Kelli Simon Email & Phone Number

Beltsville, Maryland, United States

Performs chemical and physical examinations of evidence related to investigations of explosives.

Beltsville, Maryland

Brought on to develop, validate, and perform wet chemical lab analyses, regulatory review, and physical, chemical, and analytical characterization, on TTB products for the Beverage Alcohol Laboratory (BAL). Progressed to Program Coordinator to manage and organize program workflows and assign processing and monitoring tasks for a large volume of pre-/post-market, enforcement, and experimental materials. Initiate and lead root cause investigations to troubleshoot method failures, strengthen… Show more Brought on to develop, validate, and perform wet chemical lab analyses, regulatory review, and physical, chemical, and analytical characterization, on TTB products for the Beverage Alcohol Laboratory (BAL). Progressed to Program Coordinator to manage and organize program workflows and assign processing and monitoring tasks for a large volume of pre-/post-market, enforcement, and experimental materials. Initiate and lead root cause investigations to troubleshoot method failures, strengthen quality systems, and maintain ISO17025 accreditation. Indirectly supervise 10 staff and oversee $10K in lab inventory.• Tapped as Program Coordinator after implementing Six Sigma-based workflows for a Congressional mandate to reduce sample analysis turnaround time from 30 days to 10 days. Overcame initial resistance to meet the order in <1 year and introduced a schedule that maximized batch size and sample delivery times while balancing workloads.• Modernized sample preparation and data analysis by implementing a new GC column that cut run time 50%, down to 8 minutes, and decreased data processing time from 30 minutes to a few minutes. Achieved further cost reductions in waste disposal by replacing the chlorinated extraction solvent and minimizing pipetting errors for standards and QC samples.• Serve as Enforcement Team Lead for chain of custody and lab analyses on behalf of state and local law enforcement; led sample collection and applied forensic mindset to process 100+ samples within a tight deadline without negatively impacting other programs.• Reduced sample login time and sample analysis time after orchestrating a review of the Alcohol Beverage Sampling Program’s processes. Show less

Beltsville, Maryland

Performed chemical analysis of pre-market beverage alcohol samples in a high-throughput, ISO 17025 laboratory environment. Generated reports, performed technical review, and maintained/performed troubleshooting of laboratory equipment.

College Park, Maryland

Selected for extensive LC-MS experience and exposure to ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry to support Research Chemists on novel and existing multi-analyte method development and validation projects in the Office of Regulatory Science. Performed extraction and clean-up processes, using LC-MS/MS, LC-HRMS/MS, GC/MS, and GC-MS/MS techniques to examine the presence of analytes in complex matrices, including food animal products, veterinary drugs, and produce pesticides.• Used LC-MS/MS… Show more Selected for extensive LC-MS experience and exposure to ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry to support Research Chemists on novel and existing multi-analyte method development and validation projects in the Office of Regulatory Science. Performed extraction and clean-up processes, using LC-MS/MS, LC-HRMS/MS, GC/MS, and GC-MS/MS techniques to examine the presence of analytes in complex matrices, including food animal products, veterinary drugs, and produce pesticides.• Used LC-MS/MS to validate 204 pesticides in 4 matrices for a multi-lab, comparative study to evaluate data collection gaps. Presented results at a 2016 North American Chemical Residue Workshop to an international audience of analytical scientists. • Delivered a rapid, rugged analytical method to quantify veterinary drugs using HILIC-LC-MS/MS, which reduced sample preparation time, increased analyte recovery, and enabled new method development and validation for polar analyte quantification. These findings were published by a colleague in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.• Explored the use of commercially available robotic sample preparation systems to meet 24-hour workflow and reporting requirements; initiated a visit to the CA-based field lab, acquired training in sample preparation, and presented experimental results to Division Directors and field labs. Show less

College Park, Md

Pursued Ph.D. in chemistry and researched the mechanism and structural origin of sunlight-mediated pollutant degradation by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in intact natural waters along the Delaware Bay and Mid-Atlantic Bight. Designed and executed experiments and evaluated phenol degradation rates using HPLC-UV, UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and total organic carbon testing techniques.• Built an HPLC-UV instrument to conduct reactivity studies that elucidated the… Show more Pursued Ph.D. in chemistry and researched the mechanism and structural origin of sunlight-mediated pollutant degradation by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in intact natural waters along the Delaware Bay and Mid-Atlantic Bight. Designed and executed experiments and evaluated phenol degradation rates using HPLC-UV, UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and total organic carbon testing techniques.• Built an HPLC-UV instrument to conduct reactivity studies that elucidated the structure of CDOM by monitoring phenolic concentrations and measured changes in degradation rates and optical properties.• Published 3 manuscripts demonstrating the existence of specific moieties (carbonyls) that participated in phenol degradation in CDOM-containing waters under ambient, anaerobic, and saturated oxygen conditions.• Mentored and taught senior-level undergraduates bi-weekly; instructed students in sample preparation and operation of 6 analytical instruments, including GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC-UV, UV, fluorescence, AAS, and CE. Show less

Redondo Beach, California, United States

Recruited to the Chemistry Group and supported a campus of 5,000 engineers and scientists on building, developing, and monitoring space and defense hardware systems. Used FTIR, GC-MS, GC-FID, Karl-Fischer, and optical microscopy to rapidly analyze and characterize organic/polymeric contaminants, inorganic/metal particulates, and unknown oily residue samples recovered from satellites, hardware, and engine test rinses. Wrote reports and white papers for internal/external… Show more Recruited to the Chemistry Group and supported a campus of 5,000 engineers and scientists on building, developing, and monitoring space and defense hardware systems. Used FTIR, GC-MS, GC-FID, Karl-Fischer, and optical microscopy to rapidly analyze and characterize organic/polymeric contaminants, inorganic/metal particulates, and unknown oily residue samples recovered from satellites, hardware, and engine test rinses. Wrote reports and white papers for internal/external customers.• Promoted to Analytical Chemist II in <2 years by building connections with engineering teams across campus, resulting in a massive influx and redistribution of new projects and increased revenues for the Chemistry Group.• Addressed and prevented future silicone contamination events by investigating the source; interviewed engineers and technicians, performed FTIR and GC analysis on silicone materials, and presented results. This investigation led to corrective actions in all tightly controlled, high bay, and cleanroom environments.• Earned Six Sigma Green Belt after developing and implementing a campus-wide chemical tracking system that informed first responders on chemical location, quantity, and uses and streamlined the purchasing, use, and disposal of hazardous waste across multiple campus buildings and chemical laboratories. Show less

Beltsville, Md

Collaborated with scientists from the Fire Research and Forensic Analysis Laboratories. Helped investigate the spontaneous ignition of materials using oven test methods and thermogravimetric analyses and set up monitoring instrumentation to collect data from live burn scenarios. Completed and successfully passed a background check before beginning the internship.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Chemistry

Activities and Societies: President, Graduate Student Organization 2010-2011

Dual Bs, Chemistry And Forensic Chemistry

Activities and Societies: Outstanding Senior in Forensic Science 2004-2005 Phi Kappa Pi Academic Honorary 2002-2005 Resident Assistant.

High School, College/University Preparatory And Advanced High School/Secondary Diploma Program, 4.6 / 4.0

Activities and Societies: President, Student Council Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer