Category: Projects

Coalter G. Lathrop
Principal, Sovereign Geographic

Coalter G. Lathrop directs Sovereign Geographic, an international law firm and cartography consultancy serving sovereign clients throughout the world. Over the last twenty-five years, Lathrop has acted as counsel and advisor in cases before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and ad hoc tribunals on questions of territorial sovereignty, maritime delimitation, transboundary harm, and shared resources, and he has provided negotiating support and advice on related matters to governments and private interests in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North and South America. 

Lathrop holds a degree in marine policy from the University of Washington and a J.D. and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Duke University. He publishes and presents on the law of the sea, the Arctic, island sovereignty, and maritime boundaries; teaches courses on Law of the Sea and International Environmental Law at Duke University; and has lectured at the Yeosu Academy, the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea, and the International Boundaries Research Unit. Lathrop served as the rapporteur of the ILA Baselines Committee, is the current chair of the ABILA Law of the Sea Committee, was a founding co-chair of the ASIL Law of the Sea Interest Group, and is in his thirteenth year as the editor of International Maritime Boundaries, an ASIL/Brill co-publication.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coalter-g-lathrop-7372bb6/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Coalter-Lathrop

Amirhosein (Amir) Riahi
Postdoctoral Researcher, Kroll Institute of Extractive Metallurgy (KIEM), Mining Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines

Dr. Amirhosein Riahi serves as a postdoctoral researcher at the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy at the Colorado School of Mines, where he conducts research on a collaborative NASA project titled Multi-stage Oxygen and Regolith Resource Extractor (MORRE). He specializes in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), focusing on post-combustion CO2 capture methods, particularly using porous solid adsorbents and innovative Process Intensification (PI) techniques. Dr. Riahi’s background spans mining and environmental engineering, materials science, surface and bulk characterization, mine closure and reclamation, mass fate and transport, and numerical and analytical modeling. The findings of his research have been published in prestigious journals, presented at international conferences, and recognized with awards. He has collaborated on numerous domestic and international projects, including consulting for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a project related to the pore textural properties of biochar for enhancing environmental remediation. In 2016, he interned at Clausthal University of Technology in Germany, contributing to a collaborative mineral processing project with Mercedes-Benz. He recently co-authored a $2M DST-NSF joint project proposal, Developing Green Bio-Carbon Blends for Sustainable Metal Oxide Reduction and Metal Recovery. Additionally, he co-authored a patent on Resonant Vibratory Mixing for Improved Samarium–Cobalt Magnet Leaching and secured a five-year, $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Combat Capabilities Development Army Research Laboratory (ARL) for a project on biomass power generation at Montana Technological University. Dr. Riahi is an active member and speaker in professional organizations, including the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME), the American Chemical Society (ACS), the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), and the graduate student advisory board at Montana Technological University. To learn more, find his resume using the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MRWNp21Jgtfn1nH-DqffT3UNdisgJbgO/view?usp=sharing

Professional Preparation
• Montana Technological University, MT Earth Science & Engineering, Ph.D. 2024
• University of Tehran, Iran Mining & Environmental Engineering, M.Sc. 2020
• University of Tehran, Iran Mining & Mineral Processing Engineering, B.Sc. 2017

Appointments
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Colorado School of Mines, Aug. 2024-Present
• Ph.D. Candidate and Research Assistant, Montana Technological University, Jan. 2021-Aug. 2024
• Programming and Laboratory Instructor, Montana Technological University, Jan. 2021-Aug. 2024
• M.Sc. Student and Research Assistant, University of Tehran, Oct. 2017-June 2020
• Intern and Research Assistant, Mineral Processing Laboratory, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, 2016

Noé van Hulst
Vice-Chair, International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE)
Hydrogen Advisor, International Energy Agency (IEA) and Gasunie
Senior Fellow, Centre for International Energy Policy (CIEP)

Noé van Hulst is vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), hydrogen advisor to IEA & Gasunie and a Senior Fellow at Centre for International Energy Policy (CIEP). Prior to that, Mr van Hulst was the Hydrogen Envoy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy in the Netherlands. Mr van Hulst was the Dutch Ambassador to the OECD from September 2013 to September 2018 and Chairman of the IEA Governing Board. From 2003 to 2007, he worked at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris as Director of Long-Term Co-operation and Policy Analysis. He then became Secretary-General of the International Energy Forum (IEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2008 to 2011. He was Director of the Energy Academy Europe in 2012-2013. Before that, Mr van Hulst worked at the Free University in Amsterdam, the Social and Economic Council (SER) in The Hague and the Ministry of Economic Affairs from 1988, lastly as Director-General for Energy.

Mr. van Hulst published a book on the economics & politics of resource-rich countries, From Dutch Disease to Energy Transition, in 2023, which is freely available on the website of Centre for International Energy Policy, The Hague, The Netherlands: https://www.ciep.energy

He has published multiple blogs on topics like hydrogen, energy transition and resource-rich countries at the websites of, inter alia, IEA, WEF, Euractiv and Illuminem.

Cody Mayer
Director, Tribal and Community Engagement, Talon Metals

Cody Mayer is the Director, Tribal and Community Engagement at Talon Metals. Prior to working at Talon, Cody served on the Marquette City Commission and at 25 years old was elected the youngest Mayor in Marquette’s history. Cody previously worked in the banking industry and has been a member of the Michigan National Guard since December 2014.

