MNT-EC Partners
Kendrick Davis Ph.D.
Founder and CEO of KBD Consulting, LLC
Los Angeles, CA
Kendrick is the founder & CEO of KBD Consulting LLC.; an educational consulting firm focused on equity-minded research, professional development, and policy analysis. He most recently served as the Vice President of Policy Research at the Campaign for College Opportunity in Los Angeles, CA, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a research agenda around college access and completion for all Californians, particularly the most vulnerable subgroups. Before moving to Los Angeles, Kendrick served as an education policy advisor to US Senator Kamala D. Harris through a nationally recognized American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellowship.
Kendrick has served in local government as the director of STEM initiatives for two mayors of Philadelphia and has done international work in Egypt as a member of a $25 million United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant. Kendrick earned his Ph.D. in higher education and his master's degrees in both robotics engineering and law from the University of Pennsylvania; his bachelor's in mechanical engineering is from Temple University. His commitment to community engagement is demonstrated through his work on the Philadelphia Robotics Coalition (PRC) Board, and the National Girls' Collaborative Project Champions Board.
Tanya Faltens
Purdue University
Tanya is the Educational Content Creation Manager for the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN), which created and operates the open access nanoHUB.org cyber-platform. Her technical background is in Materials Science and Engineering (Ph.D. UCLA 2002). Dr. Faltens taught materials engineering courses for 6 years at Cal Poly Pomona and introduced nanoHUB simulation tools to her students during that time. Before that, she taught K-12 STEM classes and camps at the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley. Now at Purdue University, she works with faculty and students who create and use simulation tools for their teaching and learning and she manages the NCN Undergraduate Research Experience and Undergraduate Computational Education Experience summer programs.
Tiffany Kimoto
James Marti Ph.D.
James is the Senior Scientist and Outreach Coordinator for the Minnesota Nano Center, an applied nanotechnology research center located at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Dr. Marti manages two research laboratories at the Center that focus on nanomaterials and the biological applications of nanotechnology. A physicist by training, Dr. Marti has carried out a broad range of research on the physics and chemistry of micron- and nanometer-scale particles, particle systems, and related materials. He has taught courses on nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, computer modeling, and advanced lab methods at Dakota County Technical College (Rosemount MN). Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Marti conducted research on nanoparticles for academic and government labs and served as the director of research and development for several small companies with a nanotechnology product focus.
Scot McLemore
Executive in Residence for Columbus State Community College
Scot McLemore utilizes his immediate past experience as an advanced manufacturing workforce expert and higher education employer partner at American Honda Motor Company to cultivate relevant pathways of study to support growth of in-demand careers in Ohio. At Honda, McLemore’s career spanned more than 30 years, including both engineering and human resource functions, focusing on technical development and acquisition. Following the completion of his Bachelor of Science in Computer Integrated Manufacturing Technology from Purdue University, McLemore started working at Honda in 1990 as a manufacturing engineer, serially advancing to serve as the national manager of technical workforce development, talent acquisition and deployment, and workforce partnerships within government and industry relations. He has collaborated with Columbus State representing Honda for more than 14 years.
Abe Michelen
Managing Director & Co-PI of Northeast Advanced Technological Education Center (NEATEC),
& Co-PI of SEMI Cert
Abe is the original awardee and the Managing Director and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) of the Northeast Advanced Technological Education Center (NEATEC). He is a Co-PI of the SEMI Certification (SEMI Cert) NSF grant awarded to SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) in 2019. He is a retired professor of Electrical Engineering at a local college in Troy, New York, where he taught courses on semiconductor manufacturing, nanotechnology, electromechanical systems and analog and digital electronics, among others. Since 2016 Abe is an Adjunct Professor at SUNY Poly teaching semiconductor and electronics courses. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Abe is the author of two textbooks and of many technical conference papers. He is a senior engineer at IEEE GlobalSpec, where he manages databases of semiconductor, photovoltaic and software products, and regularly publishes technical articles on IEEE publications.
