The Energy & Geoscience Institute announces Dr. Kristie McLin as Director of Research and Science and new Principal Investigator of the Utah FORGE project, succeeding Dr. Joseph Moore.
Research Team
University of Utah’s Energy & Geoscience Institute research management team and partners
The Utah FORGE project is part of the University of Utah’s Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI). The project is committed to creating a national laboratory to accelerate the development of enhanced geothermal system technologies. The research team is comprised of the nation’s best technical and R&D management leadership from the oil and gas and geothermal industries, R&D universities, national laboratories, and energy technology companies. To enhance the capabilities and expand its reach, the project team is supported by a Science and Technology Advisory Team composed of the leading experts in Enhanced Geothermal System development and reservoir stimulation, and the Department of Energy.
Project Management Team
Dr. Kristie S. McLin
Managing PI
Dr. McLin serves as Director of Research and Science at the Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI) and as the Managing PI of the Utah FORGE project.
Dr. Joseph Moore
Principal Investigator Emeritus
Dr. Moore has participated in DOE projects since the mid-1970s and currently holds several appointments at the University of Utah.
Dr. Stuart Simmons
Technical Expert on Geology and Geochemistry
Dr. Simmons is a Research Professor at the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) and in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Dr. John McLennan
Lead Reservoir Management
Dr. McLennan holds several appointments at the University of Utah, including Senior Research Scientist at EGI.
Dr. Kristine Pankow
Seismic Monitoring Coordinator
Dr. Pankow is an Associate Director of the U of U Seismograph Stations and a Research Professor in the Dept. of Geology & Geophysics.
Dr. Robert Podgorney
Technical Expert on Reservoir Modeling
Dr. Podgorney is a senior scientist and department manager with INL and an affiliate faculty member with the Center for Advanced Energy Studies.
Dr. Clay Jones
Chief Geologist and Research Scientist
Dr. Jones serves as a Chief Geologist and Research Scientist at the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah.
Research Scientists
Dr. Pengju Xing
Research Associate
Dr. Xing is a Research Scientist at the Energy & Geoscience Institute, and a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Utah.
Our Partners
Management Organization
Project Management Team (PMT)
The Project Management Team (PMT) at University of Utah’s Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI) is committed to creating a national laboratory to accelerate the development of enhanced geothermal technologies. EGI’s success will be dependent upon two interrelated factors: the suitability of the Milford site and our management team. The Milford site’s suitability is based on a range of characteristics that will allow for effective testing of EGS R&D concepts from across the nation. The team that we have assembled will create a collaborative platform for EGS R&D. This team is comprised of the nation’s best technical and R&D management leadership from the oil and gas and geothermal industry, R&D universities, national laboratories and energy technology companies. To enhance the capabilities and expand its reach, the EGI team will be supported by a Science and Technology Advisory Team composed of the leading experts in Enhanced Geothermal System development, reservoir stimulation and the DOE.
The Utah FORGE PMT oversees key technical and operational aspects of FORGE and is responsible for managing all financial aspects of the FORGE project. It is responsible for conceptualizing, planning and executing research and testing at the Utah FORGE site through development of an Annual Operating Plan. By the nature of their roles on the R&D SC, members of the Utah FORGE PMT will coordinate with the STAT and OG.
Science and Technology Analysis Team (STAT)
The STAT is the Science and Technology Analysis Team. The STAT is an integral part of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE). FORGE is envisioned to be an international field laboratory managed by the University of Utah (Utah FORGE) for developing the technologies required for the creation, sustainability and monitoring of Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) reservoirs.
The STAT shall advise, assist, support and plan research activities for the FORGE program. STAT activities are expected to strengthen the technical rigor and raise scientific research potential of Utah FORGE.
The STAT will consist of up to 15 members and the Chair. The STAT’s primary charge is to provide overall technical guidance throughout Phases 2C, 3, and 4, and to ensure that DOE objectives are fully considered and incorporated into the execution of Utah FORGE and associated R&D projects. Members of the STAT will be aligned with key technical areas of Utah FORGE and are envisioned to be thought leaders in their respective fields.
