Rob Hart - Chair

Rob is an R&D Leader at Shepherd Chemical in Cincinnati. He has a BS in Chemistry from Univ. of Wisconsin and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Indiana University. He did a postdoc with Chris Benmore at Argonne National Lab. Since joining Shepherd in 2005, he and his team have developed dozens of new, metal-based specialty chemicals for applications from ballistics modifiers, to airbag chemicals, to personal care products, and medical device performance additives. His team has been recognized with peer-review publications, patents, and awards from industry groups. He combines spectroscopy, scattering, and physical property measurement with modeling and calculation to understand the structures of amorphous materials. These models are then used to understand and optimize processes for their manufacture. Lately he has become engaged in next-generation chemistries and processes that will contribute to and benefit from the clean energy transition including methane dehydroaromatization, pyrolysis, carbon capture, and hydrogen production. rhart at shepchem.com

Renqin Zhang - Vice Chair

Renqin is a Lead Scientist at Louisville R&D Center, Clariant. He got his PhD degree in Materials Science from Jilin University, China. Throughout his research career in academy, Renqin focused on computational materials characterization, spanning various materials and applications such as emission control, energy conversion, non-conventional electrode in fuel cells and dielectric layer in semiconductors. With career transition to industry, Renqin became a leading scientist in tackling challenges in materials characterization within the specialty chemicals industry. His focus now is to use advanced materials characterization to better understand the catalysts and support better innovation. He is also well-trained in analytical method development, root cause analysis, and computational techniques. He is a learner with enthusiasm. He is growing to be a forward-thinking scientist and team leader. renqin.zhang at clariant.com

Ashraf Abedin - Treasurer

Ashraf is a Research Scientist working with the Reaction Engineering team at the U.S. Department of Energy - NETL Morgantown site. He completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 2021. His expertise include research in the field of energy and catalysis. Ashraf is currently working at NETL to develop a microwave system for catalytic plastic gasification to produce clean energy. His other research projects include natural gas utilization, carbon dioxide reduction and capture, critical minerals extraction, polymer waste pyrolysis, etc. mdashraful.abedin at netl.doe.gov

Nick Brunelli - Secretary

Nick is the Ervin G. Bailey Energy Conversion Professor of chemical engineering at The Ohio State University.

Umit Ozkan - Delegate to NACS

Umit is a Distinguished Professor and the Chair of the chemical engineering department at The Ohio State University. Her research touches most heterogeneous catalysis processes, including hydrogen production, carbon dioxide and water reduction, ammonia synthesis, and hydrocarbon oxidation and coupling. ozkan.1 at osu.edu