He graduated from Northern Michigan University with B.S. in Public Administration. Where he served two terms as the student body president. He was recognized as the NMU Student Veteran of the year (2019) and the Board of Trustees Outstanding Non-Traditional Student (2020).

He is a member of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Areas of Focus

 Tribal

– Tribal Sovereignty

– Energy and Finance

– Treaties and U.S. Federal Indian Policy

– Indigenous History of the Great Lakes Region

Public Policy

– State and Local government

– Economic Development

– Domestic Supply Chains

– National Security

Leslie Faigen
Payne Institute Events Convener

Leslie Faigen is the current Events Convener for the Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs as well as a Certificate of Achievement in Dental Assisting from Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada. Leslie has also spent the last 2 years working in the events field and is excited to manage events that will have a meaningful impact on our energy future.

Leslie is a born and raised Coloradan who enjoys skiing, hiking, reading, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and cuddling with her cat Kiri.

Clarkson Kamurai
Payne Institute Critical Minerals Program Manager and Research Associate

Clarkson Kamurai is a Critical Minerals Program Manager and Research Associate for the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines. A mining engineer with over 18 years of experience, he holds a keen interest in Mining Process Continual Improvement tracking and energy metal developments, decarbonisation and circularity especially in the energy materials space.

Clarkson’s experience in these areas is drawn from exposure to numerous projects across much of Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. He is currently enrolled in the Energy and Mineral Economics Division at the Colorado School of Mines and about to start his PhD studies related to critical minerals supply chain, an area he has a deep passion for.

Since 2020, Clarkson has served in the capacity of Technical Director for an Oil and Gas company diversifying into hard rock mining responsible for implementation of the mineral resources development strategy.

From 2015 to 2019, he carried out independent consultancy work during which time he worked with a roaster of prior clients: private juniors and institutional. His work entailed working on various mining projects within and outside of Southern Africa.

From 2011 to 2014, Clarkson served as Country Director of a junior resource development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He oversaw the development of acquisition strategies of mineral assets in the Sub-Sahara region among a number of other tasks.

He also spent time on secondment to operations of the Chilean state owned mining company, CODELCO. Clarkson worked with the Anglo American Technical Services looking at research in the area of future technologies for deep level mining.

Clarkson holds a BSC (HONS) in Mining Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe School of Mining and Metallurgy, an MSC in Mining Engineering from the School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and a Postgraduate Diploma in Mineral Financial Evaluation from the Wits Business School and Imperial College London. He is also a current member of the Southern Africa Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME).

Jahara “Franky” Matisek (PhD)
Lieutenant Colonel, US Air Force
Military Professor (National Security Affairs)
US Naval War College

Lieutenant Colonel Jahara ‘FRANKY’ Matisek (PhD) is a Military Professor in the National Security Affairs department at the US Naval War College and Research Fellow at the European Resilience Initiative Center. He is a US Air Force Command Pilot with over 3,700 hours of flight time in the C-17, E-11 BACN, T-6, and T-53.

He has published 2 books and over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, policy relevant outlets, and edited volumes. He is Co-PI for two DOD Minerva research projects and has been a Fellow at the Homeland Defense Institute, Modern War Institute, and Irregular Warfare Initiative.

Gregory Gleason
Payne Institute System Administrator and Research Associate
Earth Observation Group

Gregory Gleason is a Linux enthusiast who enjoys solving problems and creating solutions using technology. He comes to the EOG with over 25 years of private sector experience, including customer service and full stack troubleshooting  and development.

Outside of work, he enjoys tennis, board gaming, reading, and classical guitar. He contends that cats are the superior pet.

Philip Waggoner
Payne Institute Senior Research Scientist, EEMDL, Colorado School of Mines

Philip Waggoner, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and the Hammerling Research Group at the Colorado School of Mines. Formerly, he was Director of Data Science at YouGov America. Philip did his Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University at the School of Medicine, in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health. He also maintains an appointment at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University. He has previously held faculty appointments at: the University of Chicago (computational social science), Johns Hopkins University (analytics and policy), Northwestern University (data science), the University of Virginia (data science), and the College of William & Mary (government). For more information, please visit: https://pdwaggoner.github.io.

Eric Davids
Senior Director, Advisory Services, Uplight

Eric Davids is a Colorado-based climate tech leader.  He has spent the past five years at Uplight, helping energy providers realize efficiency, electrification, and load flexibility outcomes by way of enhanced engagement with their customers.  His focus areas have spanned corporate strategy, partnership development, innovation management, and consulting.  Prior to joining Uplight, he served as an intelligence officer in the US Marines.

He holds a BS in Ocean Engineering from the US Naval Academy, an MSc in Defense, Development, and Diplomacy from Durham University (UK), and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  In addition, he is a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council.  Eric is interested in linking arms with people pursuing socio-technical research projects or commercial opportunities at the intersections between climate tech R&D, global development, energy security, climate-related diplomacy, finance, and trade.

Originally from Boulder, he is grateful to be back in his home state, where he enjoys trail running, gravel riding, backcountry skiing, and camping trips with his family.