SynMatter is a woman owned startup commercializing smart corrosion inhibitors, Smart Particles, that address the numerous economic, environmental and health concerns associated with corrosion, a global trillion-dollar problem affecting everything made of metal. Current corrosion inhibitors deliver insufficient protection and are harmful to people and the environment.Based on NASA technology, Smart Particles are sustainable replacements that enhance existing coatings, extend their lifetime up to 2-fold and prevent the deterioration of metal structures. They reduce the maintenance cost of ships, oil & gas platforms, bridges, and many other metal assets up to 50% and decrease the downtime associated with repainting. This will deliver the shipping, cruise, defense, oil & gas and infrastructure industries millions of dollars of savings every year. Smart Particles achieve all of this with no heavy metals, poisons or pollutants, improving water and air quality, and protecting people’s health.In this position, I have developed multifaceted leadership skills:- Raised nearly $2M in non-dilutive funding and commercial contracts- Successful proposal and project writing with focus on Federal SBIR program - available for hire!- Chemical analytical method development and execution- Project management- Lead day-to-day operations including budgeting, bookkeeping and hiring- Spearheaded business development resulting in commercial contracts of $125k as well as NSF I-Corps lean startup development funding- Mentoring for young scientists and engineersContact me for custom Smart Particle development, scientific consulting, lean startup business development and grant writing support.

Development and characterization of microparticles with controlled release of encapsulated corrosion inhibitors for next-generation corrosion resistant smart coatings.Selected Accomplishments+ Electrochemical analysis of the corrosion efficacy & efficiency of various different inhibitors and their combinations; data analysis guided choice of inhibitor & synthetic method+ Development and implementation of procedures to determine microparticle corrosion inhibitor content and release rates; resulted in a change in the formula that increased the inhibitor release three-fold+ Filed a patent for novel microparticle systems for encapsulated materials

+ Synthesized metal oxide nanoparticles and characterized their chemical and physical properties using x-ray (XRD and XPS), spectroscopic (FTIR and UV/Vis) and microscopic (SEM and TEM) analytical techniques.+ Fabricated nanoparticle-containing composite polymer membranes for hydrogen fuel cells and characterized their chemical durability and physical properties using chromatographic (IC), gravimetric (TGA and DSC), spectroscopic (FTIR and UV/Vis), microscopic (SEM and TEM) and electrochemical durability (CV and LSV) analytical techniques.+ The resultant fuel cell membranes were found to have a chemical durability that surpassed the industry benchmark materials by two orders of magnitude.+ Wrote and defended a PhD dissertation, published peer-reviewed papers, presented at national and international conferences and filed a patent for the technology, that has elicited industry interest.

Volunteer math & science teacher at Bartica Secondary School in Bartica, Guyana, South America.

+ Year-long undergraduate internship as a researcher in a multi-year DOE-funded fuel cell project.+ Studied a number of metal compounds (oxides, nitrides and carbides) and their ability to act as electrolyte matrices in high-temperature phosphoric acid fuel cells.+ Analyzed the chemical durability of various membrane materials to down-select candidate list for polymers to be used in polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells, using microphotography, liquid permeation and liquid ionic conductivity testing.+ Based on membrane durability studies, research aimed at synthesizing water-insoluble and highly durable polymer membranes with high proton conductivity for hydrogen fuel cells was initiated. This work was continued and ultimately concluded by a PhD student.

Volunteer onboard the Mercy Ships' Anastasis; charged with ship maintenance.