Judging panel announced for 2020 R&D 100 awards program

This year’s iteration of the esteemed R&D 100 awards features a judging panel comprised of nearly 50 professionals from across the globe, who boast an impressive collection of accomplishments and honors. Following are short bios of our 2020 judges, who have been working tirelessly to review and rate the substantial amount of entries received.

 

Vineet Anshuman, Tata Communications
Vineet Anshuman is a seasoned thought leader, sales evangelist, and product manager with deep expertise in Next gen cloud technologies (private & public cloud), IaaS, PaaS, NFV, SDN, software as a service and security as a service. He has created an award-winning software defined networking (SDN) based platform that would help large enterprises to connect to clouds of all types via managed service provider networks and/or via data center co-lo. Anshuman is also an industry expert and keynote speaker in various technology events and has presented his innovation in large technology forums across the globe. He has three patents and was awarded fellowship by Institute of Telecom Professionals (ITP), London for his contribution and leadership in Telecom industry. Anshuman has been featured in leading Telecom publications including Light Reading, SDX central, and Total Telecom for his groundbreaking innovations.

Paul Barton
Dr. Paul Barton has been a nuclear engineer in the Applied Nuclear Physics group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2010. He received his Ph.D in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Michigan where he designed and fabricated low-noise semiconductor detectors. Barton brings a strong background in analog and digital electronics and is currently responsible for the design and fabrication of low-mass front-end (LMFE) readout boards for the MAJORANA collaboration. Additional efforts in low-noise ASIC-based readout of semiconductor detectors attempt to uncover the potential for advanced portable detection technologies. Barton is currently working on the 5th edition of Glenn Knoll’s Radiation Detection and Measurement.

Lewis Boyd, Parker Hannifin Corp.
Dr. Lewis J. Boyd is the Principal Investigator for new sensor technologies for the Fluid Systems Division of Parker Aerospace. He graduated from the University of Bath in the U.K. in 2004 with a Masters of Aerospace Engineering, and again in 2008 with a PhD in modelling and simulation of aircraft fuel systems. Lewis has 15 years’ experience in the Aerospace sector, having worked on several major aircraft systems developments before taking the lead on identifying new sensor technologies for aerospace applications. He specializes in optical sensors for harsh environments, is the named inventor on numerous patents in this field and is an industrial supervisor to PhD students from the University of Southampton. Lewis is a Member of the IET and a Chartered Engineer (U.K. Engineering Council).

Miles Budimir, Senior Editor, Design World
Miles Budimir is a senior editor covering motion control, automation, and test and measurement for Design World and an adjunct philosophy professor at Cleveland State University. Budimir has taught engineering technology courses as well as engineering ethics continuing education courses for professional engineers in the state of Ohio seeking to stay current with their PE licenses. He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and an M.A. in Philosophy.

Carlos Castillo, Senior Manager R&D Medical Devices, Envista Holdings Corp.
Carlos Castillo is focused, passionate, and inspires to promote a better future for all of us. He has more than 25 years of world-wide experience in medical devices, bio-systems, and clinical research. His experience includes research, development, production, support, training, sales, marketing, projects and program management for such companies as Envista, Ormco, Beckman, Danaher, CareFusion, Siemens, EmhartGlass, Viasys HealthCare, SalterLabs, Cardinal Health, BIT Group, Dr. Max Harry Weil Institute of Critical Care, and others. Castillo holds three international degrees in engineering with emphasis in Bio-Engineering (MSEE), three MBAs (Finance, Marketing, and Global Management), has completed executive training at the USC Marshall School of Business and Harvard Business School. He is also Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified, hold eight U.S. patents, 29 peer review publications in major medical research journals, and most recently, he is pursuing is Ph.D. in Leadership at Phoenix University.

Prof. Çetin Çetinkaya, Clarkson University
Çetin Çetinkaya’s formal background is in acoustic/thermoelastic wave propagation, dynamics, vibration, computer algebra, and computational/analytical mechanics. His areas of applications and interest include real-time quality monitoring of additive manufacturing, nano/micro-particle and biological cell adhesion, acoustic micro-devices, drug delivery modalities, laser-based nondestructive testing/evaluation, and non-invasive real-time monitoring of manufacturing processes. He received his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University and M.S. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1995-97, he worked for Wolfram Research Inc. (Mathematica) as a researcher and a project coordinator. Currently, he is a professor of mechanical engineering at Clarkson University, and is serving as the director of the Photo-Acoustics Research (PAR) Laboratory, which have received several research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Intel, SEMATECH, Xerox Corp., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc., the US Army Research Office, Consortium for the Advancement of Manufacturing in Pharmaceuticals, Praxair/Electronics, as well as Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP) at Clarkson and the New York State sources. Prof. Çetinkaya is an ASME Fellow.

