Stanford University
Showing 31-40 of 41 Results
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Franklin M. ("Lynn") Orr, Jr.
Keleen and Carlton Beal Professor in Petroleum Engineering, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch
My students and I work to understand the physical mechanisms that control flow of multiphase, multicomponent fluids in the subsurface, using a combination of experiments and theory. The theory part includes numerical simulation of flow in heterogeneous porous rocks and coalbeds, often using streamline approaches, and it also involves solving by analytical methods the differential equations that describe the interactions of complex phase equilibrium and flow (porous rocks containing more than one flowing phase can sometimes act like a chromatograph, separating components as they flow). The experiments are used to test how well the models describe reality. Applications of this work range from enhanced oil and gas recovery to geologic storage of carbon dioxide (to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) to the transport of contaminants in aquifers.
Teaching
I teach a courses for graduate students on the mathematics of multiphase, multicomponent flow in porous media and on the thermodynamics of phase behavior. I also teach an undergraduate course on energy for freshmen.
Professional Activities
Member, National Research Council Committee on Subsurface Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rocks, 2013-present, Member, Technical Advisory Committee, Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame; Member, Division Committee for the Division of Earth and Life Sciences of the National Research Council, 2012-present; Member, Energy Technology Innovation System Working Group, President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, 2010; Member, California Energy Future study committee (2009-2010); Member, NRC Committee on America's Energy Future (2007-2009); co-chair, Workshop on Basic Research Needs for the Geosciences, U.S. Dept. of Energy (2007); IOR Pioneer, Society of Petroleum Engineers (2006); Honorary Doctorate in Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland (2005); member, Advisory Board, Carbon Mitigation Initiative, Princeton University (2004-present); director, Global Climate & Energy Project, Stanford University; member, Faculty Leadership Committee, Stanford Institute for the Environment (2004-05); National Associate of the National Academies (2002); Robert Earl McConnell Award, AIME (2001); election to National Academy of Engineering (2000); member, Board of Directors, David and Lucile Packard Foundation (1999-2008); member, Provost's Committee on the Environment (1995-2004); member, Board of Directors, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (1987-present); Chair, Fellowships for Science and Engineering Advisory Panel, David and Lucile Packard Foundation (1990-present); -
Celine Scheidt
Sr Res Engineer, Energy Science & Engineering
BioCéline Scheidt has worked extensively in uncertainty modeling, sensitivity analysis, geostatistics and in the use of distance-based methods in reservoir modeling. She obtained her PhD at Strasbourg University and the IFP (France) in applied mathematics, with a focus on the use of experimental design and geostatistical methods to model response surfaces.
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Suihong Song
Physical Science Research Scientist, Energy Science & Engineering
BioSuihong Song collaborates with Professor Tapan Mukerji at the Stanford Center for Earth Resources Forecast (SCERF) as a postdoctoral scholar. His research is centered on integrating machine learning with geosciences, specifically focusing on machine learning-based reservoir characterization and geomodelling, Physics-informed Neural Networks (PINNs) and neural operators as well as their applications in porous flow simulations, neural networks-based surrogate and inversion, decision-making under uncertainty, and machine learning-based geological interpretation of well logs and seismic data. These research endeavors have practical applications in managing underground water resources, oil and gas exploration, geological storage of CO2, and the evaluation of hydrothermal and natural hydrogen, among others.Song proposed GANSim, an abbreviation for Generative Adversarial Networks-based reservoir simulation, which presents a reservoir geomodelling workflow. This innovative approach has been successfully implemented in various 3D field reservoirs by international oil companies, including ExxonMobil.
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Daniel Tartakovsky
Professor of Energy Science Engineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEnvironmental fluid mechanics, Applied and computational mathematics, Biomedical modeling.
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Hamdi Tchelepi
Max Steineke Professor and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsCurrent research activities: (1) model and simulate unstable miscible and immiscible fluid flow in heterogeneous porous media, (2) develop multiscale numerical solution algorithms for coupled mechanics and multiphase fluid flow in large-scale subsurface formations, and (3) develop stochastic solution methods that quantify the uncertainty associated with predictions of fluid-structure dynamics in porous media.
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Edgar Virgüez
Research Engineer, Energy Science & Engineering
BioEdgar Virgüez is Director of Research at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and Managing Director of the Interdisciplinary Energy Systems Research Group at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He brings more than 20 years of experience spanning energy and environmental research, engineering, international development, and scientific leadership. His work bridges rigorous scholarship and institutional strategy, building collaborations that connect science with real-world decision-making.