The STAT:
- Designs and makes recommendations regarding the strategic direction of FORGE and provides guidance to the Utah FORGE Project Management Team (PMT)
- Establishes technical baselines and develops metrics for research and development success in accordance with OG Roadmaps and goals.
- As requested, it provides input on specific management and operational issues to the Utah FORGE PMT.
- Assesses progress of FORGE research and development underway to feed into new research and development solicitations. Develops topics for annual R&D solicitations and provides guidance for review and selection.
- Makes award recommendations to the Research and Development Steering Committee.
- Provides input to an annual research and development reports.
The STAT is assisted by a subcommittee comprised of government officials or technical experts appointed by their nation’s government to serve in an ex officio role. Members of this subcommittee attend open meetings of the STAT in a non-voting capacity.
Research and Development Steering Committee (R&D SC)
The external R&D program is managed by the Research and Development Steering Committee (R&D SC) working in concert with the Science and Technology Analysis Team (STAT).
Office of Geothermal (OG)
The Office of Geothermal (OG) plays a leadership role in developing, planning and funding the FORGE program and external FORGE R&D. The Project Managers will assist in the development of R&D solicitations, ensure all DOE mandated requirements are captured and provide day-to-day support of the selected R&D projects.
Dr. Moore serves on the PMT as the Managing PI. Dr. Moore has participated in DOE projects since the mid-1970s. He holds appointments at the University of Utah as a Research Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. Dr. Moore currently serves as the Managing PI, with Co-PI Dr. McLennan on the Raft River EGS project “Concept Testing and Development at the successful Raft River Geothermal Field, Idaho”. Dr. Moore has also actively participated in both the Coso and Desert Peak EGS projects. His expertise is in the geology, hydrothermal alteration and geochemistry of geothermal systems and in the development of conceptual models based on geoscientific data. He has published more than 150 reports and articles on his investigations. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Geothermal Resources Council and the Geothermal Energy Association Technical Board.
Dr. Kristie S. McLin serves as Director of Research and Science at the Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI) and as the Managing PI of the Utah FORGE project. Dr. McLin has extensive experience in geothermal and subsurface energy systems, with expertise in inorganic geochemistry, fluid–rock interactions, water management, and the integration of advanced simulation with field-scale validation. She holds a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Utah and has been actively involved in geothermal research and technology development throughout her career. Prior to joining EGI, Dr. McLin held multiple leadership and technical roles at ConocoPhillips, including Director of Subsurface Technology Development and Manager of Petroleum Geochemistry and Basin Modeling, where she led interdisciplinary teams focused on energy systems, water management, and technology innovation. Her work spans geothermal, hydrocarbon, and energy storage applications, with a strong emphasis on enhanced geothermal systems, fracture sustainability, and geochemical diagnostics. Dr. McLin has authored numerous publications and presentations and is an active member of professional organizations supporting geothermal and petroleum energy research.
Dr. Simmons serves as the Technical Expert on Geology and Geochemistry. He is a Research Professor at the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) and in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah. He uses a wide range of chemical and mineralogical methods to investigate hydrothermal fluid flow, heat transfer, and mineralizing processes in geothermal resources and ore deposits. He has worked extensively in New Zealand, Chile, Mexico, and the western USA. From 1987 to 2008, he was on the academic staff of the Geothermal Institute at the University of Auckland where he served as Associate Professor and Director. Before joining EGI in 2013, he worked as a consultant and was a Research Professor at Colorado School of Mines (2011-2012). His published work appears in American Journal of Science, Economic Geology, Geothermics, Geology, Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Nature, and Science, and he has given numerous short courses on geothermal resources and epithermal mineralization. He is recipient of the Skinner Award (2012, with J. Rowland), the Silver Medal (2014) and the Marden Award (2018) from the Society of Economic Geologists. He currently serves on technical review panels for the Ngawha, Rotokawa, and Wairakei geothermal projects in New Zealand.
