John A. Harju is the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the EERC, where he leads efforts to build and grow dynamic working relationships with industry, government, and research entities globally in support of the EERC's mission to provide practical, pioneering solutions to the world's energy and environmental challenges. He represents the EERC regionally, nationally, and internationally in advancing its strategic energy and environmental initiatives focused on conventional and unconventional oil and gas development; zero-emission coal utilization; CO₂ capture and sequestration; energy and water sustainability; hydrogen and fuel cells; advanced air emission control technologies, emphasizing SO_x, NO_x, air toxics, fine particulate, and mercury control; renewable energy; wind energy; water management; flood prevention; global climate change mitigation; waste utilization; energy efficiency; and contaminant cleanup. Mr. Harju's principal areas of interest and expertise include carbon sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, unconventional oil and gas development, waste management, geochemistry, technology development, hydrology, and analytical chemistry, especially as applied to the upstream oil and gas industry. 

Prior to his current position, Mr. Harju was the Associate Director for Research at the EERC. Before joining the EERC, he was Vice President of Crystal Solutions, LLC, a firm involved in commercial E&P produced water management, regulatory permitting and compliance, and environmental impact monitoring and analysis. He worked for Gas Research Institute (now Gas Technology Institute) as Principal Scientist in Produced Water Management and as Program Team Leader for Soil, Water, and Waste. He also worked at the EERC from 1989 to 1996 in various capacities. 

Mr. Harju is a graduate of the Geology program at UND. He serves on the U.S. Department of Energy's Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee (URTAC), which provides advice to the Secretary of Energy on the development and implementation of activities related to unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resources. Mr. Harju is a prior chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) Energy Resources, Research, and Technology Committee and serves on IOGCC's Carbon Capture and Geological Storage Task Force. In addition, he is a member of the National Petroleum Council and the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. He has authored and coauthored more than 100 professional publications.