Ahmed Abdelal, Academic Affairs
Provost University of Massachusetts Lowell
As Provost, Abdelal serves as the chief academic officer, overseeing long-term planning, curriculum, instruction, research, outreach and assessment, libraries and academic services. Prior to joining UMass Lowell, Abdelal served as Provost of Northeastern University (02-08), and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Georgia State university (92-02).
Abdelal earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of California, Davis, and carried out post-doctoral research at the same institution and at the Institute for Microbiology at the University Of Gottingen, Germany. He is a member of the American Academy for Microbiology, the American Society for Biological Chemists, and the American Society for Industrial Microbiology. His research was supported by grants from NSF, NIH, DOE, and the GA Research Alliance. He has made numerous presentations at national meetings on topics in higher education.
Abdelal led both Northeastern and Georgia State in establishing partnerships for collaboration across disciplines with international institutions in world regions that are of specific interest to the faculty, the students, and the community. While at GA State, Abdelal served as the Founding Director for the Middle East Center for Peace, Culture, and Development. At Northeastern, he established six international centers that focus on different world regions.
Abdelal is strongly committed to a collaborative leadership approach. The success of this approach in tackling challenging issues in higher education was the subject of a case study, developed and published in 2002, by faculty from the Harvard Institutes of Higher Education.
Carol Forance Barry, D.Eng.
Professor, Plastics Engineering
Co-Director, Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence
Associate Director, Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing Center
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dr. Barry’s research interests include extrusion, injection molding, novel processing techniques and analysis, and nano plastics processing. She received her doctor of engineering degree in plastics engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and her bachelor of science in chemistry from Boston College.
John R. Bashaw, Esq.
Partner, Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP
John Bashaw has been a regulatory compliance attorney for more than 25 years, working primarily in the areas of environmental law, health and safety, and nanotechnology. John’s practice involves the negotiation of consent and administrative orders with state, federal, and local regulatory authorities such as the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA. He also advises clients in the petroleum industry, manufacturing, and real estate development on compliance with the numerous complex regulations that affect their operations. John has an academic background in the environmental sciences which facilitates his ability to easily interact with technical consultants and scientific experts. For the last three years, John has closely followed the development of nanotechnology, and he is a frequent speaker and author on the regulation of potential environmental, health and safety issues created by the application of nanotechnology to existing industries.
Dr. Dhimiter Bello
Assistant Professor, Work Environment, Nanomanufacturing Center for Excellence University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dr. Bello is an analytical chemist who was further trained in environmental and occupational health sciences. His current research focuses broadly on exposure biology, an interdisciplinary approach which investigates quantitative, temporal relationships between exposures, tissue dosimetry, and disease.
One major research area involves engineered nanomaterials and human health, which encompasses several related themes that connect nanotoxicology with materials sciences. In addition to identifying and characterizing new sources of exposure to nanoparticles, Dr. Bello’s work includes developing and testing non-invasive methodologies for investigating early human health effects to engineered nanoparticles; exploring the utility of oxidative stress as an exposure and dose metric; as well as
investigating links between nanomaterial physicochemical properties and biological oxidative damage. Dr. Bello is actively involved with responsible nanomanufacturing efforts within the NSF-funded Center for High Rate Nanomanufacturing at UMass Lowell.
Dr. Michael G. Bennett
Associate Professor, Northeastern University School of Law
Dr. Bennett’s background is in physics, mathematics, law, and science and technology studies (BSc, J.D., Ph.D.). He teaches in the areas of contracts, intellectual property law, and law and technology. His research is focused on the societal and legal implications of emerging technologies and sciences, with a particular focus on the domain of nanotechnologies. He previously practiced patent law at Brinks, Hofer, Gilson, Lione in Chicago, and is a licensed member of the Illinois Bar.
Gregory Bialecki
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Executive Office for Housing and Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Secretary Bialecki oversees the Commonwealth’s business development, housing. and community development, and consumer affairs and business regulations undersecretariats. As Governor Patrick’s chief housing and economic development advisor and cabinet member, Secretary Bialecki has oversight of 14 state agencies.
Prior to his appointment as Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Bialecki served as the Undersecretary of Business Development. He also leads the governor’s development cabinet, which improves coordination across several cabinet secretariats involved in high level initiatives geared towards strengthening the Commonwealth’s economic position.
He has been the architect of the Patrick-Murray administration’s Growth Districts Initiative, oversaw the implementation of the Massachusetts Opportunity Relocation & Expansion (MORE) jobs capital program, and created an “Industry of the Month” series to strengthen relationships with key economic drivers in the state. Secretary Bialecki also served as the Commonwealth’s first permitting ombudsman in which he executed the Chapter 43D Expedited Permitting Program and chaired the Interagency Permitting Board.
Before joining the Patrick-Murray Administration, Bialecki enjoyed a 20-year career as a real estate development and environmental lawyer at the law firms of Hill & Barlow and DLA Piper Rudnick, where his work focused on the major urban redevelopment projects in the Greater Boston area. He also worked extensively with public agencies, non-profit organizations and private landowners on land conservation and open space protection matters throughout the Commonwealth. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Dr. Diana Bowman
Assistant Professor, Risk Science Center and the Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
With a background in both science and law (BSc, LLB, PhD), Diana’s research has focused primarily on legal, regulatory, and public health dimensions of new technologies such as nanotechnologies. She has also published in the area of injury prevention, public health law, and intellectual property rights. Diana is the co-editor of four books, including Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety: Risk, Regulation and Management (Hull 2010) and the International Handbook on Regulating Nanotechnologies (Hodge and Maynard 2010). In 2010, Diana took a position as a member of the Australian government’s National Enabling Technology Strategy’s Expert Forum. She is admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria (Australia).