Dr. McLennan serves as a Co-PI on the PMT and as the Technical Lead for Resource Management activities. Since 2009, Professor John McLennan has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah. He has been a Senior Research Scientist at the Energy & Geoscience Institute and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Utah since 2008. He has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto, awarded in 1980. Before joining the university, he had more than thirty-five years of experience with petroleum service and technology companies. He worked nine years for Dowell Schlumberger in their Denver, Tulsa, and Houston facilities. Later, John was with TerraTek in Salt Lake City, Advantek International in Houston, and ASRC Energy Services in Anchorage. He has worked on projects concerned with subsurface energy recovery (hydrocarbon, geothermal) in a variety of reservoir environments throughout the world. He is an ARMA Fellow and has served as ARMA president
Dr. Kristine Pankow serves as the Technical Expert on Seismic Monitoring and Imaging. She is currently the Acting Director of the University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) and is a Research Professor in the Geology and Geophysics Department. Dr. Pankow is the Advanced National Seismic System, Regional Coordinator for the Intermountain Region, the Board Secretary for the Seismological Society of America, and is a member of the Utah Mine Safety Technical Advisory Council. Dr. Pankow has over 20 years of experience in monitoring and analyzing seismicity and seismotectonics in the eastern Great Basin, including central and western Utah – where the Utah FORGE site is located. She has a well-established research program studying seismic sequences (both natural and induced) within the Great Basin. She and her research group are currently using time and frequency waveform based analysis to extend detection thresholds for microseismicity, exploring algorithms to determine source properties of small earthquakes, and are performing detailed analyses of swarm and triggered seismic sequences to better understand the physical processes that lead to these sequences.
Dr. Robert Podgorney is the Technical Expert on Reservoir Modeling activities at Utah FORGE. Dr. Podgorney serves as the director of the Nuclear Computational Resource Center and a directorate fellow of the advanced scientific computing division at the Idaho National Laboratory, leading a diverse team of scientists and engineers focused on developing computational tools and frameworks for energy related applications. His personal research interests center on energy and water related issues, focusing on investigations of fluid flow, heat transport, and mechanics in fractures and fracture networks and the development of massively parallel simulators for describing these systems. He has a Ph.D in Geology (multiphase fluid flow, computational fluid dynamics) from the University of Idaho, and serves as the Chair for Reservoir Modeling to the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology, a multinational coordination effort focused on advancing geothermal energy.
Dr. Jones serves as a Chief Geologist and Research Scientist at the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah, where he started in 2004. His primary research focuses on the mineralogy and geochemical evolution of geothermal reservoirs. He studies secondary minerals to understand reservoir geometry, fluid-rock interactions, and the chemical/thermal evolution of reservoir fluids. His work in petrography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy (SEM-EDS-CL) and isotope geochemistry gives insights into permeability structures and their influence on geophysical surveys. He has conducted geothermal reservoir investigations worldwide for government and private organizations, including the DOE and various energy companies. Dr. Jones holds a B.Sc., M.Sc. & Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Utah.
Dr. Xing is a Research Scientist at the Energy & Geoscience Institute, and a Research Assistant Professor at Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah. Dr. Xing has been working on geomechanics and geothermal for more than ten years, and has been working on the Utah FORGE project since 2019. His research integrates geomechanics with transdisciplinary methods, including numerical modeling, experimental techniques, and data science, to enhance our understanding of the subsurface, especially the Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Dr. Xing has worked on several different projects including: numerical modeling of the stimulation and fluid circulation for the Utah FORGE project; in-situ stresses measurements for geothermal and oil/gas reservoirs with newly proposed temperature signatures and flowback methods; developing machine learning models to predict formation properties using drilling data or using geological data to predict drilling performance in The Geysers (CA); numerical modeling and experimental investigation of hydraulic fracturing growth in layered reservoirs.