Our Team

Judi Greenwald is the Executive Director of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance.

Ms. Greenwald has over 35 years of energy and environmental policy leadership experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, including the U.S. Congress, the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES, formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change). Highlights of her distinguished career include working on the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments as congressional committee staff; overseeing energy and environmental programs at C2ES and DOE; co-founding the Carbon Capture Coalition; advising U.S. state and regional greenhouse gas initaitives; and collaborating with stakeholders to advance both economic and environmental goals.

She has focused extensively on deep decarbonization through the interplay of public policy, technology innovation, human behavior, and markets. She served as Deputy Director for Climate, Environment, and Energy Efficiency at US DOE's Energy Policy and Systems Analysis Office, and the Senior Climate Advisor to the Energy Secretary. She is a fellow at Princeton University's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Ms. Greenwald received a B.S. in Engineering, cum laude, from Princeton University, and an M.A. in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from George Washington University.

Patrick White is the Research Director of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance where he leads NIA’s research as well as analysis-based stakeholder and policymaker engagement and education. His technical background includes expertise in advanced reactor licensing strategies, regulatory modernization at the NRC, nuclear fuel cycles, and nuclear system safety.

Patrick has completed his PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with his doctoral thesis on licensing methods and regulatory frameworks for commercial fusion technology. He was a graduate researcher on the 2018 MIT "Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World” study, co-authoring report sections on licensing issues related to advanced nuclear reactor deployment. He subsequently received his M.S. in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT in 2019 with his thesis research on advanced reactor regulatory pathways.

Patrick has worked in the commercial nuclear sector as an engineer with MPR Associates in Alexandria, VA. His nuclear experience includes safety assessments of modifications at existing nuclear power plants, design evaluations of components at new nuclear power plants, and co-authoring an ERPI report on transitioning existing baseload nuclear power plants to flexible power (or load following) operations. Prior to working at MPR Associates, Patrick received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2012.

Brittany Lutz is a Program Manager at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, where she manages a portfolio of research projects, stakeholder engagement and advocacy, with an emphasis on regulatory modernization at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Her background includes both technical research and policy work in nuclear technology and radiological sciences. 

Brittany has extensive experience in technical and programmatic aspects of nuclear weapons effects modeling. During her tenure at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, she developed and led new initiatives to enhance technical capabilities of nuclear modeling software. Brittany's work included leading briefings and analyses during high-profile military exercises and engaging with senior military leaders to inform real-time decisions. 

Brittany holds a Master of Science in Materials & Nuclear Engineering from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She is currently pursuing further graduate studies in Medical Physics at Virginia Commonwealth University in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory. 

James Richards is the Manager, Economics and Project Development Program at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance where he analyzes, engages with stakeholders, and develops recommendations on advanced nuclear energy commercialization, costs, financing, and early mover projects.

James comes to NIA with multi-disciplinary experience in commercial, national laboratory, and academic settings. Prior to joining NIA, James developed techno-economic models for a nuclear startup to assess product market fit, project viability and profitability. He earned his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Idaho while studying the technical and economic feasibility of producing hydrogen with nuclear plants. As a Graduate Fellow at Idaho National Laboratory, he worked with utilities and government agencies to understand plant level and electricity system level implications for using nuclear plants to produce commodities other than electricity. 

James has co-authored reports and journal publications on the effects of nuclear retirements, nuclear hybrid energy systems, and novel techniques for electricity dispatch modeling. He also received an MS in nuclear engineering from the University of Idaho and a BS in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University.

Erik Cothron is a senior analyst for the Nuclear Innovation Alliance where he helps create the conditions for advanced nuclear reactor success through research projects, stakeholder engagement, and policy advocacy.

 
Prior to joining the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Mr. Cothron was an energy consultant for Guidehouse, working with the U.S. Department of Energy on its energy efficiency program. He has experience developing federal regulations, performing engineering and market analysis, interacting with stakeholders, and ensuring compliance with DOE regulations for commercial equipment. He also volunteers for the Nuclear Alternative Project, a non-profit organization aiming to bring advanced nuclear energy to the island of Puerto Rico.

He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in material science and engineering from Virginia Tech, along with a graduate certificate in nuclear engineering and a concentration in nuclear materials. 

Zach Koshgarian is an analyst for the Nuclear Innovation Alliance.  His research, stakeholder engagement and advocacy focus on state policy, project finance, and advanced nuclear energy policy more broadly, to help NIA achieve its mission. 

Zach completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Kansas, where his thesis provided a political framework for commercializing the Integral Fast Reactor, an advanced nuclear reactor technology. He completed his M.Sc. at The New School, earning a degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management with a minor in Design and Urban Justice. Throughout his graduate work, he continued his research in the nuclear arena, frequently writing papers that interrogated the nuclear energy supply chain and outlined the externalities of various stages of nuclear energy generation. His thesis analyzed high-level nuclear waste management practices in leading nuclear power nations, mapping best practices for safe and environmentally just nuclear waste management. 

Devin L. Watts is the Operations Manager for the Nuclear Innovation Alliance and Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp.  She focuses on planning, program implementation, and operations. 

Ms. Watts comes to NIA with over twenty years of diverse experience including recruiting, business development, program management, training, process development and delivery for effective and efficient workflow, management of multi-functional groups, customer service, and liaison with internal and external stakeholders. She has managed services and operations for many organizations, with a focus on early-stage and entrepreneurial small businesses and nonprofits with passionate and purposeful people. Her professional style is based on problem solving through excellent interpersonal communications and development and implementation of best practices.

Danielle Emche was a project manager at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance. Danielle passed away unexpectedly in August 2022. She was a wonderful colleague - nice, smart, and a person you could depend on. Her work on federal policy, especially on Nuclear Regulatory Commission reform and Department of Energy innovation, helped enable advanced nuclear energy as a climate solution. We at the NIA mourn her loss.

In honor of her tremendous contribution to our mission, NIA has established the Danielle Emche Memorial Internship and Fellowship Fund. Emche interns and fellows will pursue nuclear innovation policy project at NIA and will be selected based on their potential to make major contributions to enabling advanced nuclear energy as a climate solution. You can donate to the Fund by selecting the "Danielle Emche Memorial Internship and Fellowship Fund" option on the NIA donation page here.