Robert Burns
Senior Vice President, Harris & Harris Group, Inc.
Prior to joining Harris & Harris Group, Mr. Burns was senior vice president of Lux Research, a firm that performs technology scouting and market assessments in emerging technology. He is a director at The North Carolina Center of Innovation in Nanobiotechnology. In 2011, he was selected as one of seven executives to receive an Eisenhower Fellowship. In addition, he sits on the NC Governor’s China Advisory Board. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Economics and received his MBA in International Business from The George Washington University.
Dr. Ahmed Busnaina
William Lincoln Smith Professor and Director
Director of National Science Foundation’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for High-rate Nanomanufacturing and the NSF Center for Nano and Microcontamination Control
Northeastern University
Dr. Busnaina is internationally recognized for his work on nano and micro scale defects (particulate and chemical) mitigation and removal in semiconductor fabrication. He is also involved in the fabrication of nanoscale wires, structures and interconnects. He specializes in directed assembly of nanoelements and in the fabrication of micro and nanoscale structures. Support for his has exceeded $47 million. He served as a consultant on micro contamination and particle adhesion issues to the semiconductor industry and has authored more than 470 papers in journals, proceedings, and conferences. Dr. Busnaina is on the editorial advisory board of Semiconductor International, the Journal of Particulate Science and Technology. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Adhesion Society, a Fulbright Senior Scholar and listed in Who’s Who in the World, in America, in science and engineering. He was awarded the 2006 Nanotech Briefs National Nano50 Award, Innovator category, the 2006 Outstanding Faculty Research Award, Northeastern University 2006, the 2005 Aspiration Award, Northeastern University.
Peter J. Caruso II, Esq.
Partner, Prince Lobel Tye LLP
Peter is a member of the firm’s multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Practice Group, which includes attorneys from most of the firm’s traditional practices including employment, insurance/reinsurance, intellectual property, litigation (including product liability, environmental and toxic tort litigation), real estate/environmental regulation, corporate, and renewable energy law. Peter concentrates in nanotechnology and the protection of intellectual property rights, trade secret, and proprietary and/or commercial business information, including trademark and copyright protection and enforcement.
Thomas J. Chmura
Vice President for Economic Development, University of Massachusetts
Tom Chmura is vice president for economic development for the University of Massachusetts (UMASS), the five-campus system that is the public research university for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Mr. Chmura has more than 30 years of diverse experience in economic development, working across the U.S. in government, industry, consulting, and academia. Since joining UMASS in 1993, Mr. Chmura has served as a coordinator and catalyst for mobilizing the University’s resources to help build the Innovation Economy of Massachusetts. He oversees the work of the system-wide economic development unit and technology commercialization program, and has played a leadership role in developing a variety of university-industry-government partnerships in science and technology. Mr. Chmura holds a BS and MS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
Dr. Khershed Cooper
Program Officer, Office of Naval Research
Metallurgist, Materials Science and Technology Division/Naval Research Laboratory
Advanced Materials, Manufacturing and Testing Information Analysis Center
Dr. Cooper is a senior materials scientist in the Materials Science and Technology Division of Naval Research Laboratory and a program officer for the Manufacturing Science and Technology Programs at the Office of Naval Research. His research and programmatic interests are in materials processing and manufacturing, specifically additive-, micro- and nano-manufacturing. He has more than 120 publications, 40 invited talks, and 100 contributed presentations. He is a Fellow of ASM International, a recipient of ASM Burgess Memorial Award, Best Paper awards and professional society citations. He is an advisor to the Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium. He is actively involved with the DoD ManTech and DARPA Open Manufacturing Programs. He is a member of NSTC’s NSET sub-committee, where he co-chairs the Nano-manufacturing, Industry Liaison and Innovation (NILI) working group and whose goal is to promote implementation of nanoscience and commercialization of nanotechnology.
Stuart T. Cowart
Co-President/Principal
Consultant, Albert Risk Management Consultants
Albert Risk Management Consultants is a leading independent risk management and insurance consulting firm recently ranked #1 by Business Insurance magazine. He shares responsibility for the firm’s overall leadership as one of its two co-presidents since 1999. This arrangement ensures management continuity while also enabling Mr. Cowart to dedicate much of his time to servicing clients.
Over his 30+ year tenure, Mr. Cowart has provided risk management and insurance advisory services to clients in a wide range of business sectors and has deep expertise in the areas of risk assessment/ mitigation, strategic planning, organizational structure for risk management, insurance program design, risk administration training, insurance policy, and contractual risk transfer analysis. His breadth of experience includes servicing numerous publicly held and private clients in the retail, wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, technology, real estate, research, governmental, and nonprofit sectors.
Prior to joining Albert Risk Management Consultants, Mr. Cowart studied at the University of Georgia where he earned his B.B.A. in Risk Management and Insurance. Mr. Albert recruited him to New England to help grow the firm where he has remained an active partner.
