Mitra Ganewatta, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

San Francisco, California, United States

Ingevity provides specialty chemicals, polymers, and high-performance carbon materials and technologies that help customers solve complex problems. In this role, I was responsible for various aspects of R&D innovation: Provide guidance and direction for internal R&D projects developing advanced sustainable materials. PI for collaborations with national labs/universities. Federal grant management. Technical team, budget, and audit responsibilities. Patent portfolio management (annuities, prosecution, budget). Project scoping via market analysis. Competitive intelligence gathering. Collaborate with internal and external parties (corporate, legal, marketing, sales, consultants, etc.) for various business strategy needs.

Multifaceted role in R&D and business development. Manage internal R&D projects developing new polymeric and carbon materials for energy, personal care, and industrial markets. Established new partnerships for raw material supply. Lead open innovation partnerships with universities, startups, national labs, and the US government. Conduct technology forecasting and deep-tech landscape analysis to provide recommendations/ go-no-go decisions. Patent filing and analysis, NDA, CRADA, research agreements and licensing related negotiations.

Corporate Venture Capital: External technology and startup scouting via scientific trend analysis, VC conference participation, databases (PitchBook), and patent/literature searches. Technolgy landscaping, Patent landscaping (SciFinder, PatSnap). Technical due diligence work during corporate investments. Collaborate with internal BUs for project management.

Worked with an awesome team to create new value for our bio-based raw materials by new technology development from idea to commercialization: Ingevity AltaMer™ and AltaRez™ products, led to six patent filings in three years. Carried out R&D in monomer and polymer synthesis, formulation, and application testing: thermoset resins, UV-curable coatings, hot melt adhesives. Another focus was agricultural formulations; SC, OD, WDG. Knowledgeable in safety, regulatory policies, and procedures: SDS, TSCA, REACH, PMN.

Developed catalytic processes for tall oil rosin functionalization and decarboxylation. Developed chemical routes to increase lignin reactivity.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Developed block copolymer micelle-based formulations to deliver CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing in HEK cell lines. In addition, conducted R&D on thermoresponsive polymers for DNA delivery, protein-polymer nanoparticles, and dye-loaded high-molecular weight polymers.

My Ph.D. dissertation was focused on developing sustainable polymers and biomaterials from natural biomass. New monomers/polymers were made using rosin acids, fatty acids, and bile acids. Polymerization methods such as ATRP, RAFT, ROP, and ROMP were used to make homopolymers, and block copolymers both in solution and on surfaces. Analytical tools such as NMR, IR, UV-vis, GPC, DSC, TGA, rheometer, particle analyzer, tensile testing, DMA, SEM, and TEM were utilized. Besides synthesis work, I conducted biological assays in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and the School of Medicine. Applications in antimicrobial and antibiofilm spaces, thermoplastic, and thermoset uses were evaluated.

POLY/PMSE Student Chapters are student run organizations affiliated with the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry (POLY) and the Division of Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering (PMSE) that provide networking and career development opportunities to students and post-doctoral associates in the polymer field. Together with my officers, I was able to conduct several initiatives during my term including invited seminar by Prof. Marek Urban, Industrial networking event and poster session (BASF, PPG, Invista, Sealed Air, Michelin), Energy Conservation Week, Resume Writing Workshop, Skydiving, and Bowling.

ACS's paid summer internship program for high school students. SEED students work in real laboratories, with real scientists serving as their mentors. I managed administrative responsibilities by coordinating with faculty, teachers, students, parents, finance office, EHS, and parking services. Also, I organized safety trainings, poster sessions, and luncheons. Our UofSC program was highlighted in the national handbook.

Colombo 03, Sri Lanka

I taught two semesters of recitations and labs for senior organic, analytical, and physical chemistry students including the chemistry special honors program.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Chemistry, 4.0

Guy F. Lipscomb Award for the Best Graduate Student College and Arts and Sciences Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Chemistry Honors

Chemistry, Physics, Biology

Presidential Medal - Environmental Pioneer