Experience

My experience includes work in industrial labs as well as research and teaching. 

Positions Held

University of Arkansas Fayetteville

• Postdoctoral Fellow and Instructor
  Chemical Engineering

January 2014 – May 2015

• PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering

August 2009 – December 2013

PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering Dept. working on converting algal sugars to butanol, as well as a method for monitoring algae bioreactors.

I developed and coordinated the scale-up method for producing butanol from dried algae feedstock grown on wastewater from an ATS system. The paper, titled “Effects of Drying and storage on Year-Round Production of Butanol and Biodiesel from Algal Carbohydrates and Lipids using Algae from Water Remediation” was published in Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy in September 2013. My background and experience with microbial and cell culture as well as monoclonal antibody production was invaluable to this project. I have also developed a method to monitor and quantify the algae grown in photo-bioreactors using CE-SBE.  “Algal Genotyping in an Open System and a Bioreactor” I helped design and build a microchip laser system for DNA sampling of both bacterial and algal DNA samples and have compared the capillary electrophoresis results with this system. I also investigated the methods and models of DNA folding during single strand conformational polymorphism. I was responsible for laboratory safety, teaching and mentoring undergraduate researchers, and have presented work at both university and professional conferences.

• M.S. Chemical Engineering

August 2006 – July 2009

Developed and proved a technique to differentiate mixed microbial samples in soil using capillary electrophoresis single strand conformational polymorphism for bioremediation studies.

Courses Taught

• Instructor for Chemical Engineering Lab 1 (CHEG 2212L, Fall 2014) for the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas
• Instructor for Thermodynamics 1 (CHEG 2313, Spring 2014) for the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas

I have advised and mentored REU students and honors college students as well as graduate and undergraduate research students. This involved teaching laboratory and safety techniques as well as helping them to develop their research and presentation skills.

I have experience in teaching and presentations for laboratory safety, using Excel and Visio, and have also given all-day presentations and demonstrations to Middle and High School students on my research and the importance of a math and science curriculum.

Bekaert Steel Cord

• Lab Tech

December 1990 – February 2006

I managed plating baths, furnace and acid baths, with monitoring and control to ensure customer quality was maintained.

• Selected to undergo training in 3 facilities in Belgium, then provided appropriate training for all new Operator Technicians and engineers.
• Single-handedly developed and wrote 95% of all half-product standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Developed and created flowcharts to facilitate troubleshooting and quality control efforts in plating baths and furnaces.
• Earned strong reputation across all departments for ability to lead and perform on teams managing complex, highly technical processes.
• Implemented steering procedures that gained plant “flagship” status in steel-cord division with best overall quality of any corporate plant worldwide.
• Earned Quality Hero Award for developing and standardizing troubleshooting books for ISC plating lines and for identifying quality issue that would have caused serious customer problems.
• Participated in installation and start-up of 5 ISC lines.

I was assigned to manage troubleshooting and steering for all 5 half-product lines, including chemical/mechanical testing and results interpretation. Coordinated with management, including multilevel communications; teamed across management and departmental lines to troubleshoot and resolve issues as well as product changeover scheduling and maintenance shutdowns. Developed and delivered presentations to distinguished visitors; partnered with customers to identify and resolve problems. I conducted final quality testing to assure compliance with customer requirements. Charted and interpreted process parameters; managed inventory. Created test reports; trained new lab techs and engineers in half-product control and line checks, and adhered to ISO 9000 guidelines.

Pel-Freeze, Inc.

• Hybridoma / Lab Specialist

1988-1990

Tissue culture and monoclonal antibody production to various antigens

American Biomedical, Inc.

1987-1988

Developed monoclonal antibodies to respiratory viruses

Top Skills