Dr. Sheldon Davis
Director of Technology, Performance Segment, Cabot Corporation
Performance Segment is the specialty chemicals and additives division focused on solving customer product challenges through advanced materials. Sheldon Davis has been at Cabot Corporation for nearly 11 years in which time he has played a number of roles in developing new product and process technology. His background is in the engineering and science of high temperature manufacturing of nanoparticle based materials. Sheldon Davis has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University.
Dave Erickson, CPA,
MBA Senior Director, Global Internal Audit; Nypro
Dave is responsible for the global internal audit function at Nypro Inc, a $1.3 billion custom injection molder. In his role, Dave oversees a team of six audit professionals located around the world with a focus on risk management, particularly in the areas of working capital performance. In his time at Nypro, Dave has transformed the audit function, shifting audit methodologies from a financial-based approach to one focused on risk and overall operational improvement. By taking this initial step toward a fully integrated ERM platform, Dave and his team help to ensure that the right controls are designed and are functioning to achieve intended business objectives.
Prior to joining Nypro, Dave began his career in assurance with Deloitte & Touche in Boston, MA. After three years, Dave accepted a leadership position focusing risk and controls with the O’Charley’s restaurant group (parent to the “99” restaurant). Dave is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and a graduate of Purdue University.
Doug Freitag
Owner, Bayside Materials Technology
Bayside Materials Technology, was established in 1994 to help clients create, identify, and commercialize new technologies by leveraging federal financial assistance, facilities, and markets. Clients include small businesses, academia, non-profits, investment firms, and large corporations, both in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Freitag also serves as the technical director for the US Advanced Ceramics Association and is a member of the UMass Lowell CVIP River Hawk Advisory Board. His education includes a B.S./M.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, where he graduated with highest honors and participated in the cooperative engineering program at Ford Motor Company. Upon graduation, Mr. Freitag was employed at the Bendix Advanced Technology Center, a unique center of innovation established to create future products for aerospace electronics, automotive, and industrial markets. Following that he worked at LTV Aerospace and Defense (now Lockheed Martin) in various engineering and management positions while developing new materials for future military platforms. Mr. Freitag received several awards while at Lockheed Martin for his contributions, including the creation of a new generation of missile radome material (IRBAS) still in use today. He has published and presented more than 60 papers in advanced materials, issued several patents, organized and chaired numerous technical sessions at national meetings, and participated in various government panels in support of the advanced materials industry. Mr. Freitag is a member of MRS, ACeRs, ACS, IEEE, NDIA, SAMPE, and ASM.
Pamela W. Goldberg
CEO, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Pamela Goldberg is CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a public economic development agency charged with strengthening the state’s innovation economy and expanding technology- related enterprises throughout the Commonwealth. An experienced leader, Ms. Goldberg has an extensive background in entrepreneurship, innovation and finance, and is the first woman to lead the agency in its nearly 30 year history. Goldberg works closely with the Patrick-Murray administration to support critical economic development initiatives that unlock private investment and create jobs for Massachusetts residents. MTC is currently advancing technology-based solutions that improve the health care system, expand high-speed Internet access, and strengthen the growth and development of the state’s technology sector.
David Green
President, Harvard Bioscience
David Green has served as the company’s president and a member of its board of directors since March 1996. Prior to joining the Harvard Bioscience, Mr. Green was a strategy consultant with Monitor Company, a strategy consulting company, in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Johannesburg, South Africa from June 1991 until September 1995, and a brand manager for household products with Unilever PLC, a packaged consumer goods company, in London from September 1985 to February 1989. Mr. Green currently serves on the board of directors of the Harvard Business School Healthcare Industry Alumni Association, the advisory board of the Harvard Business School Student Healthcare Club, and on the executive advisory board of The University of Massachusetts Lowell Nanomanufacturing Center. Mr. Green graduated from Oxford University with a B.A. Honors degree in physics and holds a MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.
Jack Healy
Director, Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership
John (Jack) Healy has served as the founding director of operations for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP) program, since its inception in 1999. The MassMEP is an organization that enables small and medium size manufacturers to identify and implement growth opportunities through advanced manufacturing and management technologies. Prior to joining the MEP. Mr. Healy served as managing partner with the Wellesley Consulting Group, where he provided actual functional services in management and marketing with client companies in order to ensure the implementation of client’s organizational change. Previously, Mr. Healy was president of the Presmet Corp. a manufacturer of powder metal components, and lead them to international recognition as a premier supplier of high-quality, precision-made parts. Prior to Presmet, Mr. Healy was the senior vice president at Lego Systems where co-founded the U.S. division of this world-class toy company. He was responsible for establishing and managing Lego’s U.S.-based manufacturing operations.
George Kachen, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Commercial Ventures & Intellectual Property (CVIP),University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dr. George Kachen has led the technology transfer effort at UMass Lowell since the fall of 2008. In his current role as senior director, he is working with the vice provost for research to help develop more collaborative research efforts with private industry, to develop closer economic ties with towns in the Greater Lowell area, and to lead the effort for the development of new innovative ventures at UMass Lowell.
He originally joined the University in 2007 as the director of business development for the Nanomanufacturing Center. He is leveraging more than 35 years of experience in business development, program management and the commercialization of technology in both large and small businesses. His engineering and physics background is in the areas of lasers, optics, materials and nanotechnology.