Dr. Wendy Chen, Bioproton Pry Ltd.
Wendy Chen is a passionate Biotechnologist and the R&D Manager of Bioproton Pry Ltd. She has rich experience in new product development and technology transfer process. Chen has managed a range of R&D projects to explore functional feed additives. She secured R&D resources and developed collaborations with universities, research institutes, industrial and government funding bodies. Chen received her Ph.D. in Biomolecular Engineering and a Master of Biotechnology degree at the University of Queensland, Australia where she studied a group of therapeutic proteins for curing bowel inflammatory diseases and contact allergy. Before join in the agricultural sector, she conducted pre-clinical research and coordinated new drug application process in the pharmaceutical industry. Her work generated multiple patents and revealed novel clinical applications.

Victor Comello
Victor Comello was trained as a theoretical physicist at the University of Notre Dame. He began working as a product development chemist, which led to his becoming the research director at the Minwax Company. Comello left that position to ultimately begin a career as a technical journalist, working at first for Semiconductor Internationalmagazine. That led to positions as senior editor and managing editor at R&D magazine. For the last 20+ years, he has worked as a senior writer/editor at Argonne National Laboratory. Comello has been a judge of the R&D 100 competition for more than 30 years.

Dr. Sudip K. Das, Butler University
Dr. Sudip Das is a professor of pharmaceutical sciences in pharmaceutical sciences at Butler University, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. He also served as the chair of the department of pharmaceutical sciences and director of graduate program in pharmaceutical sciences. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Medicine, Indiana University. Das has more than 25 years of teaching experience in the professional pharmacy and graduate programs in the U.S. and Canada. Das has supervised more than 30 postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate research students, and was the key faculty responsible for the revitalization of the graduate program and research infrastructure in pharmaceutical sciences at Butler University. His current research involves targeted delivery of siRNA and nano-composites for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Das has more than 150 research publications, review articles, patents, proceedings, conference presentations, and book chapters, is a recipient of multiple awards/honors, and has secured extramural research funding from NIH, PDA, and several pharmaceutical industries.

Ken Day, Retired
Ken Day is a retired Engineer with a background in nuclear physics in the Navy. He holds two B.S. degrees in engineering, EE (variable speed drives and digital controls) and AgE (machine design). He started his engineering career after the Navy, working in R&D with Cessna’s Hydraulics Division. Her developed a couple of designs in hydraulic valves before Cessna sold to Eaton and moved to Minnesota. He entered the paper manufacturing industry as an EI supervisor then an Engineering and Maintenance Manager, with a specialty in new equipment design and implementation and training of maintenance technicians. His later years were reorganizing paper mills to improve uptime and manage costs while increasing production. Day retired in 2015 but remains active.

Lisa Eitel, Executive Editor, Design World
Lisa (Elisabeth) Eitel is an Executive Editor at Design World magazine. She has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fenn College (now Washkewicz College) at Cleveland State University and 20 years of experience as a technical writer. Her areas of focus include motors, drives, motion control, power transmission, linear motion, and sensing and feedback technologies. She is a judge for the FIRST Robotics Buckeye Regional competitions, an inductee of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, and a member of the Society of Women Engineers.

