Advisory Council

Vice President, CR&D - DuPont Experimental Station

Uma Chowdry is Senior Vice President & Chief Science and Technology Officer with the DuPont Company. She earned her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976 and then joined DuPont as a research scientist. Chowdhry’s early work at DuPont focused on developing catalysts for making tetrahydrofuran, a versatile industrial solvent. Her range of research interests then broadened to include electronics and ceramics. Chowdhry has held a number of research and business management positions with the company, integrating research and business planning and helping to improve the transfer of technologies from laboratory to market. In 1996 she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of her scientific contributions in ceramics, chemical synthesis and electronic circuitry. Chowdhry is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society and a member of the board for the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, and she serves on the National Research Council’s Committee on Women in Science and Engineering.

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering - University of Illinois

James Economy is the Founder Professor of Engineering and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. From 1960-75 he was manager of materials science and chemistry of the Research Branch in the Research and Development Division of the Carborundum Co. During this period, he was responsible for the development of a number of advanced polymers and ceramics, eight of which are commercially available today. From 1975-89 he was manager of the polymer Science and Technology Department in the Research Division of IBM, where his group achieved worldwide prominence both scientifically and technologically. He joined UIUC in 1989. Prof. Economy is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2001, he received the Paul J. Flory Polymer Research Prize for extraordinary contribution to polymer science and engineering. He is a Fellow of PMSE (2001) and the National Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003).

Vice President, Business Development - Lord Corporation

Gerald M. Estes is Vice President of Business Development with LORD. He joined the company in 1989 as General Manager of the Seal Division in Shelton, Connecticut and then assumed responsibility for the Engineered Plastics Division, Corporate Development/LORD Ventures, and the Composite, Materials, and Process Development Groups. In 1991, he was named a Corporate Vice President and in 1993 assumed the position of Executive Assistant to the Chairman with responsibility for Advanced Technology Research in Cary, North Carolina. Estes earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining LORD, he held technical and sales/marketing management positions with DuPont and was Director of New Business Development with Occidental Chemical Corporation, Vice President of Technology and Marketing with CR Industries, and Vice President of Technology Transfer with the Gas Research Institute.

Chairman of the Board of Directors - W. L. Gore and Associates, Inc.

Son of the founder of W. L. Gore & Associates, Robert Gore graduated from the University of Delaware in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and went on to the University of Minnesota to earn his master’s degree and doctoral degrees. He joined the company’s board of directors in 1961 and joined W. L. Gore & Associates as an employee in 1963. In 1969, his work led to a watershed discovery—a new polymer, expanded PTFE, which entirely reshaped the company’s future. In addition to expanding its electronic products business, the discovery led W. L. Gore & Associates into myriad new product applications. Perhaps the best-known result of his discovery was Gore-Tex® fabric, the world’s first breathable waterproof fabric and a product that eventually became synonymous with adventure products. Today, Gore-Tex® expanded PTFE is found in thousands of medical, industrial, and fabric products, as well as electronic ones. Gore became president of the company in 1976 and was named chairman of the board in 1986. He resigned as president in 2000, while still retaining chairmanship. With other members of his family, he provided the University of Delaware with an $18.5 million gift for the construction of a Gore Hall.

Associate - RK&K Consulting Engineers

Ray Harbeson is an Associate with RK&K, which he joined in 2001 after 33 years with the Delaware Department of Transportation. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Delaware and is a registered professional engineer in Delaware and Maryland. In addition to his many management assignments during his career with DelDOT, Harbeson was involved as a project engineer or project manager on some of DelDOT’s largest projects. They include the US 13 Relief Route (SR 1) from Dover to I-95, the reconstruction and widening of US 202, the reconstruction and widening of SR 7, the reconstruction and widening of SR 4, and the reconstruction of I-95 north of Wilmington. Since joining RK&K, Ray has been involved in teaching courses for the University of Delaware, as well as managing the Dover Office for RK&K. For RK&K Ray has managed projects such as the Trolley Square project planning in the City of Wilmington, the DuPont Road design for DelDOT, portions of a Trust Fund Financial Study, and an Engineering Training Program project for DelDOT.

Director of Product Development - Lockheed Martin Aculight Corp.

Mark Bendett is the Director of Medical Products at Lockheed Martin Aculight in Bothell WA. Dr. Bendett joined Aculight in May of 2005 and has been responsible for transitioning advanced laser technology to product. His team and their university collaborators have been developing proprietary medical technologies and products for neurology and otolaryngology. These include novel therapeutic methods and hardware for surgery, neuroprosthetics, and diagnostics. Prior to joining Aculight, Dr. Bendett was VP of Business Development and Director of Product Development at IMRA America, a developer and manufacturer of femtosecond lasers. From 1997-2002 he was President and CEO of Northstar Photonics, a venture-backed firm developing and manufacturing integrated-optic components. Prior to that, he held a variety of leading technical roles in the optoelectronics arena at companies including Unisys and Honeywell. He holds a B.A in physics from Haverford College and an M.S. and a Ph.D in electrical engineering from the University of Delaware.

Gardiner Realty and Development Company

Francis E. “Skip” Gardiner, Jr. is Founder and President of Gardiner Realty and Development Company in Crofton, Maryland. Gardiner has a Masters in Civil Engineering from Cornell and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware. His extensive involvement in the real estate and construction communities has strategically placed Gardiner Realty in the center of up and coming growth in Anne Arundel, Calvert, and Prince George counties. For over 35 years, Mr. Gardiner owned and operated Gardiner and Gardiner, LLC., a commercial general contracting company. During his tenure at Gardiner and Gardiner, Mr. Gardiner received many awards for excellence in construction and involvement in the community. Mr. Gardiner has served on various boards and committees during his career and continues to remain an active participant in the local business community.

President - Helwig Consulting Services, LLC

David Helwig is a senior executive with over 35 years of leadership experience in energy-related companies including engineering, construction, operations and corporate roles. He has been involved with many facets of resource development, power generation, and energy delivery as well as alternative energy and efficiency. His endeavors have frequently involved major business transformations including start-up, turn-around, and rapid growth situations in a variety of settings. He has most recently devoted his efforts to the creation and development of corporate enterprises with private equity backing. Dave is a Registered Professional Engineer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware and M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He also attended the Duke University Advanced Management Program and has participated in a number of Director Continuing Education programs.

President and CEO - Paracor Medical, Inc.

William Mavity is President and CEO of joined Paracor Medical, Inc. , which is focused on developing device-based treatments for patients suffering from heart failure. Mavity spent the first first 21 years of his career with the 3M Company and the next 12 years with a number of smaller companies. He has acted as CEO, and led the sale, of two public medical technology companies. His responsibilities at 3M included heading its cardiovascular subsidiary, Sarns/3M Health Care, and serving as the head of European Health Care manufacturing. In addition to his role as a Director of Paracor Medical, Mavity currently serves as Chairman of Biosurface Engineering Technologies and as a Director of Aspire Medical, a private entity focused on treating sleep apnea. He has previously served on the Boards of Cohesion Technologies, Inc., InnerDyne, Inc., Cardeon, Inc., AMed Sytems, Inc., Fidus Medical Technologies, NeuColl, Inc. and the Michigan Technology Council.

CEO and Chairman of the Board - KCI Technologies, Inc.

Terry F. Neimeyer is Chairman, President, and CEO of KCI Technologies, Inc. Neimeyer graduated with honors from the University of Delaware with a civil engineering degree in 1977; he earned a master’s degree in environmental engineering from The Johns Hopkins University in 1980 and a master’s degree in business administration from Wilmington College in 1985. He has served many professional organizations at the local, regional, and national levels. As a professional engineer registered in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and North Carolina, Neimeyer coauthored two technical training manuals for the National Asphalt Paving Association. He also has written technical papers on designing above-ground landfills, protecting Delaware’s Inland Bays through the land treatment of wastewater, and using a dual-chemical treatment process to control the infestation of zebra mussels in Maryland waters.

Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Science - University of Pennsylvania

Eduardo Glandt is Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Robert D. Bent Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Penn in 1977. Since joining the faculty, he has served Penn in many capacities, including that of department Chairman between 1990 and 1994; he has also held the Patterson and the Heuer scholarly chairs. Glandt is an expert in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics and has worked extensively on the prediction of the properties of liquids and other disordered systems. He serves on the boards of many national and local organizations, including the McGraw-Hill Chemical Engineering Editorial Advisory Board, the Editorial Board of Adsorption and the board of the University City Science Center in Philadelphia. Glandt has received the Warren and the Lindback Awards for Distinguished Teaching from Penn and the Victor K. LaMer Award from the American Chemical Society. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1996.

President (Retired) - VHB/Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Richard Hangen is a founding partner and past President of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB). After earning his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware, Hangen earned his master’s at degree at Drexel University and achieved registered professional engineer status in six states. He has worked on major transportation projects in the United States and other countries, including traffic operations studies, regional transportation studies, transportation facility design projects, major land use development studies, and international work. Under Hangen’s leadership, VHB grew from six engineers to more than 700 employees in 14 offices from New Hampshire to Florida. VHB’s clients include Fortune 500 companies as well as influential public agencies such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Virginia Railway Express, most of the U.S. Departments of Transportation on the eastern seaboard, and thousands of municipalities. Hangen was elected to the University of Delaware’s Wall of Fame in 2002.

Partner - Novak Druce & Quigg, LLP

Rodman Steele is a partner with Novak Druce + Quigg LLP, representing clients in all phases of patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright law. His clients include universities, technology and food product companies, and service businesses. He has extensive experience in the mechanical arts and with the various businesses that utilize his trademark expertise. Steele has been chairman of a number of community-related boards. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Delaware and his J.D. degree from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. He also holds an LLM in Patent Law and Trade Regulation from George Washington University Law School.

Deputy to the Commander - US Army RDECOM

Gary Martin is Executive Deputy to the Commander of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. He holds a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Norwich University and an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Pennsylvania. He also graduated from the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School. Formerly the Technical Director, Communications Electronics, Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) at Fort Monmouth, N.J., he was responsible for science and technology programs involving the development of advanced command, control, communication, computers, intelligence and information warfare, and night vision & electronic sensors technology for the U.S. Army. Previously, he held a variety of technical management positions. He also served on active duty as a Signal Corps Officer in the Satellite Communications Agency from May 1984 through May 1988. His awards include the Superior Civilian Service Award, the Commander's Award for Civilian Service, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Vice President - Booz Allen & Hamilton, Inc.

Jack Welsh is Vice President of Booz Allen and Hamilton Inc. He supports the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), which he has served for more than 25 years. In this role, he is responsible for technical direction, cross-program integration, functional leverage, staffing and staff development, business management, and business development activities within his business area as well as within the broader NGA and national security markets. Welsh serves on Booz Allen’s Partner Steering Committee for the systems engineering and integration capability and service area. His key areas of expertise include systems engineering and integration, information technology strategy, systems engineering and technical assistance, and mission integration. Welsh is past president of the Washington Metro Chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and served on its board of directors for four years. Before joining Booz Allen, he worked as a computer scientist for the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Photographic Center, now part of NGA.

He holds B.S. degree in mathematics from the University of Delaware and an M.S. degree in information systems technology from the George Washington University.

Principal Researcher - Microsoft Research Silicon Valley

Kurt Akeley is a principal researcher at Microsoft Research Silicon Valley (MSR-SVC), where he works in the areas of computer graphics and computer architecture. His research interests include graphics system architecture and the design of displays that better accommodate human visual requirements. He joined Microsoft in July of 2004. From January 2005 through March 2007 Akeley was an assistant managing director of Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing. He co-founded Silicon Graphics in 1982. During his 19 years at Silicon Graphics he led the development of several high-end graphics systems, including GTX, VGX, and RealityEngine. He also led the development of OpenGL, an industry-standard programming interface to high-performance graphics hardware. His last full-time position with Silicon Graphics was senior vice president and CTO. Akeley is a named inventor on fifteen patents, a fellow of the ACM, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Delaware and master’s and doctoral degrees at Stanford.

Chairman - Delaware Technology Park

Since 1998, Mike Bowman has been Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Delaware Technology Park Inc., (DTP) a collaboration of the State of Delaware, University of Delaware, and high-technology industries such as advanced materials, life sciences and information technology. In 2007, he was elected President of the Board of the Association of University Research Parks, which includes about 100 US and Canadian research parks. From 1990 to 1996, Bowman was Vice President & General Manager for DuPont Advanced Materials and Systems, a $1B global business unit with 2500 employees. Over a 30-year career at DuPont he served professional and managerial roles in research, marketing and manufacturing. He currently serves as a board member on five technology-based companies, First State Innovation, Delaware Science and Technology Council, and UD Technology Corporation, and he is a member of the national Council on Competitiveness. Bowman holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and he attended graduate business and financial programs at Wharton and Columbia. In 2000, he was presented the UC Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Executive Director (Retired) - American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Dr. Richard E. Emmert is a chemical engineer and retired executive whose expertise in chemical reaction technology and mass transfer has been recognized by many career honors. Most of Emmert’s professional career was with the DuPont Company, from which he retired as Vice President-Electronics after 34 years of service. In 1988, Emmert was named Executive Director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers from which he retired in 1996. Emmert holds master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1985 for outstanding engineering research, administration of engineering work, and corporate planning in the chemical industry. Emmert is a trustee of the Christiana Care Health System; he has previously served on advisory boards at the University of California-Berkeley and Villanova University and as President of the University of Delaware Research Foundation, the Delaware Foundation for Physical Education, and the Delaware Tennis Association, and as Vice-chair of the Stanton, Del., School Board. He has also served on the boards of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, the United Engineering Foundation, and the American Association of Engineering Societies.

Dean of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences - Howard University

James H. Johnson Jr. is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of entrepreneurship and director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center at the university of North Carolina. His research interests include community and economic development, the effects of demographic changes on the U.S. workplace, interethnic minority conflict in advanced industrial societies, urban poverty and public policy in urban America, and workforce diversity issues. Johnson’s research focuses on the causes and consequences of growing inequality in American society, particularly as it affects socially and economically disadvantaged youth; entrepreneurial approaches to poverty alleviation, job creation, and community development; interethnic minority conflict in advanced industrial societies; and business demography and workforce diversity issues. He has published more than 100 scholarly research articles and three research monographs and has co-edited four theme issues of scholarly journals on these and related topics. His latest book is Prismatic Metropolis: Inequality in Los Angeles. He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

President/CEO - W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc.

Terri Kelly is President and CEO of W.L. Gore & Associates, a multi-billion dollar enterprise that employs more than 8,000 associates in 45 plants around the world. Kelly joined Gore as a process engineer in 1983 after graduating from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. In 1998, Kelly became part of the leadership team for the global Fabrics Division. In this role, she helped establish a fabrics manufacturing plant in Shenzhen, China—Gore’s first fabrics plant in Asia. While in the Fabrics Division, Kelly also served on the Enterprise Operations Committee working closely with the CEO and other leaders to help guide the strategic direction of the company. Kelly’s leadership abilities have driven her success in a company known for its non-hierarchical “lattice” structure. At Gore, associates become leaders based on their ability to gain the respect of their peers and to attract followers. Terri earned the title of president and CEO in 2005—one of the few titles within the enterprise—following a peer-driven selection process. Kelly is a member of the Management Executives’ Society, the Forum of Executive Women of Delaware and the International Women’s Forum. She also is on the board of directors for the Nemours Foundation—one of the nation’s leading children’s health care systems.