Patrick Larkin
Director of the John Adams Innovation Institute Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
The John Adams Innovation Institute is the economic development division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). Working closely with academia, industry practitioners, and government officials, region by region and sector by sector, the Institute’s mission is to improve the conditions for growth in the Commonwealth’s innovation economy. Prior to his work with MTC, Mr. Larkin served as the director of federal/state relations for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Washington, DC, and was appointed in 1993 to serve as the deputy secretary for defense diversification and technology transfer in the Executive Office of Economic Affairs in Massachusetts.
Bernard F. Lynch
City Manager, City of Lowell, MA
Bernard F. Lynch assumed the role of city manager in August of 2006. As city manager, Mr. Lynch oversees an annual operating and capital budget of $295 million that serves a community of 108,000 residents. Mr. Lynch supervises the activities of all city departments which include more than 3,000.
Prior to leading the city of Lowell, Mr. Lynch served as the town manager for the town of Chelmsford for 17 years. As Chelmsford’s town manager, Mr. Lynch was responsible for financial management, operating and capital budget preparation and review, human resource management, procurement, direction of town departments, coordination of elected and appointed boards and committees, grant writing, and long term planning.
Some of his major accomplishments in Chelmsford included establishing and implementing financial management policies, a long-term financial plan, and an award-winning budgeting system. Financial reserves were increased from $340,000 to $8,000,000 from 1992-2003, while property taxes were held below the limits of Proposition 2 1/2. In addition, Mr. Lynch established the town’s first consolidated public works department, public facilities department, finance department, and community development office.
Prior to his position as Chelmsford town manager, Mr. Lynch served as Chelmsford’s executive secretary. His experience in municipal government is vast. He has served as an independent consultant to municipalities, as the executive director for the Methuen Neighborhood Development Corporation, and as a policy analyst for the Massachusetts Housing and Finance Agency.
Martin Magida, CFA
Managing Director, Carter Morse & Mathias
Over a 28 year investment banking career, Martin has advised clients in a variety of fields, including technology, media, telecommunications, financial services, health care, and business services industries. Before joining Carter Morse & Mathias in 2009, Martin was Group Head of Private Capital at Trenwith Group, the investment banking arm of BDO Seidman, where he was responsible for placing debt and equity with institutional investors. His additional experience includes the investment banking groups of UBS, PaineWebber, and Unterberg Towbin, and the brokerage group of Drexel Burnham. He was also co-founder of the Sandhurst Collateralized Return Fund, a hedge fund specializing in collateralized debt instruments. Martin is a member of the Darien, CT Representative Town Meeting. He is a past director of Misonix, Inc., a publicly traded medical device company, and of a private information services company. Martin holds a BA in political science from Union College and an MBA from New York University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Dr. Ken K. Mahmud
CTO and Vice President, Triton Systems
Ken
K. Mahmud is responsible for incubating emerging technologies. Dr. Mahmud has 30 patents in novel nanomaterials
and their applications. He is also the author of 25 peer-reviewed book chapters
and publications, including Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology,Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, Journal of Chemical
Physics, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Polymer
Science, Rubber Chemistry and Technology, Applied Physics Letters,
Journal of Applied Physics and SPIE
Proceedings. Prior to joining Triton, he held R&D and business development
positions at Cabot Corporation, North America. Dr. Mahmud obtained his Ph.D. in
Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1988. He has also
completed executive management programs at Harvard Business School, MIT and the
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is currently a member of the industrial
advisory board at the MIT Institute of Soldier Nanotechnology and the Center
for Nanomanufacturing, University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Dr. Joey L. Mead
Professor,
Department of Plastics Engineering
Co-Director, Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence
Deputy Director, NSF Center for High-rate
Nanomanufacturing
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dr.
Mead’s research interests include nanomanufacturing of polymeric materials,
structure-properties of polymers, elastomers, and thermoplastic elastomers. She received her S.B. in chemistry from MIT
(1981) and her Ph.D. in Polymers from the Department of Materials Science and
Engineering from MIT (1986). Prior to
taking a position at UMass Lowell, she worked for more than ten years as a materials
engineer for the Army Research Laboratory in Watertown, MA.
Chancellor Martin Meehan
University of
Massachusetts Lowell
Marty Meehan is the second chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the 14th leader of the
institution and its predecessor schools, founded in the 1890s.
“Higher education is the foundation of
this region. It will determine the region’s future,” says Meehan.
“What we do now, today, at this university, will decide who will leave and
who will stay. Now—there has never been a more critical time than now. This
place gave me a chance when there weren’t a lot of other opportunities. I feel
passionately about this university. Fundamentally, I can tell you it gave me
the basis to do whatever I’ve been able to do with my life.”
A UMass Lowell alumnus, Meehan graduated cum
laude in 1978, having studied education and political science. He received a
master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk University in 1981 and a
juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1986. He holds an honorary
degree from Green Mountain College in Vermont. Meehan served as an adjunct
faculty member in political science at the University in the late 1980s.
A resident of Lowell, Meehan represented the
fifth congressional district of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of
Representatives from 1993 to 2007. He served on the House Armed Services and
Judiciary Committees. Widely respected as a reformer, he established a national
reputation for his legislative leadership in reforming campaign finance laws
and protecting people against the health risks in tobacco use. Among his
priorities were maintaining a balanced federal budget, preserving Medicare and
Social Security, supporting and strengthening the military, and supporting
economic growth that is worker- and environment-friendly.