Dr. NseAbasi NsikakAbasi Etim, Akwa Ibom State University
NseAbasi Etim lectures Animal Science in Akwa Ibom State University in Nigeria. She is a member of many professional bodies, including the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, British Society of Animal Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, and New York Academy of Sciences. She has conducted several ground-breaking research projects, which have won awards in the U.K., Sri Lanka, India and Ghana. Etim is not just a scientist because of her research and discoveries, she has also inspired students in different countries of the world to love and choose STEM by volunteering as a mentor in Next Scholars, 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures, STEM U and Junior Academy Mentoring Programs. She also mentored in Commonwealth Women Mentorship Programme for African women and in AfricavsVirus Challenge. She has served as a Judge during the Annual Meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She volunteered as a Judge Advisor for Technovation Girls Challenge, 2019 and 2020 Conrad Innovation Challenge. Etim is also a member of Graduate Women in Science USA National Fellowship Competition Committee. Her great passion and contributions to science led to her selection as Future Leader, 2017 at Science and Technology in Society Forum, Japan, Ambassador of the New York Academy of Sciences, Invited to the 74th UN General Assembly in USA, World Science Forum in Hungary and World Forum for Women in Science in Brazil.

Dr. Nsikak-Abasi Aniefiok Etim, University of Uyo, Nigeria
Nsikak-Abasi Aniefiok Etim obtained a Bachelor of Agriculture degree from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Uyo, Nigeria. He earned a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Resource and Environmental Economics from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Uyo. He has authored 80 articles in national and international journals. Etim was selected to serve as advisory mentor in the Queen’s Young Leaders Mentoring Program, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He is a mentor in the STEM – U Program and the Junior Academy Challenge of the New York Academy of Science, NYAS. In 2018, Etim was a recipient of the award Open Source Leader by Commonwealth 100. He was chosen in 2019 to serve as a mentor for young women in Commonwealth Mentorship Program. He was appointed by Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program as a reviewer for 2019 and 2020 national fellowship competition. Dr. Etim was also engaged as Conrad expert/ judge for 2019/2020 challenge by Conrad Foundation in Florida. He was chosen as a mentor in #AfricaVsVirus challenge 2020.

Mirza Faizan, Scientist
Mirza Faizan is a world-renowned aerospace scientist and inventor of Ground Reality Information Processing System (GRIPS), which is an innovative system to prevent runway incursion, runway excursion and detect foreign object and debris on runways in real time. His research and algorithm on predicting collision between random particles in semi-controlled environment is highly commended by scientists from NASA, Pentagon-AMRDEC (Army Missile Research, Development & Engineering Center) and US Air Force. Apart from his research and innovations, Faizan is known for developing a course module to mentor young children to identify a real-world problem and innovate patentable solutions to these problems. Over the last three years, he has mentored 140+ patent applicants aged 10-18 years. More than 40 of these students are featured in national and international print and electronic media for their innovations. For his contributions to global aerospace and defense industry and his innovations, Faizan was granted permanent residency in the United States under ‘Alien of Extraordinary Ability’ category, also known as Einstein visa — a category normally reserved for Noble Laureates or top scientists.

Dr. Kaveri Gandhi, Indiana University School of Dentistry
Dr. Kaveri Kranti Gandhi is a seasoned dentist with a specialization in Periodontics. She has almost a decade of extensive clinical experience in diagnosis, treatment planning and surgeries. Throughout her career, Gandhi has spent time in India and the United States performing a multitude of periodontal surgeries and periodontal laser procedures. She has done active research as well in the field of non-surgical treatment modalities for the treatment of chronic periodontitis, such as the efficacy of photodynamic therapy, the efficiency of low-level laser therapy, and the effects of ozonated oil.

Nirbhay Gandhi, Lean-Agile Mindset, Inc.
Gandhi is a seasoned Enterprise Coach and an Entrepreneur with more than 18 years of unique, extensive and field-based experience in the area of implementing Lean and Agile at scale. Throughout his career, he has helped several product and IT organizations transform through adoption of lean-agile methods and mindsets at various levels. He has worked in multicultural and highly distributed environments including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, and has helped organizations increase their competitiveness by achieving results like, faster time to market, higher quality, higher productivity and predictability, leading to a higher state of customer engagement and customer satisfaction. Gandhi is also part of the military, where he has been serving in the U.S. Army since March 2016.

Mary Gannon, Editor, Fluid Power World
Mary Gannon is Editor of Fluid Power World. She has been a technical writer and editor for nearly 15 years, having covered fluid power, motion control and interconnect technologies. Gannon graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Journalism. In addition to serving as a technical editor, she has worked as both a daily business reporter and on the public relations side of the communications business.