Dr. Virgüez develops data-driven models to inform energy system planning, evaluate environmental and economic impacts, and guide infrastructure investment and technology deployment toward reliable, low-carbon energy systems. He has authored and co-authored more than 50 scholarly publications and research outputs cited over 1,200 times, including work in Energy & Environmental Science, Nature Cities, PNAS, and Science. He serves on the Editorial Board of Environmental Research: Energy, where he was one of seven inaugural Executive Editorial Board members, and received IOP Publishing’s 2026 Editorial Excellence Award for outstanding intellectual leadership and sustained excellence in peer review and editorial stewardship.
Before taking on his current role at the Stanford Woods Institute, Dr. Virgüez served as Managing Director of the $23 million EARNEST Consortium at Stanford, overseeing a U.S. Department of Energy-funded collaboration spanning 21 universities, national laboratories, and research organizations focused on the future of the U.S. electricity system. He has also led successful interdisciplinary proposals and partnerships supported by universities, foundations, government, and industry.
Prior to joining Stanford, he was a Research Fellow at Carnegie Science and Deputy Group Leader in Ken Caldeira’s research group, helping lead a portfolio at the intersection of energy, climate, and decarbonization. His professional experience also encompasses projects for universities, governments, and international development organizations, including the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.
Dr. Virgüez serves as an Expert Advisor to The Earthshot Prize, assessing climate solutions for innovation, impact, and scalability. He has also provided expert review and advice to Schmidt Sciences and the International Energy Agency on research proposals and technical reports focused on energy systems and decarbonization.
His contributions to scholarship, leadership, and education have been recognized through 22 competitive honors, including the American Geophysical Union’s 2025 Science for Solutions Award, Duke University’s 2021 Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ 2020 K. Patricia Cross Future Leader Award. As an educator, he has taught 17 courses, reaching nearly 600 students, while mentoring students and early-career researchers.
Dr. Virgüez previously served on Duke University’s Board of Trustees, the university’s highest governing body, and currently serves on the Nicholas School of the Environment Board of Visitors and Dean’s Cabinet, as well as Duke’s Climate Commitment Campaign Board.
He earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and Policy and an M.A. in Environment from Duke University, as well as an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering and dual B.Sc. degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Universidad de los Andes. His education has been supported by more than $795,000 in competitive scholarships and fellowships.
Across scholarship, education, and institutional leadership, his work is guided by a common purpose: advancing rigorous science, building enduring collaborations, and strengthening institutions to translate knowledge into impact at scale. -
Oleg Volkov
Sr Res Scientist-Physical, Energy Science & Engineering
BioDr. Volkov has over sixteen years of experience in constrained optimization applied research.
After receiving his M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering (Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal) and
a Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics (University of Montreal), he then worked on industrial
contracts related to the optimal control of phase transition systems and optimal design of porous
media. Subsequently, Dr. Volkov served a one-year fixed term at the rank of an Assistant Professor
in Physics at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. His current research interests include
the implementation and refinement of gradient-based optimization methods in application to hydrocarbon
field development. -
John Weyant
Professor (Research) of Management Science and Engineering, of Energy Science Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy
BioJohn P. Weyant is Professor of Management Science and Engineering, Professor of Energy Science & Engineering, and Director of the Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) at Stanford University. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Precourt Institute for Energy and an an affiliated faculty member of the Stanford School of Earth, Environment and Energy Sciences, the Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford. His current research focuses on analysis of multi-sector, multi-region coupled human and earth systems dynamics, global change systems analysis, energy technology assessment, and models for strategic planning.
Weyant was a founder and serves as chairman of the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium (IAMC), a seventeen-year old collaboration among over 60 member institutions from around the world. He has been an active adviser to the United Nations, the European Commission, U.S.Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of State, and the Environmental Protection Agency. In California, he has been and adviser to the California Air Resources, the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission..
Weyant was awarded the US Association for Energy Economics’ 2008 Adelmann-Frankel award for unique and innovative contributions to the field of energy economics and the award for outstanding lifetime contributions to the Profession for 2017 from the International Association for Energy Economics, and a Life Time Achievement award from the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium in 2018. Weyant was honored in 2007 as a major contributor to the Nobel Peace prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and in 2008 by Chairman Mary Nichols for contributions to the to the California Air Resources Board's Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee on AB 32.
Fields of Specialization:
Energy/Environmental Policy Analysis, Strategic Planning
Interests:
Overall goal is to accelerate the use of systems models at state, country, and global scales, aiming to provide the best available information and insights to government and private-sector decision makers. Specific areas include energy, climate change, and sustainable development policy, including emerging technologies and market design alternatives. Draws on concepts and techniques from science and engineering fundamentals (e.g., thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, materials science, and electrical power systems), operations research, economics, finance, and decision theory.
