Apr 28 2009
The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center recently announced that its board of directors appointed Paul Share, Ph.D. as the chair of its technical advisory committee (TAC) which is comprised of leading experts in nanotechnology from universities, federal laboratories and small and large companies. The TAC reviews all proposals submitted to the Center for funding and recommends to its board the most promising projects that meet the Center's mission.
Dr. Share is a research scientist at the Valspar Corporation, one of the largest global coatings manufacturers in the world with production facilities in Pittsburgh and more than 9,500 employees in 25 countries. He is responsible for identifying and developing nanomaterials, especially as they relate to barriers technologies for bottle and film applications. Dr. Share earned his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago and his doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley. He held postdoctoral positions at both the Max Planck Institut in Munich, as well as at the University of Pennsylvania's department of chemistry.
The Center also hired Leone Hermans-Blackburn as research commercialization project manager, where her responsibilities will include identifying investment-worthy companies whose nanomaterials and technologies are in the commercialization stage and assisting them in product and market development.
Hermans-Blackburn previously served as manager of research and development at Cohera Medical Inc., where she managed the team that developed polyurethane-based tissue adhesives and corresponding applicators for deep wound applications. She also previously was employed at Bayer MaterialScience, where she acted as project leader for new product development coating technologies, as well as for the company's high throughput testing group. She also served as Bayer MaterialScience's NAFTA representative for developing nanotechnology in coatings.
Hermans-Blackburn earned her bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Capetown, South Africa. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in physical inorganic chemistry from the State University of New York. She performed postdoctoral research at Carnegie Mellon University's department of chemical engineering, and she received a master's of business administration certificate from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz School of Business. She authored several technical articles and publications and has filed several patents that are pending.
The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center also recently received $500,000 through the Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Technology Partnership's university research grant program to support the state's advanced materials and energy research and commercialization initiative. The objective of this initiative is to advance Pennsylvania's strengths in materials research and manufacturing, to help grow new and existing companies in the energy sector and to enable energy research collaborations among industry and university partners.
The mission of the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center is to promote and support the commercialization of nanomaterials research for new and enhanced products critical to the U.S. economy and manufacturing base. The Center builds upon Pennsylvania's excellence in advanced materials research, development and manufacturing, and it acts as a new model for a public-private partnership among government, universities, entrepreneurs, small and large companies to accelerate the transition of nanomaterials from invention to new products and companies.