Christopher Gintz, Block Textiles, Inc.
Chris Gintz’s 40-year technology commercialization and product design career has spanned broad technology fields including instrument design, computer software and nanotechnology. His particular research interest is the practical application and effects of particles and waves on product design in batteries and corrosion prevention. He is the co-inventor of the first battery powered notebook computer. He has served for more than twenty years on the Industrial Advisory Board at his alma mater, the University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computer Science. For more than ten years, he was active as a judge at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair. He has been an R&D 100 judge for the past five years.

Dr. Amit Goyal, Ph.D, SUNY Empire
Dr. Amit Goyal is Director of The RENEW Institute1, the University at Buffalo’s interdisciplinary institute dedicated to research and education on globally pressing problems in energy, environment and water. Goyal concurrently holds the title of SUNY Empire Innovation Professor. He is President & CEO of TapeSolar Inc., a private-equity funded company and also President & CEO of TexMat LLC, an IP holding and consulting company. Previously, he was a Corporate Fellow and Distinguished Scientist at UT-Battelle/Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Goyal has more than 25 years project management and administrative experience as principal investigator in managing technical projects of a diverse nature and involving multiple organizations. He has developed clean energy technologies for more than two decades and has authored more than 350 technical publications and has 87 issued patents. Goyal received a B.Tech. (Honors) in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India), an M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Rochester.

Dr. Edward Greer, Dow / Scouting & Exploration Network
Edward Greer is a member of the Scouting & Exploration Network in Dow’s Ventures and Business Development group. In this role, he is responsible for finding and evaluating technologies and opportunities that complement Dow’s robust Research & Development pipeline and have the potential to contribute to the company’s long-term success. Greer joined Rohm & Haas in 1982 as a senior scientist in analytical research prior to moving into computer applications research and eventually corporate development. He has extensive experience in research management, market development, and business development for the electronic materials and advanced materials markets. He has contributed to advancements in ceramics, displays, organic electronics, optical disks, photovoltaics, and microwave devices. Greer earned a B.S. in Chemistry with Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Greer serves on the advisory boards of the Cornell Center for Materials Research and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Proof of Concept Centers.

F.G. (Rick) Heath, Heath and Associates
Heath, who has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, first entered the world of Aerospace where he worked on design and testing of cabin pressure and environmental control systems for sub-sonic and hyper-sonic military aircraft and early space capsules. He soon connected with fellow employees and an engineering consulting firm was founded, focusing on the design, development, and manufacture of specialized cryogenic apparatus for delivery of very high-pressure atmospheric gasses for use by the military in missile silo construction, deployment, commissioning, management and supervision. In 1970, Heath put together a group of passive investors to purchase a Louisville, Ky. fabrication facility. The new business venture grew through engineering new and innovative automotive lifting products. From 1971 to 1992, he continued to be responsible for technical and administrative direction of all operations. The company manufactured numerous varieties of automotive lifting equipment under the brand “Challenger Lift.” From 1992 to the present, a new consulting firm, Heath and Associates, has designed lifting products, investigated accidents, provided litigation support and testified as an expert witness for all sorts of lifting and material handling equipment. Voluntary contribution to the engineering community have been numerous and are comprised primarily of trade articles and participation in standards developing organizations approved by the American National Standard Institute.

Paul J. Heney, Vice President, Editorial Director, R&D World
Paul J. Heney, Vice President, Editorial Director for Design World and R&D World magazines, has a B.S. in Engineering Science & Mechanics and minors in Technical Communications and Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He has written about fluid power, aerospace, robotics, medical, green engineering, and general manufacturing topics for nearly 25 years. He has managed a variety of award programs, both corporate and industry focused, including the R&D 100 Awards and the LEAP Awards. Heney is well known in the b2b publishing world, with leadership roles on the national board of the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) and Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI), an international b2b group. He has won numerous regional and national Azbee awards for his writing.

Dr. Stephen L. Howard, Chemical Engineer, Army Research Laboratory
Dr. Stephen L. Howard is a member of the Experimental Propulsion Physics Team, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Army Research Laboratory. His research efforts involve high pressure, high temperature examination of materials at millisecond time frames. He graduated cum laude in Chemical Engineering, University of Utah and cum laude in Chemistry, University of Utah. While working at Thatcher Chemical Company as section engineer and quality control, first in pharmaceuticals, and later in DoD solvent manufacture and chlor-alkalis, he continued to pursue a post-graduate degree. He received his Ph.D. in Physical-Analytical Chemistry from the University of Utah. He first came to the U.S. Army Ballistic Laboratory in 1989 as an NAS/NRC research associate and was hired as a staff member in 1991. His current research includes experimental studies of physical processes inherent in interior ballistics and ignition systems ranging from small-caliber to large-caliber munitions. Howard is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Chemical Society. He has been an invited judge (1994-present) for the R&D 100 Awards.