Meehan served as Massachusetts deputy
secretary of state for securities and corporations from 1986 to 1990. In the
early 1990s, Meehan was the first assistant district attorney of Middlesex
County, supervising more than 150 people, including 80 prosecutors, in an
office admired for aggressive prosecution of child abuse, domestic violence and
other violent crimes.
Dr. Jacqueline Moloney, Academic Affairs, Graduate School of
Education
Executive
Vice Chancellor; Professor, Curriculum & Instruction
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Jacqueline Moloney was appointed executive vice chancellor for the
University of Massachusetts Lowell in April, 2007 and is the first woman to
serve in this role at the institution. The Meehan administration has been
credited with transforming the University into a vibrant community for
students, faculty and staff and for improving critical University benchmarks
such as student retention and financial indicators. Moloney
is known for her entrepreneurial and collegial leadership style, and has
previously served in numerous capacities at the University including Dean of
Continuing Studies, Corporate and Online Education. She is the recipient of the
2009 Sloan C Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning, a prestigious
lifetime achievement award and the 2008 Girl’s Inc. Woman of the Year
Award. A resident of Chelmsford, Dr. Moloney is heavily involved
in the community and serves on numerous civic boards and is on the Board of
Directors of Enterprise Bank.
Eric Nakajima
Senior Innovation Advisor, Executive Office of Housing and
Economic Development
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Eric leads strategic initiatives designed to
accelerate the growth of the state’s innovation economy, including serving as
the public co-chair of the Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative,
and as state point person for the planning and development of the Massachusetts
Green High Performance Computing Center. Eric has been involved with the
development and execution of the state’s economic agenda since 2007. Eric holds
a master’s degree in city planning from the University of California, Berkeley
and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Dr. Marc A. Nascarella
Senior Toxicologist, Gradient
Dr. Nascarella specializes in comprehensive
chemical evaluations, dose-response assessment, and environmental
epidemiological investigations. He is active in Gradient’s Nanotoxicology
Practice where he serves as a co-editor of the EH&S Nano Newslettter and
provides technical guidance to the insurance, legal, and manufacturing
community on the potential for human health effects following exposure to
nanoscale materials. Dr. Nascarella is a
board certified public health professional and serves as an adjunct professor
at the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences
where he lectures and conducts research in the area of occupational and
environmental health. He is a military
veteran and has previously held positions as a post-graduate academic researcher
and as a toxicologist for a state public health agency.
Bob Nevin
Vice President,
Products Liability, Lexington Insurance Company
Bob
Nevin is the product line manager for products liability at Lexington Insurance
Company located in Boston, MA. Bob has more than 30 years of insurance
experience and has been with Lexington Insurance for the past 15 years. Lexington
Insurance is the leading U.S.-based surplus lines insurer, providing property,
casualty, and specialty coverages and programs for not only large entities, but
also a vast array of small to middle-market companies and industries.
Innovation is critical to the insurance market, and is at the core of
Lexington’s operating principles. Lexington is a leader in developing new
products to meet the anticipated – and unanticipated – needs of the
marketplace. One of the new products developed and launched by Lexington
under Bob’s supervision is LexNanoShield.
LexNanoShield includes an integrated liability insurance product that extends
explicit coverage for nanotechnology exposures arising out of general
liability, products liability, products pollution liability, and product recall
liability. LexNanoShield also provides a broad array of risk management
services for the nanotechnology industry.
Bob
is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and now resides in
Massachusetts. Bob received his B.A. from the University of California,
Berkeley.
William A. Peters,
Ph.D.
Executive Director, Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnologies, MIT
William A. (Bill) Peters [B.Sc.,
McGill (Honors Chemistry); PhD, MIT (Physical Chemistry); Post-doctoral, Yale
(Physical Chemistry)] is an experienced university research executive with
substantial accomplishments in the planning, initiation, development, marketing
to external sponsors, and management, of single- and multidisciplinary
university research programs and centers. His research (70 refereed publications
including 6 U.S. patents) provides new scientific and engineering understanding
in energy conversion and utilization, environmental stewardship, and
applications of nanotechnology in the thermal sciences. For over 25 years he
held increasingly responsible research and research management positions at MIT
including Associate Director for Fuels and Environmental Research in the MIT
Energy Laboratory. Since 2002 he has been a senior executive in the Institute
for Soldier Nanotechnologies, a major MIT research center.
Chinh H. Pham, Esq.
Shareholder,
Greenberg Traurig
Chinh
H. Pham heads Greenberg Traurig’s nanotechnology practice. He is a registered
patent attorney with particular experience in the strategic creation,
implementation, and protection of intellectual property rights for high-technology
and life science clients.
Chinh
advises clients, ranging from start-ups to established companies, on the
creation and development of patent portfolios through the preparation and
filing of patent applications, the acquisition and exploitation of intellectual
property rights through licensing and strategic collaboration agreements, and
the preparation of invalidity, non-infringement, and freedom-to-operate
opinions. Chinh also counsels clients on IP due diligence through the
evaluation of client and competitor portfolios.
Chinh
further assists start-up clients with strategies for leveraging their IP
portfolio for high-value commercial opportunities, introducing them to funding
sources, either through the venture community or the government, as well as
identifying and establishing strategic alliances.
