, and is the Founding Editor of the ASME Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities. For our October panel, Jorge will speak about his research and provide perspectives related to sustainability, environmental systems, and innovation.

Dr. Lu Li

Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental & Sustainable Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, University at Albany (SUNY)

Dr. Lu Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental & Sustainable Engineering at the University at Albany. Her work explores the intersection of sustainable design, digital twins, artificial intelligence, and urban systems. At Our October panel, her presentation, Green Design Studio: Smart Cities Powered by Digital Twins and AI, examines how digital twins and AI can be used to model buildings, transportation systems, energy infrastructure, air quality, and other urban components to support more sustainable and resilient cities.

Indu Lnu, CEM, LEED AP

Interim Director of Planning, Design, Construction, and Energy, University at Albany (SUNY)

Indu joined UAlbany is 2008 and is the Energy Officer and Interim Director of Planning, Design, and Construction at the University at Albany. She worked in the building and energy industry for 10 years prior to joining UAlbany and is knowledgeable and passionate about climate action and sustainability, large scale renewable energy projects, high-performance net zero carbon all-electric campuses, and workforce development. At our October energy panel, she will share updates on UAlbany’s Net Zero Carbon Roadmap. University at Albany has started implementation of its $1B, 25-year, 5- phased Net Zero Carbon Roadmap. The presentation will address the process UAlbany used to arrive at a practical, implementable, realistic, and cost-efficient plan and the tools they are using to track progress on a dynamic plan. 

Brett Orzechowski

Assistant Director, Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship & Industry Partnerships, University at Albany (SUNY)

Brett Orzechowski serves as Assistant Director in the University at Albany’s Office of Economic Development, Entrepreneurship & Industry Partnerships, where he works closely with the university’s research and innovation ecosystem, including ETEC and the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center to connect academic research, industry partners, students, and entrepreneurs. For the October AEE Energy Panel, he will serve as moderator, having played a key role in shaping the panel’s content and strengthening the broader collaboration between AEE and UAlbany.