Dr. Mark Jones, Executive External Strategy and Communications Fellow, The Dow Chemical Company
Mark E. Jones, Ph.D., is Executive External Strategy and Communications Fellow for Dow Chemical, and is a frequent speaker at industry events on a variety of topics. He spent most of his career developing catalytic processes after joining Dow in 1990. Jones received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Colorado-Boulder doing research unlikely to lead to an industrial career and totally unrelated to his current responsibilities. In his current role, he is on the staff of Dow CTO Dr. A.N. Sreeram, where he develops strategy and facilitates communication. He played a large role in Dow’s next generation sustainability goals and retains responsibility for the innovation goal. He provided technical support for Dow’s Renewable Chemistries Expertise Center and, until recently, was on the Board of Directors of the BIO Industrial and Environmental Section. Jones co-chairs the Chemical Sciences Roundtable, a standing roundtable of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), hosts ACS webinars on successful industrial applications of chemistry and material science, blogs for the ACS’s Industry Insights, represented Dow Chemical on Corporation Associates, is a member of the ACS Committee on Public Relations and Communications and is on the ACS Chemical Heritage Landmark committee. He is also chair elect of the Midland ACS Section.

Aimee Kalnoskas, Senior Editor, EE World
Aimee Kalnoskas serves as Senior Editor for EE World and WTWH online communities,  EDABoard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com and most recently, EngineersGarage.com. Kalnoskas began her career in electronics and technical publishing in 1984 and has served as a speaker and panelist at numerous industry events and as moderator for many webcasts serving the electronics industry. Kalnoskas’ interest in electronics began early in life thanks to her father, an electronics engineer who felt that oscilloscopes also made highly effective nightlights for his seven children.

Leslie Langnau, Senior Contributing Editor, Design World
Leslie Langnau has been involved with publishing in the automation and manufacturing markets for more than 30 years. She has been involved in the additive manufacturing / 3D printing industry for a decade. Langnau is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Dr. Tess Light, Chief Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Dr. Tess Light holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics and has worked in space-based remote sensing for twenty years. She joined Los Alamos National Laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in the FORTE small satellite program in 1999, studying radio frequency and optical signals from lightning. Today, she is the chief scientist for the Space-based Nuclear Detonation Detection program at LANL, and the project scientist for the EMP sensor development program there.

 

Dr. Narasimha (Raju) Nagaiah, Technology Transfer Professional, University of Central Florida
Dr. Raju Nagaiah, Ph.D., is a Technology Transfer Professional in UCF’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). He has more than eight years of experience in commercializing and licensing university technologies. Nagaiah is responsible for coordinating with faculty and researchers in evaluating, protecting, and licensing physical sciences technologies. Before joining the Office of Technology Transfer, he worked as a market research analyst in UCF Venture Lab, conducting due diligence, technical competitiveness, commercialization and market research for a range of technologies and products that are produced by UCF and early stage technology companies in Central Florida region. Nagaiah holds double masters degrees — one in Mechanical Engineering and the other Industrial Engineering, and he received his doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida.

Don Neuhaus, Parker Hannifin Aerospace
Donald Neuhaus is the Director of Research at Parker Aerospace’s Fluid Systems Division. Joining Parker in 1983, he brings more than 40 years of aerospace experience to his role. Neuhaus has held a variety of Engineering and Leadership positions within both the Fuel Measurement and the Avionics departments. In his position as the Director of Research, he is responsible for establishing the strategic direction of the research as well as leadership of the research team. The research team is focused on Intelligent Power Systems, Advanced Fuel Gauging and Fuel Tank Inerting Technologies, Hydro-Mechanical and Engine Pneumatic Equipment research, and Advanced Systems Architectures. Prior to this position, Don has served as Chief Engineer, Company FAA Designated Engineering Representative (Power Plant, Electrical Systems and Equipment), Technology Team Leader in the Avionics Group, and as Principal Engineer in the Fuel Measurement group. Neuhaus has earned a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of New York, a certified Program Management Professional, and was appointed as a Parker Engineering Fellow.