Richard C. Pleus,
PhD.
Managing Director,
Intertox, Inc.
Dr.
Richard Pleus has more than 25 years’ experience as a toxicologist assessing
the risk to humans exposed to chemical and biological agents via water, air,
soil, therapeutic agents, and consumer products. His current focus is on
developing environmental health and safety (EHS) standards for nanomaterials
and assisting in the evaluation of EHS risks from exposure to engineered nanoparticles
through his participation as a U.S. delegate on the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 229, Nanotechnologies. Dr. Pleus
is also leading the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Working Group 3 to
develop a comprehensive list of physical and chemical characterization
parameters of engineered nanoobjects for toxicologic assessment.
Dr.
Pleus is also a U.S. delegate for the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential
Commission on Science and Technology. He is
the Chair of the Science Advisory Board of the Development and Launch of
an Interoperable and Curated Nanomaterial Registry, a program funded by a
number of federal agencies including
NIH. He served on the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center review panel for intramural
proposals, and he served as co-chair for the In Vitro Plenary of the National Nanotechnology
Initiative Workshop titled “Nanomaterials and Human Health & Instrumentation,
Metrology, and Analytical Methods.” Dr. Pleus is co-founder of the Nanotechnology
Health and Safety Forum.
Dr.
Pleus is the founder and managing director of Intertox, Inc., an independent
scientific consulting and research organization and co-founder and Chief
Scientist of Intertox Decision Sciences, LLC, a risk management company
offering software and database solutions for several industries including
nanotechnology. Dr. Pleus is assisting with a number of product-related nanotechnology
issues with companies around the world. His credentials include a B.S. in
Physiology, with honors, from Michigan State University; an M.S. in
Environmental Health and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from the
University of Minnesota, and postdoctoral research in neuropharmacology at the
University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Robert F. Praino, Jr.
Co-Founder, Chasm
Technologies, Inc.
Bob
has 35 years of experience developing and manufacturing products utilizing film
coating processes. His career path prior
to Chasm includes assignments at Stone & Webster Engineering, Polaroid
Corporation, Presstek, Vitex Systems, and Precision Lithograining. Bob has a BS
and MS in chemical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and MBA
from Boston University. He co-founded
Chasm in March 2005 to apply his experience in coated film products and
associated science and engineering to develop commercially viable pathways to
product applications, beginning with a wide range of “nano-materials” and
“nano-technologies.” The applications
for these technical areas have included flat panel displays, fuel cells,
photovoltaics, film substrate development, optical film development, carbon
nanotube applications, life sciences, and nano-imprint lithography. In addition to the process work in these
areas, Chasm has designed and managed capital equipment projects totaling more than
$10 million for roll-to-roll coating lines and nano-material manufacturing
facilities. Bob is member of the Society
for Information Displays and the American Chemical Society
Dr.
Henning Richter
Director,
Materials Synthesis Research, Nano-C, Inc.
Trained as chemist in Germany and Belgium, Dr.
Henning has been working for more than 15 years on the synthesis and
characterization of carbonaceous nanostructures. He is currently director of materials
synthesis research at Nano-C, Inc., and also research affiliate at MIT. Before
joining Nano-C in 2001, he conducted research on fullerene and soot formation
in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. At Nano-C, he has been
involved in the further development of selective combustion synthesis of
fullerenes and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), their purification and
chemical functionalization to mature industrial processes. In his ongoing work,
he is particularly interested in the design of fullerene derivatives with
selected physical, chemical and electronic properties as well as the separation
between metallic and semi-conducting SWCNT, especially for organic electronics
applications.
William
S. Rogers, Jr., Esq.
Partner,
Prince Lobel Tye LLP
William S. Rogers Jr. concentrates his practice
in the firm’s Litigation, Construction, Data Privacy and Security, Media and
Nanotechnology Practice Groups. Mr. Rogers is Chair of the firm’s
fourteen-member multi-disciplinary Nanotechnology Practice Group. Mr. Rogers
concentrates in nanotechnology compliance and risk management pending future
nanotechnology litigation. He is a member of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group
and Delegate to ANSI-ISO TC-229 Nanotechnologies. Attorneys in the Prince Lobel
Nanotechnology Practice Group work together with non-legal strategic partners
and consultants in management, insurance, industrial safety, science and
toxicology, in order to identify and resolve the unique legal challenges faced
by companies in the nanotechnology field. In addition, he represents a broad
array of technology companies, financial services institutions, general and
sub-contractors, product manufacturers, vendors, and service providers in all
commercial and tort disputes and legal proceedings
Mr. Rogers has
co-authored numerous papers on nanotechnology and related legal topics, and is
a frequent speaker on nanotechnology litigation risk and risk management,
including at Nanotech 2009 in Houston, Texas in May 2009; the Nanotechnology
Health and Safety Forum in Seattle, WA in June, 2009; the North Carolina
Nanotechnology Commercialization Conference in Greensboro, N.C. in March, 2010;
at Nanotech 2010 in Anaheim, CA in June, 2010; at a quarterly meeting of
the Chemistry Council of New Jersey at Johnson & Johnson’s World Headquarters
in New Brunswick, N.J in December, 2010, at the First UMass Lowell
Collaborative Nanotechnology Conference in Lowell, MA. in April, 2011; and, at
the 27th Annual Meeting of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey in
Galloway, N.J. in May 2011. Mr. Rogers will be speaking on Nanotechnology
labeling and warnings at a joint Prince Lobel-Exponent, Inc. webinar in
Chicago, Ill. on June 5, 2012, and at the Annual meeting of the Society
of Chemical Hazard Communication in Arlington, VA. on September 19, 2012.
