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Biosketches
Franklin Alvarez
Franklin joined EPA in 1988 and and works
in the area of research and development in separation processes.
He is currently a member of the Pervaporation Project.
He graduated in 1988 from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Campus with a BS in Chemical Engineering. In 1996, he
earned a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University
of Cincinnati. He is author and coauthor of several
peer-reviewed journal papers in the area of pervaporation
technology.
Dr. Thomas Becker
Tom is currently a Post-doc Research Fellow
through Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)
in the Clean Processes Branch (CPB). His current research
is in the area of Green Chemistry which includes investigating
alkane oxidation and the synthesis of novel organometallic
catalysts. He began his Post-doc in February 2001. Tom received
his B.S. in Chemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington
(1991) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The University of Cincinnati
(1996). was a Research Associate in the Hoke S. Greene Laboratory
of Catalysis at UC with Professor Milt Orchin from July 1997
to February 2001.
Charlie Cooper
Charlie is a PhD
candidate at the University of Cincinnati and is at the EPA
on the UC/USEPA Research Apprenticeship Program. Charlie
is beginning his last year of school for a PhD in Chemical
Engineering. His research focuses on the removal/recovery
of heavy metals from waste streams using various separation
technologies. He is currently working on the surface
modification of silica adsorbents and the stabilization of
liquid membranes using a silicalite support. Charlie
has experience in organic synthesis from his work as a plastics
development engineer for a tier one automotive supplier.
He also has experience in inorganic synthesis from his Master's
work, which involved the dehumidification of air using chemical
vapor deposition modified alumina and p-zeolite membranes.
Dr.
Michael Gonzalez
Michael is a primary investigator for the
Green Chemistry and Engineering for Chemical Synthesis project.
Michael joined the EPA as a chemist in June 1999 after two
years of Post-Doctoral research in CPB. He obtained
his BS in Chemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso
in June 1992 and his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University
of Florida in June 1998 under the direction of Professor Russell
S. Drago. His current research is focused on the development
of green catalysts and catalytic processes for the oxygenation
of saturated hydrocarbons. Additional interests include
investigating biorenewables as a potential feedstock for chemical
production, the use of water as a reaction medium, biomimicry
for catalyst development and the incorporation of sustainability
into his research efforts.
Dr. Marina Hauck
Marina obtained her M.S. in chemical engineering
from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest in 1989. In 1996
she received her M.S. in Physical Chemistry and in 1999 her
Ph. D. in Organic Chemistry. Her Ph.D. thesis involved the
synthesis and aggregation of enzymatic catalysis in supercritical
fluids, she joined Dr. Raj Varma's laboratory at U.S. EPA
as an ORISE participant. Her current research interests include
conventionally and high-pressure synthesis of industrially
important compounds. Currently her work involves preparation
of oximes, nitriles, cyanuric acid and its derivatives.
Ballard Mullins
Ballard is a Physical Science Technician
and has been with CPB since 1997. He has more than thirty
years experience as an analytical chemist with EPA and EPA
Contractors. Ballard had his MS and BS degrees in Chemistry
and works with the Pervaporation Team doing a wide range of
chemical analyses.
Dr. Vasudevan V.
Namboodiri
Vasu is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science
and Education (ORISE) Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and has
been with CPB for about 1 year. He received his PhD in Chemistry
from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India.
He also has about 2 years of postdoctoral experience from
Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
He has over 10 years experience in various technical areas
ranging from synthetic polymer chemistry, polymer characterization,
polymer modification and curing studies, synthetic organic
and organometallic chemistry, green chemistry, high-energy
materials and solid composite propellants.
Frederick C. Phipps
Mr. Phipps, is a
chemist who came to EPA to join the pervaporation team in
1997 (as a SEEP) after retiring from a thirty seven year career
with the National Institute for Occupational Safety &
Health as a clinical chemist. His major work has been the
development of methods for the biological monitoring of exposures
to xenobiotics in the workplace. He graduated from Andrews
University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, in 1959.
Dr. Unnikrishnan R Pillai
Unni is an ORISE Post Doctoral Research
Participant and joined CPB in March 2001. He is currently involved
in the Project "Environmentally benign chemical synthesis using
alternative reaction conditions and media". He has a PhD in Heterogeneous
Catalysis from Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, India
(1997) and was working as a Research Officer with Indian Oil Corporation
Ltd. prior to his appointment. His current research interest is
in "green catalysis" which includes photo oxidation of alcohols
and hydrocarbons as well as selective oxidation and hydrogenation
of aromatics using various supported metal and metal oxide catalysts
under supercritical fluid as reaction medium.
Dr. Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie
Sahle has been with CPB since 1997. Prior
to coming to the EPA, he has worked as research engineer at
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Center for Utilization
of Agricultural Research, Peoria, IL and as a post doctoral
fellow at the Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division,
NRMRL EPA. His current research focus is the use of
supercritical carbon dioxide and the application of photo-catalysis
for environmentally benign chemical synthesis. Previously,
he worked in the use of supercritical fluids for various application
including: deposition of chemicals in porous solids, extraction
of contaminants from solid matrices and the fractionation
of glyceride mixtures. He has B.S. degree from Addis Ababa
University (Ethiopia) and M.S and PhD. from Oregon State University,
all in chemical engineering.
Dr. Leland M. Vane
Lee is leader of the Pervaporation Team
at the U.S. EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory.
The team has been active in developing the use of pervaporation
for volatile contaminant removal from aqueous surfactant solutions,
alcohol recovery from water, and solvent dehydration. Dr.
Vane received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree
with distinction and summa cum laude from the University
of Delaware in 1987 and his Ph.D., also in chemical engineering,
from Cornell University in 1992. He has been involved in separations
research since joining the EPA in 1992.
Dr. Rajender Varma
Raj obtained his PhD from Delhi University
in 1976. After postdoctoral research at Robert Robinson Laboratories,
University of Liverpool, UK, he was faculty member at Baylor
College of Medicine, Senior Scientist at Houston Advanced
Research Center and Research Professor at Sam Houston State
University prior to joining the EPA's Clean Processes Branch
1999. He has over 25 years of research experience in management
of multi-disciplinary technical programs ranging from natural
products chemistry, pulp and paper technology and therapeutics,
to development of genosensor technology, specifically the
applications and interface of chemical science with biology,
solid state chemistry, bioelectronics, and development of
environmentally friendlier alternatives for synthetic methods
using microwaves, ultrasound etc. The primary focus is to
evaluate novel and safer environmental protocols in industrial
chemistry and its impact in human health and environmental
sciences. He has published over 170 scientific peer-reviewed
papers and has been awarded 6 US Patents.
Amy Zhao
Ms. Zhao joined the EPA in July 1999
as a Physical Science Technician. Amy received her B.S.
degree in Mechanical Engineering from Zhe-Jiang University,
China in 1983, and an additional B.S. degree in Chemistry
from the East Central University, Oklahoma in 1997.
Ms. Zhao's research interests include innovative technologies
and process for green chemistry, and improved understanding
of analytical chemistry.
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