Samuel R. Phillips, PE, Consultant
Samuel R. Phillips is a consultant in design engineering, development, and manufacturing, and expert witness in patent litigation. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Caltech. Phillips is a registered Professional Engineer and Certified Management Consultant, with more than 40 years of industrial experience in industrial and consumer products, electronics and optical products, medical and scientific instruments, machinery, and chemical-process equipment. He has more than 200 clients, including large organizations, such as Applied Materials, Baxter Healthcare, Baker Hughes, Boeing, DuPont, Honeywell, KLA-Tencor, Livermore National Laboratory, Litton, and Xerox, as well as smaller companies and startups. Phillips holds four patents.

James T. Reilly, Principal, Reilly Associates
James T. Reilly, Principal of Reilly Associates, is an independent consultant in the electric power industry in the U.S. and internationally. He has completed numerous projects and workshops on research and development for advanced technology projects for clients in North America, Japan, and Europe. His clients include the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, NIST and NEDO. Reilly’s consulting assignments range from support for demonstration projects for integrated distribution managements systems to communication and sensing technologies for electric/gas interdependency analysis for ISOs. He is a senior member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society, the IEEE Standards Association, and CIGRE. He is the author of numerous articles and research studies. Reilly regularly interfaces with stakeholders in the regulatory, industry, and the research communities, and is a speaker at workshops and conferences across the globe. He holds degrees from Georgetown University and Columbia University.

Dr. Catherine L. Riddle, Research Scientist, Idaho National Laboratory
Dr. Catherine L. Riddle is a research scientist at Idaho National Laboratory and has 20 years’ experience in the area of radiochemistry and radiochemical separations. Her radiochemistry research involves multiple areas and disciplines including; actinide separations and speciation in the investigation of actinides and lanthanides for the expansion of new technologies for used nuclear fuel recycling and nuclear national security. Riddle continues to expand her involvement in both national and international research such as isotope ultra-purification for the particle physics work using 100Mo for the Neutrino Ettore Majorana Observatory (NEMO) and SuperNEMO projects, an international collaboration, which investigates neutrinoless double beta decay. She has lent expertise to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chemical weapons and high explosives identification work and continues to design new technologies in areas such as oil and heavy metal remediation, advanced neutron/antineutrino detection scintillators, rapid actinide chemical detection for first responders and other technologies geared at making the world a safer, better place. Riddle is a champion of mentoring young upcoming scientists who intern during the year at INL as well as future scientists through volunteering her time, energy, and expertise to STEM programs for K-12 students. Riddle has reached multiple thousands of students over the past 14 years with her workshops and presentations on Nuclear Forensics & Radiochemistry.

Mirza Rizwan, Chief Innovation Officer, MNC Si2microsystems
Mirza Rizwan is Chief Innovation Officer with Bangalore-based MNC Si2microsystems. He carries a rich experience in the start-up and corporate worlds with a deep interest in business academia and consulting in the domain of sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and Competitiveness. Rizwan has been invited as judge for the Hult Prize, popularly known as Nobel Prize of the students, which runs under the guidance of former president Bill Clinton and has also been judging for Spirit of Innovation Challenge of the Conrad Foundation. During his first technology startup, Avembsys Technologies, in 2009, he was co-inventor of the Ground Reality Information Processing System (GRIPS), which is an innovative system to prevent runway incursion or excursion and detect foreign object and debris on runways in real time. He has developed various modules on “Creativity and Innovation” to deliver online to students all over the world. Rizwan has also been on the panel of advisory board and as board members of several start-ups in Bangalore, Dallas and Singapore. Besides other consulting assignments, he has been growth strategy consultant for several MNCs, start-ups, private equity firms and higher education institutions. Rizwan holds an MBA in Marketing & Finance from Bangalore University, Advanced Management Programme from IIM-Bangalore and under the process of submitting his thesis for Executive-Ph.D. programme from Aligarh Muslim University, where his research focus is on “Innovation and sustainability practices on firm’s competitiveness.”