Pamela G. Rosett,
Ph.D.
Industrial
Toxicologist, Senior Staff
Lockhed Martin
Aeronautics
Pam
joined Lockheed Aeronautics in 1991 and was tasked with developing programs to
minimize the risk of deleterious chemical exposures to employees and the
surrounding community. Drawing on experience gained while working as an
environmental toxicologist for the ChemRisk Division of McLaren-Hart
Engineering, Pam established an automated system for conducting a preliminary
hazard analysis on all new chemicals identified for purchase. In 2006 the
Lockheed Martin corporate Energy, Environment, Safety and Health (EESH) asked
Pam to assist in the creation of a program to ensure the safe use of
nanomaterials. That program, which was first published in October 2006, is
designed on the principles of Risk Assessment and Risk Management. Pam received
her PhD from Temple University School of Pharmacy.
Randolph Sablich
President and CEO,
Metrigraphics, LLC
Metrigraphics
LLC is a manufacturer of precision micro components for OEMs in a variety of
markets including medical and high technology. Prior to taking Metrigraphics
private he served as both a VP/GM of Operations and as a director of business development.
Before joining DRC, Randy served for 15 years as part of the management team of
General Dynamics C4 Systems (formerly GTE Government Systems), capturing new
business in the DoD and federal segments, as well as commercial applications of
GTE’s systems integration skills and services. Prior to GTE/GD, Randy was VP/GM
of two turn-around, private sector businesses serving the commercial and
federal market in high technology products, as well as a successful career with
Grumman Aerospace.
Joseph S. Sano,
Esq.
Partner, Prince
Lobel Tye LLP
Joseph S. Sano is a partner in
Prince Lobel’s Insurance and Reinsurance, Nanotechnology, and Litigation Practice
Groups. He provides strategic advice to – and representation of – businesses in
the litigation, arbitration, and resolution of specialized insurance and
reinsurance coverage matters including environmental impairments, toxic torts, intellectual
property liabilities, professional liability and product liability. He has
performed coverage analyses and coverage comparisons and has drafted insurance
policy provisions. He has also counseled
and represented clients with respect to antitrust litigation, non-competition
and trade secrecy agreements and marketing arrangements. Mr. Sano founded and is the principal
contributor to the firm’s blog, Consider The Risks,
addressing current issues in insurance law and risk management. He is a
frequent speaker regarding risk identification and allocation, and insurance
and reinsurance matters. As a member of
the firm’s multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Practice Group, Mr. Sano focuses on
risk and insurance/reinsurance issues applicable to this important emerging
area.
Dr. Brent M. Segal
Director of Research Science, Lockheed
Martin
Chief Technologist,
Lockheed Martin Nanosystems, Bethesda, MD
Dr. Brent M. Segal is a director of research science
at Lockheed Martin and chief technologist for Lockheed Martin Nanosystems
following the acquisition of the Nantero Government Business in 2008. In his
role at Lockheed Martin, Brent has a broad charter to integrate nanotechnology
throughout the Lockheed Martin product portfolio. In addition Brent is active
in the healthcare, energy and cleantech spaces acting as a technology scout
bringing small companies and university projects to Lockheed Martin. He assists
with government program management for projects involving sensors,
nanoelectronics, and materials science with DOD, DOE, and other customers.
Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Brent
co-founded and served as the COO of Nantero, a leading nanotechnology company
where he generated more than 100 patents and applications. Nantero raised $31.5
million in three private equity rounds (DFJ, CRV and Globespan) and secured
government programs totaling in excess of $50 M. Brent received a B.S. in biochemistry
from Reed College and a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University.
In his spare time, Brent enjoys professional football,
specifically monitoring the 49ers. Brent’s passion for energy issues has led
him to explore deals involving reduction of global Co2 levels through the use
of renewable energy sources such as biofuels, photovoltaics, wind power and
fuel cells.
Jo Anne Shatkin,
Ph.D.
Conservation
Law Foundation
Jo Anne Shatkin, Ph.D. leads CLF Ventures, a
non-profit affiliate of the Conservation Law Foundation, New England’s most
influential environmental advocacy organization. CLF Ventures develops and
assists in the implementation of innovative market solutions to pressing
environmental problems. Dr. Shatkin is a
recognized expert in human health risk assessment, emerging contaminants policy,
and environmental aspects of nanotechnology. Jo Anne provides leadership on
proactive approaches to sustainable technology development, working to advance
life cycle approaches to risk analysis, and incorporate life cycle thinking
into product design and development. Since 2005, Jo Anne has provided
leadership on the responsible development of nanotechnology, and approaches for
decision-making under uncertainty. She teaches courses, has published papers
and book chapters on topics of environmental health and safety, and life cycle
approaches to risk analysis for nanotechnology. She is author of a book titled, Nanotechnology Health and Environmental
Risks (CRC Press 2008).
