Expertise

• Acrylic monomer and polymer systems and related chemistry.
• Synthesis of polymers from natural products.
• Biodegradable polymer technology and product development.
• Analytical chemistry.
• Polymer analysis and characterization.
• Analysis of small molecules including agricultural chemicals.
• Emulsion polymerization, particularly of acrylic polymers and acrylic copolymers.

Experience

Independent Consultant, Present

Folia, Inc., Birmingham, AL, Scientific Consultant and Analytical Specialist, 2003 - 2005

• Research in biodegradable polymer technology and product development, and development of analytical methods and technology for analysis of biodegradable polymers and impurities.
• Used HPLC, GPC (SEC), NMR, FTIR, MS and wet chemical analysis for analysis of biodegradable polymers and natural product based polymers.
• Developed a novel (patents applied for) extrusion process for fast condensation polymerization of natural product-based polymers including polyaspartates and starch-based copolymers.

Rohm and Haas Company, Spring House, PA, 1973 - 2002

Research Fellow, Analytical Research Department, 1983 - 2002

Senior Scientist, Analytical Research Department, 1973 - 1983

• Acrylic monomer, polymer and copolymer systems synthesized by free radical polymerization.
• Analytical chemistry expert of polymers and small molecules.
• Structure identification of unknown compounds, trace organic analysis, impurity and residue analysis of agricultural chemicals and general analysis of polymer systems.
• Study of free radical polymerization using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) techniques, HPLC analysis of polymers and small molecules and development and implementation of new analytical methods and techniques.
• Significant experience in NMR and mass spectrometry using a variety of techniques (e.g., GC/MS, LC/MS, MALDI), EPR, HPLC, and GC.
• Contributed to the external scientific community as a referee for scientific journals (including Macromolecules) and for NSF scientific proposals.
• Participated in numerous Research Division Technology Fairs in collaboration with colleagues.
• Recruited Ph.D. scientists for Rohm and Haas at Stanford University and UC Berkeley.
• Presented numerous posters, lectures, and invited lectures at international conferences.

National Institute of Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan, Fellow, Science and Technology Agency (STA), 1991

• Brief research project on analysis of trace elements by ICP/MS and imaging SIMS in carbonaceous adsorbents used in environmental analysis.

Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 1968 - 1972

• Teaching and administration in the chemistry department as a Teaching Assistant for chemistry.
• Head Teaching Assistant for freshman chemistry, and Teaching Assistant for analytical chemistry.

Dow Chemical Company, Eastern Research Laboratory, Wayland, MA, 1968

• Summer job in the research laboratory involving research on the relative stability of certain carbonium ions and also on substituent effects on internal rotation barriers in these carbonium ions.

Reeves Brothers, Inc., Cornelius, NC, 1966

• A polyurethane foam manufacturing plant on correlation of chemical composition to physical properties of polyurethane foam.

Honors & Publications

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Commission on Microchemical Techniques and Trace Analysis, International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry.
• Working party on Modeling of Polymerization Kinetics and Processes, International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry.
• Rohm and Haas representative to Directors of Industrial Research-Analytical Group.
• American Chemical Society.

Honors

• Otto Haas Award for Scientists and Engineers
• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (received in national competition)
• National Science Foundation Undergraduate Research Participation Program
• Whitaker Scholarship to UNC
• Merck Award in Chemistry at UNC
• Award for undergraduate talk at Southeastern Regional Meeting of American Chemical Society.
• Award for talk at North Carolina Academy of Science Meeting.

Publications

• Numerous papers and presentations.
• Publications in college text books.
• 2 U.S. patents.

Education

• Ph.D. Chemistry, Stanford University
• B.S. Chemistry, University of North Carolina