Dr. Rebecca L. Rosas, Vice President for Strategic Planning, Texmark Chemicals, Inc.
Dr. Rebecca Rosas is Vice President for Strategic Planning for Texmark Chemicals in Galena Park, Tex. She has previously been Vice President of R&D/Technology Center Manager prior to her promotion in late 2018. A graduate of McKendree College, she obtained an M.S. in Physical Chemistry at Eastern Illinois University. Rosas obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Texas A&M. During her studies, she was a Fullbright scholar, doing research at the University of Antwerp. Rebecca has been with Texmark Chemicals for almost two decades and has been a judge for the R&D 100 since 2014. She also is a member of the board for the Association of Laboratory Managers and is chairman of the Houston area chapter.

Dr. Kamal Sarkar, Professor, The University of Texas
Kamal Sarkar, Ph.D. (Materials Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville) is a faculty member in the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg Campus. He is the Co-Inventor of award-winning (2011 R&D 100, among many others) of Forcespinning technology that is being commercialized by Parker Hannifin, a multi-billion dollars global leader in filtration, among others. Research areas that Sarkar is pursuing presently include commercial applications of glass micro- and nano-particles manufactured from waste glass and application of AI and Peer-to-Peer technologies to empower Blinds and Persons with Visual impairment (BPVI) for both physical mobility and financial independence. Kamal received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 from Marquis Who’s Who for his “career longevity and demonstrated unwavering excellence.”

Ryan Smith, Founder, Pordis LLC
Ryan Smith is the founder of Pordis LLC, which offers design and consulting services primarily to the photovoltaics portion of the renewable energy sector — and has introduced its own specialized product designs to assist scientists and engineers with research and development. Smith holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan and is an American Society for Quality Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence, and Certified Quality Engineer. He has experience in both the semiconductor and renewable energy industries, has led ISO 17025 test laboratory program development, and has worked for major semiconductor manufacturers and at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Dr. T.S. Sudarshan, Materials Modification Inc.
Dr. T.S. Sudarshan is President and CEO of Materials Modification, Inc. He has a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech and has been responsible for driving the company’s technological leadership in the development of next generation materials, processes and techniques for the past 33 years. Sudarshan has been a passionate entrepreneur and provided employment to more than 400 individuals, given the first jobs for more than 180 students, and served on more than 10 thesis committees for M.S. and Ph.Ds. He has served on the National Materials Advisory Board, Ohio Third Frontier Committees, ASM International Board, Committees for the Army, NSF, NIH and DoE and Selection Committee for the R&D 100 awards. He has authored more than 180 papers, is editor of two journals — Materials and Manufacturing Processes and Surface Engineering — is coeditor of 34 books, holder of 30 patents, winner of two R&D 100 awards, Fellow of ASM International, Fellow of IFHTSE, Fellow of IMMM, UK, and Distinguished Alumni of IITM. He has been responsible for heading the development of 18 products and has worked in nanotechnology and surface engineering. Sudarshan has also been on the Advisory Board of ATI, South Carolina and several other companies as a consultant.

Dr. Shanti Swarup, Associate Fellow, PPG
Dr. Swarup joined PPG in 1988 as a chemist at the Coating Innovation Center in Allison Park, PA, after completing his Ph.D. from Aligarh Muslim University, India, and Postdoctoral Fellowships from Lund, and Uppsala University (Sweden), and Rutgers University. During his nearly 32-year tenure as a polymer and coating scientist at PPG, he and his team has developed and scaled-up 220 unique polymers. He is a named inventor and author on 550 global patents and publications including 85 granted U.S. patents and more than 25 pending review in the U.S. patent office. Swarup has received numerous PPG internal and external awards, including: PPG President Award, Meritorious Award, Entrepreneur Award, Innova Awards, and several Special R&D Achievement awards. His research has been presented to numerous conferences and earned him and PPG several R&D100, PACE, Surcar, and ACS Hero of the Chemistry Awards. In 2016, he was inducted into the PPG Collegium, an organization of PPG Innovator leaders, both active and retired. He won the ACS Nation Award in Applied Polymer Science in 2019, named ACS Poly Fellow and ACS PMSE Fellow in 2020, and won the tristate Inventor of the Year Award, administered by the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association in 2020.