Janet Pinhorn
Program Manager, MNT-CURN, J ATE, and Talking Technicians Podcast
Janet is the program manager for the Micro Nano Technology Collaborative Undergraduate Research Network (MNT-CURN). Working with undergraduates to help develop their research opportunities. She is also the program manager for the Journal of Advanced Technological Education (J ATE), providing a new platform for community college faculty and undergraduates to share their research information in a peer-reviewed journal. In addition, Janet engages with working technicians to share their academic and professional journeys in the monthly podcast Talking Technicians.
Janet became involved with the ATE community in 2013 when she worked with MATEC and has been committed to helping students meet their academic and professional goals ever since. In her spare time, Janet is a book nerd who loves nothing more than spending a day browsing bookstores and reveling in her finds when she comes home.
Dr. Matthias W. Pleil
Director of the Manufacturing Engineering Program and the Manufacturing Training and Technology Center cleanroom (MTTC)
University of New Mexico, NM
Dr. Matthias Pleil is Director of the Manufacturing Engineering Program and the Manufacturing Training and Technology Center cleanroom (MTTC) at the University of New Mexico. With 12 years of experience in the semiconductor industry and more than 20 years in higher education, he bridges the gap between academic training and workforce readiness. He continuously improves and develops the delivery of hands-on microfabrication and semiconductor processing courses that align with industry demands. His programs span undergraduate to graduate levels and include NSF-funded initiatives that simulate real-world internships. Dr. Pleil also leads partnerships with community colleges and industry to grow a skilled, project-ready talent pipeline. His focus is on producing graduates who are technically prepared and capable of contributing immediately to high-tech manufacturing environments.
Pete Raynor
Professor – University of Minnesota
Dr. Peter C. Raynor, a Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research and teaching interests revolve around the assessment and control of environmental exposures, especially those occurring in workplace environments. Dr. Raynor directs the University of Minnesota Industrial Hygiene Program and serves as Principal Investigator for the Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training.
Brandon Rodriguez
NASA JPL
Brandon presently works at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab as a STEM Education Specialist. After a rewarding career in research, Brandon wanted to share his love of science with the next generation. He became a high school science teacher, taught at the college and graduate level, and now designs activities and trainings in STEM for K-12 educators.
Dr. James Smith
Princeton University
Jim is a materials science lecturer at the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM). He has years of experience developing educational experiences for students using cleanrooms and microscopy facilities. He developed the first nanotechnology and microscopy certificate programs in the state of Utah, a general engineering Associates degree at Salt Lake Community College, and 3 new award-winning courses at PRISM. Jim has been involved in entrepreneurial activities for the past 25 years including 4 technology start-up companies in areas ranging from technical ceramics, micro/nanotech, to biosensors. Nationally he serves on various committees developing nanotechnology educational and professional development efforts including the NSF Micro and Nanotechnology Education Center.
Rick Vaughn
Faculty Chair, Rio Salado College
Dr. Rick Vaughn holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California, Davis where he specialized in Topology and Geometry. His dissertation in entitled "Planar Soap Bubbles". After 13 years as residential faculty at Paradise Valley Community College, he moved to Rio Salado College to be the Faculty Chair for STEM Initiatives. At Rio, he has spearheaded the approval, creation, and development of a unique, hybrid, two-year program in Nanotechnology. A regular contributor.
Eric N. Wooldridge, PE, RA, MsEng
Director, KCTCS Additive Manufacturing Center, Somerset Community College
Eric Wooldridge is a Professor, Registered Architect, a Professional Engineer in multiple disciplines including Architectural, Mechanical, and Manufacturing systems, and holds multiple patents regarding insulated coolers, embalming systems, 3D printing, and forensics technologies.
His Master's degree is in Manufacturing Systems Engineering with an additive manufacturing (AM) focus, and has been the primary driving force of the technology’s integration into Kentucky’s workforce for over a decade.