Biopharmaceutical

Dr. Tafreshi is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, and has been with the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department since 2007, as Assistant Professor (2007–2012) and Associate Professor (2012–2015). Dr. Tafreshi’s research is in the areas of computational and experimental multiphase flows. His main focus is on single/multiphase fluid, heat, and particle transport through fibrous and porous media. He is also active in modeling interfacial phenomena and superhydrophobicity. He has more than 100 journal publications in the above and other areas of thermo-fluid sciences, including liquid jets and nozzle flows.

Professor Yarin studied and worked in Leningrad and Moscow before becoming Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 1990. His background is in applied physics, fluid mechanics and rheology and he has authored a book and numerous journal publications.

Since 2005 Alexander Yarin is currently a Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.

Hervé Buisson is a water and waste water global expert with 30 years of experience. Currently, and since 2005, he acts as Vice-President of Process Engineering for Veolia-Water Technologies Americas, and is a member of the Executive Committee of Veolia-Water Technologies Americas. Prior to joining this position, he was Managing Director of Veolia Water R&D center near Paris (a 40 M$/year leading water and waste water private research entity). In 2016 Herve Buisson celebrated his 20th anniversary as global technology leader within Veolia.

Prior to joining Veolia in 1996, Herve BUISSON worked as Program Manager with Environment Canada’s Wastewater Technology Centre (WTC), in Burlington, Ontario for 7 years.

He has been involved in process development for water and wastewater treatment over the past 25 years, with a very broad experience covering all aspects of water and wastewater management and a specific expertise in Membrane Processes and their integration into novel water and wastewater management schemes.

Long time NAMS, EMS, EDS, IWA member, he is acting as expert advisor for organizations such as Water Research Foundation, European Economic Commission – Research Directorate, Middle East Desalination Research Centre, Canadian National Research Council, and more recently participated in the White House Round Table on water.

He is a frequent speaker in various water and wastewater events, including the keynote address at IWA-LET in 2013 on resource recovery.

He is holding a Chemical Engineering Degree from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse in 1985, with a Specialization in Bio-Chemical and Environmental Engineering obtained at Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal and McMaster University both in Canada.

Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi is the Klopman Distinguished Professor of Textile Materials and Associate Dean for Industry Research and Extension. He also serves as the Director of the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University.Pourdeyhimi received his Ph. D. from Leeds University in 1982. This was followed by positions as a research scientist at NCSU and then at Cornell University. His distinguished academic career has taken him through University of Maryland (1984-1995) and Ga. Tech. (1995-1999) before returning to NC State.He has taught textile and fiber science, technology and engineering as well as microscopy and image analysis applications to textiles, nonwovens and materials problems both at undergraduate and graduate levels. His research experience covers such areas as image and structural analysis of nonwoven fibrous webs, textile applications in sports, bioengineering and materials, instrumentation and test method development, among others. His contributions to fiber / textile science, engineering and technology and his contributions to the profession have been well recognized by several awards. He has published several books and monographs, over 150 refereed journal articles and over 150 conference presentations. He is the recipient of The Fiber Society Young Distinguished Achievement Award (1994) and Fellowship of the Textile Institute (1994). He served as the President of the Fiber Society in 1995. His students have won several awards, including the Fiber Society Best Paper award and the INTC Best Paper Ward.Pourdeyhimi’s research interests are in the area of nonwovens, materials, biomaterials, modeling performance, special textile structures, and image analysis. His expertise is recognized by major corporations and leading research bodies around the world. He acts as consultant to over 30 bodies and major Corporations.

Paul Marold serves as President of Lydall Performance Materials since joining the company in February 2016. Paul has over 30 years of experience in the specialty chemicals and materials businesses with over 20 of those years in the filtration space. Prior to joining Lydall, Paul has been Senior Vice President for Growth and Innovation at CLARCOR, President of CLARCOR Air Products, and Chief Operating Officer at AAF International/American Air Filter. Additionally, Paul has held executive leadership positions at Sontara and Ahlstrom.

Paul has been active with INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, for the past 15 years serving on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and is a past Chairman of the Board. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.

Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State University and completed his post-graduate work at INSEAD. He is an avid golfer and cyclist, and he's actively involved with the Bike to Beat Cancer and MS Ride events.

Taylor Sulmonetti, Ph.D. is a chemical engineer whose areas of expertise include reaction engineering, biomass processing, catalysis, inorganic materials synthesis, materials characterization, and various spectroscopic techniques. His current research interests include textiles, alternative energy processes, biorenewable products, industrial chemical processes, process safety, and fires and explosions.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Sulmonetti was a Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia Institute of Technology where he synthesized, characterized, and analyzed non-precious, multi-metal catalysts utilized in the conversion of key biomass platform molecules into renewable fuel additives and plastic precursors. His extensive reaction engineering experience includes designing and testing laboratory-scale batch and vapor phase flow reactors, with concurrent product analysis through gas chromatography (GC). Additionally, he has extensive experience with material characterization techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Ruben G. Carbonell is the Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State University, which he joined in 1984 after 10 years at the University of California, Davis. As Executive Director of the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) since 2008, he led the establishment of its highly regarded academic, professional development, and bioprocess and analytical services programs. Dr. Carbonell is currently on leave from this position, serving as Chief Technology Officer of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). Since 1999 he has also served as Director of the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science, which supports innovative research, educational, entrepreneurial and public policy programs.

Dr. Carbonell was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2014, in recognition of his work on molecular recognition for biological separations, and on transport processes. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Carbonell is a Foreign Member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna. He has won numerous awards, including the Holladay Medal for Excellence at NC State, the highest award given to university faculty, and the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest award given to faculty members in the University of North Carolina System. He has published over 240 technical papers and is an inventor in over 30 patents, several of which have been licensed.

Prof. Carbonell received his BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College in 1969 and his PhD from Princeton University in 1973. He has supervised more than 75 MS and PhD students, and over 35 postdoctoral researchers, many of which hold leading positions in industry and academia.