Ed Tan, Senior Hardware Electronics Engineer, Byte
After spending his college and initial career life on the East Coast, Ed moved to California’s Silicon Valley to develop novel lithography systems for the semiconductor industry. Since then, he has been working exclusively at early to mid-stage startups to enable these companies to release new or enhanced versions of their products. He is presently working on developing industrial automation controls for a robotic food preparation vending machine. Tan’s focus is on visible/IR and environmental sensors. He enjoys synthesizing his multi-disciplinary skills and cross-pollinating subject matter by practicing engineering, emergency medicine and the visual arts.

Leland (Lee) Teschler, Executive Editor, Design World
Leland (Lee) Teschler is the Executive Editor of the Design World network of websites, online resources and print publications. Teschler worked at Penton Media for 37 years, starting in 1977 as a Staff Editor for Machine Design, and worked his way up to Chief Editor of the publication. Prior to that, he had been a communications engineer for the federal government. Teschler holds a B.S. in Engineering and a B. S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Cleveland State University. Coverage areas include power electronics, solar power electronics, test & measurement, Internet of Things, motion control and controllers, solid-state lighting, energy efficiency, and industrial electronics.

Binu Varghese, Sr. Director, Head – Aerospace Systems, HCL America
Binu Varghese is the Sr. Director for Aerospace & Defense business at HCL America. He joined HCL America in 2008 and heads business development for the Aerospace Systems portfolio. Over the last 11+ years, he has been instrumental in acquiring and growing new customer relationships into larger strategic customers and has championed end to end product development engagements. Apart from being a Client Partner to key customers, he drives strategy, business development and has P&L responsibility for the Aerospace Systems portfolio. Varghese has extensive experience in business development and project management in the U.S., U.K., EU, Japan and India in multiple industries such as aerospace, high-tech, product engineering, and real estate. Before HCL, he spent 9+ years with Tata Elxsi in leadership roles for business development in the U.S., Japan and India. Prior to that, he co-founded Paprikaas Animation Studios which went on to be sold to Thompson Technicolor. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from UCLA Anderson. He was a GAP Fellow at UCLA Anderson. He is also a mentor and advisor for the UCLA Venture Accelerator program.

Mark Wehde, Mayo Clinic
Mark Wehde is chair of the Mayo Clinic Division of Engineering, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, fellow in the Mayo Clinic Academy of Educational Excellence, and associate lecturer for the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium program. Wehde is on the board of governors for the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society. He is also a technical committee member for the IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurements and Applications and an affiliate for the University of Minnesota Medical Industry Leadership Institute. He is also a juror for the Medical Design Excellence Awards, the R&D 100 Awards, and the Edison Awards. Wehde received a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Iowa State University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from South Dakota State University, and a Master of Business Administration through the University of Wisconsin.

Jeffrey Wu, CEO, Neoventech
Jeffrey Wu, Ph.D. is a global product development leader who transforms innovative ideas into successful cosmetics/topical pharmaceutical products. He is currently the CEO at Neoventech, a CRO to provide testing and complex formulation service for cosmetic and topical drug development. He has worked as a research fellow and global franchise R&D leader at Johnson and Johnson Consumer and Arkema for more than 20 years, to develop and commercialize innovative platform technologies and new cosmetic care and topical drugs globally for iconic skin care and OTC brands e.g. Neutrogena, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, RoC, and Rogaine. His main research areas are the development of local and transdermal drug delivery technologies and solutions. Wu holds 36 patents in various drug delivery systems and their applications, including liposomes, niosome, microneedles, ultrasound and galvanic micro coupled particles. He is a frequent invited speaker and program organizer at national and international dermatology and scientific meetings and has a dozen peer-reviewed publications in skin care technologies and applications. He volunteers for the Controlled Release Society, American Association of Pharmaceutical Society, and the Chinese American Cosmetics Professional Association.

Other judges this year include:

• Samual Mao, University of California, Berkeley
• Adrian Kerr, Temperzone
• Lewis Boyd, Parker Hannifin Corp.

Finalists for the R&D 100 will be announced on the R&D World website on September 21st, and the R&D 100 winners will be announced virtually, based on category (including Special Recognition winners), on September 29, 30 and October 1. The R&D 100 Conference will also be virtual this year, with presentations on November 5, 12, and 19. Register for the R&D 100 Conference at www.rd100conference.com.