Ricardo
M. Sousa, Esq.
Partner,
Prince Lobel Tye LLP
Rick is a member of the firm’s
multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Practice Group, which includes attorneys from
most of the firm’s traditional practices including employment,
insurance/reinsurance, intellectual property, litigation (including product
liability, environmental and toxic tort litigation), real estate/environmental
regulation, corporate, and renewable energy law. Attorneys in our
Nanotechnology Practice Group work as a cohesive team to identify and resolve
the unique legal challenges faced by our clients in the nanotechnology field.
Our Nanotechnology Group is active in industry forums and conferences, webinar
presentations, publications and journals, and in collaborating with strategic
partners in the toxicology, scientific, risk management, regulatory and
industry standardization efforts taking place locally, nationally and
globally. Rick concentrates in nanotechnology, and real estate and land
use risk management and regulatory compliance for Nano business property
owners, developers, lessors-lessees, and investors.
State Senator Karen E. Spilka
2nd Middlesex and Norfolk District, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development
and Emerging Technologies Massachusetts State House
First elected to the House of Representatives in a special election in the fall of 2001, Senator Spilka served three years in the House before her election to the Senate. She was officially sworn in as the State Senator for the 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk district in January 2005. As such, she represents the MetroWest, one of the most important economic regions in Massachusetts.
In a move that reflects her acute understanding of both the needs and opportunities facing the entire Commonwealth, Senator Spilka was appointed Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies in February 2009, as well as being named Vice Chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and Senate Chair of the BioTech Legislative Caucus.
She also currently serves on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, as well as the Joint Committees on Federal Stimulus Oversight, Higher Education, and Healthcare Financing. She is the Vice Chair of Ethics and Rules.
Prior to becoming a legislator, Senator Spilka was in private practice as an arbitrator and mediator, specializing in labor and employment law and community and court mediation. Senator Spilka has received considerable recognition for her public service, including being named to the National Honor Roll of State Legislators and appointment to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Human Services and Welfare Committee for 2007–2008. Other awards include the 2009 Health Info Management Association’s Legislator of the Year Award, the Massachusetts Hospital Association’s 1st annual Legislator of the Year Award in 2008, the 2007 Legislative Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations, the 2007 Legislator of the Year Award from the Arc of Massachusetts, the 2006 Legislative Leadership Award from the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce, the 2006 Regional Spirit Award from the MetroWest Growth Management Committee, and Advocates, Inc.’s 2006 Medal of Honor. Senator Spilka is a graduate of Northeastern Law School and holds a B.S. from Cornell University.
Congresswoman
Niki Tsongas
U.S. Representative for Massachusetts Fifth Congressional District
Niki Tsongas is currently serving in her third term representing the Fifth Congressional District of Massachusetts as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to being elected, Tsongas raised a family, practiced law, and served as a Dean at Middlesex Community College, all in the Fifth District. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee where she has a long history working to ensure our servicemen and women have the equipment and protection they need. Tsongas also serves on the Natural Resources Committee.
Knowing that small businesses are the key to economic development and job growth Tsongas works in a variety of ways both at home and in Washington to support the many diverse small businesses located in the Fifth District. She has been the chief advocate for tax credits that encourage businesses to locate and expand their workforce in older industrialized cities. Niki has championed legislation that provides innovative businesses in Massachusetts with tools to hire more workers while increasing our global competitiveness. She has also introduced bipartisan legislation to provide immediate tax relief to small business owners who were forced to make withdrawals from their 401(k)s and IRAs to keep their businesses going during the small business credit crunch.
Because of her deep roots in the Fifth District and extensive experience in leading economic development and community revitalization projects, Tsongas has made the health of our cities a top priority. She works to engage the federal government as a catalyst for state and local, public and private, non-profit and for-profit initiatives and partnerships.
But Niki sees her most important duty as staying in close contact and remaining easily accessible to her constituents. Congresswoman Tsongas has three offices – in Lowell, Lawrence and in Acton, as well as staff holding office hours in Haverhill to serve her constituents. She regularly holds Congress On Your Corner at supermarkets and other public venues across the 5th District to make it as easy as possible for residents to connect with her about any issue of concern to them or to get assistance with problems they may have when dealing with federal agencies.
Elected in a special election in 2007, Niki is first woman to serve in Congress from Massachusetts in 25 years. She holds the same seat that was held three decades earlier by her late husband, former Congressman, U.S. Senator, and presidential candidate Paul Tsongas.
Mr. Viktor Vejins
President and CEO, Nano-C, Inc.
Mr. Vejins has been president and CEO of Nano-C since October 2005. During this time he has led the company’s growth from four employees to 20 and increased revenue by a factor of ten in the same period.
He brings to Nano-C more than 20 years
of international general management experience with a successful track record
in building new businesses, repositioning, and turning around under-performing
companies. Prior to joining Nano-C, he
was the general manager of an advanced materials start-up funded exclusively by
Cabot Corporation. Prior to joining Cabot, he was a management consultant with
Arthur D. Little, Inc. and A.T. Kearney focusing on strategy and product
development in chemicals, materials, and other industries. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and an
SM in Materials Science and Engineering.
Dr. James J. Watkins
Director, Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing, Polymer Science and Engineering, UMass Amherst
Jim Watkins is a Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering and Director of the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing, a National Science Foundation Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Professor Watkins received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. He joined the Chemical Engineering faculty at UMass in 1996 and the Polymer Science and Engineering Faculty in 2005. He is the recipient of the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award and a David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and Engineering.