NETL has named Kelly Rose, Ph.D., to serve as interim technical director for the Lab’s Science-Based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Institute (SAMI), a joint institute led by NETL for advancing cutting-edge AI and ML computational technologies to drive innovative solutions for effective, environmentally sustainable fossil energy resource recovery and utilization.

Established in 2020, SAMI builds off NETL’s unique strengths in science-based modeling and research data curation and management capabilities. It also capitalizes on NETL’s world-class capabilities in high-performance and other scientific computing capabilities to address fossil energy research in areas such as improving the performance, reliability and efficiency of the existing coal-fired fleet; beneficiating carbon ore and fossil energy byproducts; driving break throughs in advanced materials design and discovery; optimizing the recovery of oil and gas resources; and reducing the cost and risk of carbon capture utilization and storage.

AI/ML offers emerging and rapidly evolving technologies that result in efficiencies and cost reductions, as well as new scientific discoveries. Numerous NETL projects apply AI/ML technologies, and the success of these applications has led to improvements in standards across data and modeling and has also aided ongoing efforts to improve the trustworthiness of increasingly complex computational reasoning.

Combined with NETL’s world-class capabilities, strategic partnerships with academia and industry will enable SAMI to more rapidly realize the full potential of AI/ML for science-based advancements. As technical director, Rose will focus on building the institute partnerships and leading SAMI, along with its increasing role in supporting activities across NETL’s portfolio, to strategically combine established scientific methodologies with AI/ML computational approaches to accelerate fossil energy technologies and other advances.

Rose has served as a geo-data science researcher, principal investigator and research portfolio lead at NETL since 2001. In addition to SAMI technical director, Rose is also principal investigator for NETL’s Energy Data eXchange (EDX), an online, public and private research curation and virtual data laboratory platform developed to improve enduring access to DOE data products and support the next-generation of data research and development.

SAMI will use EDX to enhance data-handling technologies and couple EDX’s customized data curation and collaboration capabilities with other scientific computing resources, such as NETL’s cluster computing resources Watt and Joule, and Cloud based capabilities. These resources, along with future, anticipated partnerships, enable the NETL community and extramural partners to conduct computationally intense work and drive fossil energy science and data technology breakthroughs. 

Rose’s work has involved development of new data-driven methods and tools for analysis and exploration of offshore energy, oil & gas, rare earth element/critical minerals, groundwater, carbon storage, geothermal, infrastructure and materials. Rose’s research interests also include development of software driven solutions to research and science data curation, discovery and inter-operability challenges. She is co-author of award winning, data-science driven tools and models, including one patented, five trademarked, one registered trademarked, and one copyrighted. 

Rose holds geology degrees from Denison University (B.S.), Virginia Tech (M.S.), and Oregon State University (Ph.D.).   

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that produces technological solutions for America’s energy challenges. From developing creative innovations and efficient energy systems that make coal more competitive, to advancing technologies that enhance oil and natural gas extraction and transmission processes, NETL research is providing breakthroughs and discoveries that support domestic energy initiatives, stimulate a growing economy, and improve the health, safety, and security of all Americans. Highly skilled men and women at NETL’s sites in Albany, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska; Houston, Texas; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania conduct a broad range of research activities that support DOE’s mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.