Sustainable Solutions for a Changing World.

Dr. Zak Dowell has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, specializing in renewable energy systems, sustainable building practices, and building code expertise. His career blends academic and industry roles, where he has contributed to the design, installation, and testing of renewable energy systems, particularly solar and biogas technologies, to reduce reliance on grid energy. Zak has provided consulting and training to government and industry partners and is a trusted leader in advancing sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, he holds a Class A building license and has extensive experience as a homebuilder. Zak also specializes in qualitative research design, focusing on market strategies for eco-innovations in their early stages of market entry.

Dr. Raichle’s love of technology and teaching led him to academia. After completing a B.S. in Physics at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, he taught high school for two years at the Greensboro Day School (NC). He then pursued a Ph.D. in Physics at North Carolina State University. His research was focused on nuclear physics, but perhaps more importantly he developed a wide range of experimental skills, including electronics, vacuum, low temperature, data collection and analysis, and problem solving. He then taught at Western Carolina University (NC) and Morehead State University (KY) before settling in for the long haul at Appalachian State University (NC).

At App State Dr. Raichle’s interest in sustainability led him to the Department of Sustainable Technology & the Built Environment where he supervised countless MS students and spent time as Department Chair. His latest project of interest is working with the National Geographic-sponsored team to install weather stations on Mount Everest. In this capacity he traveled to Everest Base Camp in spring 2023 to commission and perform maintenance on these stations.

Dr. Annie Pearce is a designer, tester, and troubleshooter of sustainable building and infrastructure systems. Throughout her career, Annie has worked with practitioners in both the public and private sectors to implement sustainability as part of facility planning, design, construction, and operation. As a LEED AP and Certified Permaculture Designer, Annie brings the latest in green building methods, technologies, and best practices to your project. Her specific areas of interest include metrics of sustainability for built facilities, green building materials and systems, cost modeling to support sustainability implementation, and strategic sustainability planning.

Dr. Hunter is a physical chemist and optical engineer with experience in a broad range of fields, from biomedicine to atmospheric science and community biogas projects. His strengths are in thorough research analyses, state-of-the-art topical reviews, experimental design and instrumentation, grant writing, education and technology development.

He has spent a lifetime working in academia across the US - at MIT, USC, CU Boulder, Tufts and currently at UMass Amherst, where he is leading the development of small- and medium-scale biogas technologies for small farmers, industries and communities. He is the lead PI on a USDA Sun Grant for expanding the accessibility of biogas production for small farmers.

Dr. Hunter grew up in South America and is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese.