Agarwal. Swarna (USA)

Dr. Swarna Agarwal is Senior Material Scientist at PTI Technologies. At PTI she is responsible for all the liquid, air and fuel cell filter product development for aviation industry. Prior to this, she was Engineering Manager for filtration media R&D at Parker Hannifin, Engine and Mobile Original Equipment Division, USA. At Parker she was responsible for R&D for diesel fuel, hydraulic nand H2 fuel-cell filters. While working at Parker she has developed more than 50 new products and improved the R&D technology and capabilities to an advanced level.  Prior to Parker, she worked as a filtration scientist at UCLA, Water Planet Inc. Los Angeles and ITV Denkendorf Germany. She has over 18 years of academic and industrial experience in new product development for various filtration applications, nonwovens manufacturing, nanotechnology and surface functionalization. She is an expert for coalescence through porous media, emulsion formation, characterization and separation, interfacial and wetting science, bio-inspired textiles, medical textiles, and project management She received the AFS Senior Scientist Award in 2018, Parker Inventor appreciation Award 2021, WFI product of the Year Award 2021. She has over 30 publications, one book and 3 patents. Dr. Agarwal received her PhD from University of Stuttgart, Germany.

Al-Attar, Iyad (Canada)

Dr. Al-Attar is a mechanical engineer and an independent air filtration consultant. He is also a Visiting Academic Fellow in the School of Aerospace, Transport, and Manufacturing at Cranfield University, consulting for air quality and filter performance relevant to land-based gas turbines. Dr. Al-Attar is the strategic director, instructor, and advisory board member of the Waterloo Filtration Institute. In 2020, Eurovent Middle East appointed Dr. Al-Attar as the first associated consultant for air filtration. Recently, he became the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) patron for EUROVENT. Dr. Al-Attar received his engineering degrees (BSc, MSc, Ph.D.) from the University of Toronto (Canada), Kuwait University, and Loughborough University (UK), respectively. Dr. Al-Attar is reading for an MSc in sustainable urban development for air quality inclusion at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Al-Attar’s area of expertise focuses on the design and performance of high-efficiency filters for HVAC and land-based gas turbine applications, emphasizing the chemical and physical characterization of airborne pollutants. Dr. Al-Attar is a columnist in the Filtration News, Filtration + Separation, EUROVENT Middle East newsletter, Climate Control Middle East Magazine, ES Engineering, USA, and Caloryfrio Magazine, Spain. He has authored many articles on air quality, filter design, performance, particle characterization, and climate change, which were translated into Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish. Dr. Al-Attar is an editorial member/referee in the Filtration Society (UK) and the Journal of Cleaner Production.

Al-Wahaibi, Mahmood (Oman)

Mr. Al-Wahaibi is the Co-founder of Oman Think Urban, the Managing Director of Ruwi Group, and a founding Board member of Future City Council based in Canada, an Urban Planner at heart coming from an urban tribe in the historic City of Muscat, Oman. Mahmood’s expertise in the field amplified with his exposure to more than 27 nations around the world and research publications focuses on Oman urban history, traditional planning practices, planning policies and governance, and post-oil economy. Academically, He is the recipient of Karl B. Lohmann Award for Departmental Excellence at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018 and a visiting Professor at the GUtech in Oman making him one of the youngest professors in Urban & Regional Planning. Professionally, Mahmood holds professional certifications such as LEED GA, IBDL International Certified Coach, APA Certification, and Illinois leadership Certificate accompanied by work experience with international and local organizations at different managerial levels that puts him among the few accredited Omani planning experts at a young age. Mahmood was a core team member at the Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS) and Five-year Development Plan Leading the infrastructure & Energy team and reviewing national and regional strategies.

Berens, Jenny (USA)

Dr. Jenny Berens, Director, FFT Industrial, Filter Engineering, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, Noth America, earned her M. Sc. in Chemical Engineering at Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan, Stockholm Sweden, and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at University of Kentucky, KY, USA. After postdoc work at the Valvoline Research Center in Lexington KY, she has continued to dedicate her career to R&D, specializing in material technology, particulate science, and filtration. Since 2017, Dr. Berens has been employed by Freudenberg Filtration Technologies. Dr. Berens was hired on as a Product Segment Engineer for the Gas Phase Filtration segment. she was soon promoted to Manager and now Director for FFT Filter Engineering, North America. This position entails responsibility for regional technical product design and design management as well as connecting and aligning the NA Technical and Sales teams with their global peer teams. Dr. Berens is actively contributing to industry guidelines at ASHRAE and ISO and is currently serving as a board member on the TC2.4 (Particulate Air Contaminants and Particulate Contaminant Removal Equipment) and the ASHRAE 52.2 (Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices for Removal Efficiency by Particle Size) committees as well as a member of the ISO/TC US TAG 142 - Cleaning equipment for air and other gases.

Bhat, Gajanan (USA)

Dr. Bhat is a professor and the Department Head of Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors at the University of Georgia. In August 1990, after earning his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in textile and polymer engineering, he joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) where his research covered nonwovens - melt blown, spunbonded and biodegradable, plastics recycling, nanotechnology, sustainable materials, and high-performance fibers. As the director of UT Nonwovens Research Laboratory, he focused on production of nanofibers from thermoplastic polymers by meltblowing. In July 2016, he joined the University of Georgia as the Head of the TMI department. Dr. Bhat has published more than 200 research papers and has three US Patents. He has served as the president of the Fiber Society and is an active member of the International Nonwovens and Disposables Association (INDA), American Paper & Pulp Association (TAPPI) and the Textile Institute. He received the Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni Award from Georgia Tech (1996), Distinguished Achievement Award from the Fiber Society (1999), Fellow of the Textile Institute (2005), TechniTex India Research Achievement Award (2008) and TAPPI NET division Technical Achievement Award (2014).

Burkhead, Bob (USA)

Mr. Burkhead is the “President Emeritus” of Blue Heaven Technologies, an IAQ and filtration product testing laboratory with ISO 17025 quality certification, located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He has 47 years of experience in filtration product design and performance testing. He is heavily involved in ASHRAE technical, standards and society level committees. He is a past chairman of the filter testing protocol committee, ASHRAE SSPC 52.2 as well as Technical Committees TC 2.4 and TC 5.4. He also participates in global indoor air quality (IAQ) standards writing via ISO/IEC and has been a member of the U. S. technical advisory group for ISO TC 142 for 26 years. He is a well-recognized leading expert in the global air filtration industry for test standard development, professional testing and educational services about various air filtration and IAQ products. Although retired, Bob continues to impart his knowledge as a consultant and technical advisor, benefiting numerous colleagues and organizations with his wealth of experience. He received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering technology from Western Kentucky University in 1977. His enduring impact on the air filtration industry and his ongoing commitment to improving IAQ standards globally make him a leading expert and a valued resource in both national and international arenas.

Caesar, Thomas (Germany)

Dr. Thomas Caesar is a renowned air filtration expert with almost 25 years of experience in the global filtration industry. He received a diploma in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Karlsruhe and his doctorate degree in thermodynamics and fluid dynamics from the University of Aachen (RWTH). Since 1999, Dr. Caesar has been employed by Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, a globally leading manufacturer of filtration solutions, where he has held various positions in sales and engineering. As Vice President Global Filter Engineering Industrial, he is currently responsible for the global technical product management and filter engineering in industrial filtration. Dr. Caesar is actively contributing to industry guidelines at VDI, VDMA, and Eurovent. He co-authors various European standards at CEN and international standards at ISO. In ISO, he serves as Convenor of WG12 “Sustainability” and was as project leader of part 1, intensely involved in the development of ISO 16890. Dr. Caesar is Chairman of the Product Committee “Air Filters” at Eurovent Certita Certification and Vice Chairman of the Product Group “Air Filter” at Eurovent Association.

Chase, George (USA)

Dr. George Chase is an Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Akron, where he taught from 1985 to 2021. He earned his Ph.D. in 1989 under the direction of Professor Max Willis. Dr. Chase's research focuses on fluid-particle separations with applications in multiphase transport theory, including electrospinning to produce submicron fibers for filter media and the coalescence of liquid droplets in filter media. Dr. Chase served as Director of the Coalescence Filtration Nanofiber Consortium (CFNC) from 1997 to 2021. He has been an active member of the American Filtration and Separations (AFS) Society since 1990, serving on its Board of Directors three times between 1997 and 2020, and holding the position of Chair in 1995 and 2002. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including the AFS Senior Scientist, Frank Tiller, Fellow, and Lifetime Achievement awards. His research interests include filtration, nanofibers, coalescence filtration, flows through porous media, and multiphase continuum theory. Dr. Chase is one of the most influential professors in the field of filtration and separation, and many of his students have been playing leading roles in the filtration industry.

Chen, Wu (USA)

Dr. Chen is recently retired from Dow USA as an R&D Fellow. He has 30+ years of industrial experience in solid/liquid separation and air/gas filtration, for both technologies and filtration markets. He also has expertise in particle formation, particle characterization, interfacial science, coagulation and flocculation, slurry Handling, bioprocessing, process development, project management, and plant construction, start up and operation. Dr. Chen has been teaching filtration and separation courses at American Filtration & Separation Society (AFS), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and many other organizations globally for 30 years. He is the current chair of AFS Education Committee and the coordinator of AFS short courses. He had served AFS in a role of AFS chair, board of directors, conference chairs, local chapter officer and member of various committees in the past. He received the AFS Fellow Award in 2010. He has over 100 publications including chapters in two recent editions of Perry's Chemical Engineering Handbook. He has also been invited as plenary and keynote speakers for numerous international conferences.

Clark, Mike (USA)

Mr. Clark is the President of Filtration Solutions at Hollingsworth & Vose. With over two decades of experience in filtration, covering air, liquid, transportation, and power generation, he possesses extensive practical knowledge of various filter media technologies and their applications. His leadership as President of the High Efficiency & Specialty Filtration division from 2009 to 2020 was a period of significant achievements, propelling H&V to become a leader among filter media manufacturers in the global filtration market, renowned for its high-performance and high-quality filter media and application expertise. Mike is passionate about innovation and believes that the global mega-trends supporting health, safety, productivity, and CO2 reduction are major positive forces for the filtration industry. Prior to his tenure at H&V, Mike lent his strategic expertise to Fortune 100 companies as a consultant with Price Waterhouse and the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative, guiding them in the development and execution of strategic initiatives. Mike's is an active member of the executive committee of the INDA Board of Directors and also serves as a board member of the Massachusetts High Technology Council. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA.

Edery, Vincent (France)

Mr. Edery, Managing Director of French Institute of Filtration and Separative Technics (IFTS) is  a French engineer who graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) and the Ecole Supérieure des Techniques Aérospatiales (ESTA). After graduation, he began working for Dassault Aviation. Vincent embraced a career in the aviation industry for 20 years where he switched from office design to aircraft system expert supporting operators and then to technical Director of a French Supplier. Since, he has been managing various small and mid-size enterprises in filtration and hydromechanical equipment. For 3 years, he managed his own consulting company where he proposed his services as an external asset for those developing aviation products or seeking expertise in industrial organization in a quality certification context. He has joined IFTS and was appointed General Manager since June of 2013. Vincent is the convener of the ISO Working Group 8 of the TC20/SC10 dedicated to aviation Hydraulic fluids and fluid contamination control and is the Chair of the CEN TC346 dedicated to air quality in Aircraft Cabin.

Forcucci, Jay (USA)

Mr. Forcucci is recently retired from his role as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Cerex Advanced Fabrics since 2016.  He has over 35 years of business experience with multiple filtration media and filter manufacturing companies in various management and executive roles with Commercial, Operations and R&D responsibilities.  Jay received his BS in Chemical Engineering and MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1980 and 1983 respectively.  He started his filtration career with Pall Corp marketing disposable process filters and Metal Backwash filter systems. He was Product and Market Manager at Lydall (now Alkegen) for air and liquid filtration glass media.  He was an executive manager for AQF Technologies (molecular contamination media), Filtration Group ( high loft PET/meltblown media as well as bio safety cabinet filters), Nanostatics (nanofiber media technology) and PGI (now Berry Global).  He has presented numerous papers at Clean Rooms Conferences, DOE Nuclear Conferences,  INDA Filtration Exhibitions and AFS Conferences.  Jay was co-chair of the INDA Filtration Committee from 2009-2012, Co-chair of the 2015 Fall AFS Conference and is currently co-chair for the media track for WFC 13.  Jay was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by INDA in 2010.

Fu, Eric (Australia)

Mr. Fu is the founder and managing director of Aimwell, an Australian company specializing in the design, manufacture, and market of respiratory devices for breathing protection, breathing training, breathing measurement and diagnostics. With over 25 years of experience in the respiratory device industry, Eric is an accomplished mechatronics engineer, product designer, and serial entrepreneur. His core competencies include research and development, design for manufacturing, and marketing of technology-based products with proven track records.  Eric founded Aimwell Pty Ltd in 2017 with a mission to improve people’s breathing quality in work and life by delivering world-class and affordable breathing products through continuous innovation in design, manufacturing, and marketing. Previously, Eric co-founded PAFtec, where he led the invention and development of CleanSpace, an industry game-changing brand of powered respirators. Prior to that, he worked as a senior electronics designer at ResMed for 10 years, contributing to the product design for a few generations of ResMed CPAP devices. Eric is passionate about helping people breathe safer and better by creating solutions that address the challenges and opportunities in the personal respiratory protection, breathing training and diagnostic market.

Ham, Michael (USA)

Mr. Ham is the Co-Founder and President of RePure, a leading supplier of best-in-class wellness technology solutions available through professional installers. With a degree majoring in Kinesiology and a minor in Nutrition, Michael has dedicated the past two decades to the field of health and wellness. As an Accredited Professional and Faculty member of the International WELL Building Institute, he strives to raise awareness about how the spaces we inhabit impact our health. He is deeply committed to promoting continuous improvement through people and planet-centric design and technology. Michael expertise lies in the fields of regenerative organic agriculture, indoor air quality, air filtration, water quality, and other vital aspects of wellness technology. One of his areas of focus for air filtration is to better address human exposure to ultra-fine particulate matter which make up over 90% of the total particle count in the air and most harmful to our health. His expertise has earned him invitations to speak at prestigious events such as IAQA, TecHome Builder Summits, Housing Innovation Alliance, GreenHome Institute, etc. Through these engagements, he shares his passion for wellness and technology, enlightening audiences on the intersection of these fields.

Haynes, Bryan (USA)

Dr. Haynes, Senior Technical Director of Global Nonwovens at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, is a well-recognized expert and leader with over 39 years of experience in the global nonwovens and filtration industry. He currently has 44 U.S. Patents, 163 Foreign Patents, 16 Trade Secrets, and over 240 Invention Disclosures, He has established a strong track record of transforming ideas into commercial reality and is highly creative with a passion for making connections to solve problems to drive innovation for customers. Dr. Haynes is a recipient of the INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award, Society of Women Engineers Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award, and the Kimberly-Clark Technical Excellence Award. He is a member of several boards, including INDA Board of Directors (current Chair), Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Georgia; and the Nonwovens Institute at N.C. State University. He also serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary for Georgia FIRST (a non-profit organization that supports STEM programs in Georgia). Dr. Haynes received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.

Hu, Vincent (Taiwan)

Dr. Hu is the Director of the Advanced Filtration Center and Deputy Director of the Department of Testing and Certification at the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI), where he leads an accredited filter test lab with comprehensive testing capabilities. He is also the Executive Director of the Taiwan Filtration and Separation Society (TFS) and the Director of the Taiwan Cleaning Technology Association. Dr. Hu has been leading the filtration testing team at TTRI for more than 20 years, gaining extensive experience in testing various filters and filtration technologies, ranging from face masks and respirators for personal protection to HVAC, cleanroom, transportation, power generation, industrial applications, as well as fuel, oil, and lube filters. Dr. Hu is also skilled in building quality control capabilities to monitor filter production processes. He has made significant contributions to advancing the local textiles, nonwovens, and filtration industries and connecting them with the global community. His leadership and expertise have positioned him as a prominent figure in the filtration industry, both locally and internationally.

Igie, Uyioghosa (UK)

Dr Uyioghosa Igie is a Senior Lecturer in Gas Turbine Engineering and Operations. He is the Course Director of the Thermal Power and Propulsion Engineering part-time MSc course tailored to industry professionals. He gained his PhD in Gas Turbine Engineering, 11 years ago from Cranfield University. Since then, he has supervised more than 80 post-graduates (10 PhD and ~70 MSc) as the first supervisor. Dr Igie is an expert in gas turbine performance with interests in compressor fouling degradation, air filter and compressor washing, operational flexibility and hydrogen combustion. He has published widely in several top journals and collaborated with gas turbine engine manufacturers and operators (energy and civil aviation) such as Mitsubishi Power, Rolls Royce, BP, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, R-MC Power Recovery Ltd and Camfil Air Filters and PIC Group. His research project at Cranfield University has attracted more than £1M in research funding as Principal Investigator.

Jameson, Kevin (USA)

Mr. Jameson is currently President of PureAir Filtration- a company that specializes in gas phase filtration. He has over 25 years of experience in the gas phase air purification market, 20 of those years being with PureAir Filtration. He holds four patents in the gas phase filtration industry. Mr. Jameson started his career with Torrington bearings, later moved into the automotive industry with Siemens, spent five years with Purafil as Vice President of Operations, and then founded PureAir Filtration in 2004. Kevin is an active member of the WEF Odor and Air Pollutants committee, a committee member of the International Society for Automation committee on protecting electronics from pollution, and an ASHRAE member. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master's degrees in Engineering from Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Lambart, Paul (UK)

Mr. Lambart is a qualified chemist educated in the UK with over 35 years of industrial experience spanning the automotive and aerospace industries. He has experience in material science, R&D, and Program Management in the automotive industry, gaining experience working with Ford, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Land Rover. Paul is a Consultant and Company Director in the field of Gas Turbines with over 20 years of experience in developing new cleaning solutions and injection systems for on/off compressor washing to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuels until self-sufficiency is attained with renewables.  He is currently engaged as Managing Director of Europe and Asia, using his experience in Gas Turbines for a USA company (Engine Cleaning Technology-ECT) to deliver their compressor washing and power augmentation systems into the industrial sector and aviation products globally.   Paul has been a visiting Fellow in the School of Aerospace, Transport, and Manufacturing at Cranfield University (UK) since 2006, where he has supported sixteen, to date, Ph.D. candidates and many MSc students in Gas Turbine studies.  He has been a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for Thermal Power for over fifteen years and is their current Chairman, holding the post for the past five years.

Liang, Yun (China)

Dr. Liang is currently a professor at the School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology. Her research is focused on filter media, especially wet laid filter media, application of nanofibers, and preparation of multilayer filter media. In addition to academic work at University, Dr. Liang has invested much time and energy in the industrial R&D of high-performance filter media. She has served as a consultant to establish three new filter media production lines and two pilot plants. Dr. Liang is the deputy secretary of the China Filtration and Separation Association and is active in several technical societies in the area of filtration. She received the First Prize (2019) and the Second Prize (2008) of Science & Technology Development & Achievement of the Ministry of Education in China. Dr. Liang earned her Ph.D. in 2002, majoring in pulp and papermaking.

Lydon, Richard (UK)

Mr. Lydon is a leading expert in the global filtration & separation industry. He has led and held a number leadership positions at public and private filtration & industrial businesses in a career spanning 33 years. Having both a business and technology background, he has helped companies grow and develop on global platform basis through M&A, VC and PE. Richard has held leading business roles with Muon Group/Veco Precision, Filtration Group/ Clear Edge, Gamma Holding/Madison Filter, Scapa and Porvair plc. He is currently the CEO at Molymem Ltd. Richard has held a number of institutional roles including Visiting Professor, previously at Loughborough University and currently at Leeds University in the UK. He is also Secretariat of The Filtration Society and previously lead this knowledge sharing network. He is also Chair of the External Advisory Board (Materials) at University of Manchester, helping & guiding the next generation of STEM graduates and nurturing potential spin-out businesses in the ESG space across the North West of the UK, where he resides. Mr. Lydon is a prominent figure in the global filtration industry, having made significant contributionsin in promoting professional education and sustainable development. He has held the role of co-chair for the WFI Annual Conference from 2021 to 2023.

Marold, Paul (USA)

Mr. Marold has 30+ years of professional experience in specialty chemicals and materials businesses with the majority in filtration-related industries. He is a well-known strategic and innovative global leader who delivers sustainable value to shareholders, customers, and employees. He is a C-Level executive with year-after-year success achieving revenue and profit targets in Fortune 100, private-, and mid-tier specialty chemicals and engineered materials industries with demonstrated success in developing and executing winning strategies for business growth. With over 20 years of multi-site, global specialty business leadership with companies like Lydall, Jacob Holm, Clarcor, Buckman, and Ahlstrom, he has become one of the most influential leaders in the global filtration and nonwoven industry. He is a long-standing Board member of INDA (Chairman 2010-2012, 2020). Paul’s specialties include global business strategy, financial and operational leadership, innovation platform development and execution, strategic partnerships, turn-around initiatives, strategic deployment and team alignment, and driving profitable and sustainable growth. Paul is currently Chief Executive Officer, Aeristus, Inc., focusing on developing technology for the filtration, disinfection, and oil & gas industries. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State University and post-graduate work at INSEAD.

McCreary, Mitch (USA)

Mr. McCreary, Director of Waterloo Filtration Institute, is well known throughout the filtration industry having spent over 30 years in various assignments from Business and Product Development to VP of Sales Organizations. He has worked with and for many of the top 100 Filtration companies in the world as well as several  leading nonwoven manufacturers. His career spans from medical device and laboratory industry to the fluid power and natural gas industry with both air and liquid filtration processes. He most recently spent time in activities with several industry trade associations, and is currently doing free-lance consulting within the liquid and air filtration industry. His broad knowledge of the market and it’s processes provides a unique perspective on market space. Mr. McCreary  has served on several of INDA’s Filtration committee’s and helped organize several key events within the industry. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri and MBA from Webster University in St. Louis.

Mcilvaine, Bob (USA)

Mr. Mcilvaine is President of the Mcilvaine Company, specializing in market forecasting, publishing, and technical Analysis. He founded the company in 1974. Filtration has been their major focus from the beginning. Bob is a globally well-recognized market expert in the filtration industry. Over the decades, he has led the company to provide market research and technical evaluations on liquid and air filtration technologies. He has been actively involved in various filtration applications and keeps updated with new developments in the dynamic filtration and separation market. During the pandemic, Bob and his team put great efforts into the facemasks and HVAC filtration for public education and safety. Bob is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson School of Domestic and International Affairs, Princeton University.

Muller, Christopher (USA)

Mr. Muller, ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, Director IEQ Technical Services of AAF Flanders, is recognized globally as an expert in indoor/ environmental air quality, filtration and enhanced air cleaning systems, and gas-phase air filtration technology with demonstrated competencies in product development and applications. With more than 30 years in the filtration industry, he has written and spoken extensively on these and related topics with more than 250 articles and peer-reviewed papers, more than 150 seminars, and 8 handbooks to his credit. He has been a driving force on multiple industry association and technical committees, improving awareness and standards in the industry, especially in the field of gas-phase air filtration and indoor environmental air quality. He co-authored ASHRAE’s Position Document on Filtration and Air Cleaning, ASHRAE Guideline 42P: Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings, and ASHRAE Standard 62.1 User’s Manual.

Nicholas, Stephen (USA)

Mr. Nicholas has been involved in the HVAC air filtration industry since 1984. He possesses extensive experience in field operations, including plant and facility maintenance, engineering, and manufacturing. He is a past president of the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) and a Certified Technician Level II for Bag-In/Bag-Out HEPA Filter installations. Additionally, he is a certified Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Technician and a Commercial Building HVAC Systems and Air Filter Specialist. Mr. Nicholas has been professionally trained by the Harvard School of Public Health in certifying 99.97% HEPA Filters In-Place for both nuclear and non-nuclear applications. He has authored several technical articles on air filtration and ventilation and has served on various ASHRAE National Committees. His contributions have been recognized with Distinguished Service Awards from both ASHRAE and NAFA.

Mr. Nicholas continues to be active in the industry as a field test expert, supporting public health in settings such as hospitals and schools. He also remains an influential professional member of NAFA and a Life Member of ASHRAE.

Owen, Kathleen (USA)

Ms. Owen, ASHRAE Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer, is an expert in air filter/cleaner efficiency/efficacy testing and test method development with Owen Air Filtration Consulting. She recently completed ASHRAE projects conducting Interlaboratory Studies (aka Round Robins) on the ASHRAE 52.2 and 145.2 methods for testing particle and gas-phase air cleaner efficiencies and an ASHRAE project on reactive air cleaners.  During her 33 years at RTI, she ran the air cleaner test lab for 20 years and worked on the ASHRAE and US EPA projects that developed ASHRAE air cleaner efficiency test methods 52.2 (for particles), 145.2 (gases), and 185.1 (UV-bioaerosol). She ran ASHRAE 1360-RP and worked on many ASHRAE and EPA projects on air cleaning and air quality including the recent EPA EIP on air cleanup in VI situations. She also developed chamber test methods for gases and bioaerosols based, in large part, on the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) CADR test method.  She is the current chair of ASHRAE SPC 185.5 and is past chair of both ASHRAE committee SSPC 145 and 52.2.  She was the research subcommittee chair for TC2.3 Gaseous Contaminants. She is currently a member of SSPC 241, EHC, Standards and multiple TCs as well as the US TAG to ISO 142.

O’Reilly, Sean (USA)

Mr. O'Reilly stands as a leader in the air filtration industry, currently serving as the Global Senior Vice President of HP Sales & Innovation at AAF Flanders. With a career that spans over four decades, his expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of air filtration systems, including HVAC and cleanroom, as well as bio-safety applications. His role at AAF Flanders involves spearheading sales, product management, and development for high purity applications. Sean's vast experience and knowledge have also earned him a prestigious position as a member of the AAF IEQ North American Task Force with the Daikin Group, further solidifying his influence and contribution to the industry. He has multiple patents, which range from advanced cleanroom application products to groundbreaking sensor technology. Sean’s journey in the air filtration domain began at a young age, and over the years, he has become synonymous with expertise, innovation, and leadership in the global air filtration industry. His contributions have not only advanced the business development of the air filtration industry but have also set a high standard for professional training, public education, and government lobbying within the industry.

Peters, Thomas (Germany)

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Peters is an internationally renowned independent consultant for membrane technology and environmental engineering. He has over 40 years of experience in the field of pressure driven membrane processes for the treatment of water, process fluids and wastewater. Related pioneering work was focused between other on the use of reverse osmosis for desalination of sea water, for the purification of landfill leachate and for water reuse in different areas. He studied chemical engineering (Dipl.-Ing.) at the Technical University Clausthal in Germany and earned his Ph.D. in 1980 at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg on the subject „Production of drinking water from seawater with reverse osmosis“. After leading management functions in a middle sized and a multinational company he is high level independent technology consultant since 1986, authored more than 100 publications, co-authored different books, contributed to different membrane technology related guidelines published by professional associations in Germany and is co-editor of a landfill compendium. He received the Stanley Gray Award - Marine Technology 2000/2001 of the IMarEST, London, and the ATCP Award 2007, Concepción, Chile.

Ramaswamy, Muthukumar (India)

Dr. Ramaswamy got over 40 years of combined extensive experience in various IAQ and filtration-related areas of Engineering in India and Oman. He received his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, in Mechanical Engineering, currently working as the technical director of Level Engineering LLC, an MEP consultancy and skill development training organization based in Oman. He served as a Technical Expert  in Government of Oman ( 23 years) and Senior  Manager in Government of India( 14 years). Dr. Ramaswamy has published over 150 research papers in international journals and conferences and authored six engineering-related books. Dr. Ramaswamy has designed a few of the largest utility plants in South East Asia. He is on the visiting faculty and the Technical advisory board of various technical universities in India and Oman, where he has guided many Ph.D. students. He is a member of multiple international professional organizations holding charter engineer status from U. K. and India. He is the reviewer and editorial board member of many international technical journals and has delivered over 100 keynote lectures at various international conferences and meetings. Dr. Ramaswamy's name is listed in the WHOSWHO directory. He is active in many regional and global communities to help them embrace sustainable and healthy living.

Smith, Tyler (USA)

Mr. Smith is vice president, Healthy Buildings, HVAC and Controls at Johnson Controls. He has spent 19 years with Johnson Controls in roles focused on leveraging building management systems and HVAC equipment to drive important outcomes such as improvements in energy efficiency and indoor air quality. From 2018 to 2020, Tyler led Johnson Controls’ Critical Environments business unit, which designs and manufactures systems for critical spaces such as hospitals and laboratories. From 2020 to 2023,Tyler led Johnson Controls’ Healthy Buildings initiative with a focus on helping customers realize productivity and financial outcomes associated with operating healthier buildings. Since January 2024 Tyler has led offering development and strategy for Johnson Controls’ Healthy Buildings, HVAC and Controls portfolios. With a background deeply rooted in buildings, HVAC and controls, Tyler brings a unique voice to WFI. We expect to leverage his experience and network at Johnson Controls to ensure our educational and advocacy campaigns are comprehensive and aligned with current buildings-market trends. Tyler has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Emory University. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee, USA with his wife and two children.

Sun, Christine (USA)

Dr. Sun, President of the Waterloo Filtration Institute, is a globally renowned technical and market expert in the filtration and nonwovens industry. With over 30 years of experience in academia and industry, she has in-depth knowledge of filtration and extensive hands-on expertise in product and business development, evidenced by her contribution of over 100 technical publications and patents in the field. She is also actively involved in the development of many air and liquid filter test standards, such as ASHRAE and ISO. Dr. Sun worked for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies from 2004 to 2011 as an R&D manager and then served as Technology Director for Donaldson Company from 2011 to 2013. She was the Chair of the American Filtration and Separation Society (AFS) from 2016 to 2017 and has received the AFS Fellow Award in 2019, the Sr. Scientist Award in 2012, and the best paper awards from INDA (Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry) in 2008. She is also an editorial board member for the Textile Research Journal and the Journal of Industrial Textiles. Dr. Sun received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, and her Executive Certificate from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, USA.

Tan, Zhongchao (Canada)

Dr. Tan, Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME), currently serves as the Chair Professor, Vice Provost and Director for Academic Services at Eastern Institute of Technology in Ningbo, China. He was the founding Executive Director of Tsinghua-Waterloo Joint Research Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies, and the Associate Dean (International) of Waterloo Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He was also one of the founders of the Waterloo Filtration Institute. His contribution to scholarship has been recognized by international peers, as evidenced by the popularity of his technical books in his fields of research. His single-authored textbook, Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases, was downloaded 1.7+ million times globally, and another coauthored textbook was recognized as “the pop-used publications on SpringerLink that concern one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals”. Tan has provided dedicated services to several international professional societies, including CSME, Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering, International Association for Green Energy, Standard Council Canada/ISO, etc. His dedication to higher education also won him multiple teaching awards. Dr. Tan received his BSc and MSc degrees from Tsinghua University, Beijing in the 1990s, and PhD degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA in 2004.

Tang, You-Zhi (Canada)

Dr. Tang is an internationally recognized cleantech expert. After receiving his PhD from Dalhousie University in 1987, He served as a senior manager and executive in major Canadian engineering and environmental companies, with technical and management responsibilities in air quality, IAQ and OH&S, environmental science and engineering, as well as sustainability practice for businesses. He is now a shareholder / director of several cleantech companies. Dr. Tang is Adjunct Professor for 4 universities. He was a UNDP senior advisor, served as a peer reviewer for US Centre for Indoor Air Research (CIAR) in 1990’s, Review Expert for the Ontario Green Fund, Advisor for one of the largest science parks in the world, Past President of Air & Waste Management Association-Ontario Section. Dr. Tang was an invited speaker at numerous international conferences and forums and has been featured in many media articles and TV shows, as well as three books on Chinese Canadian elites. He was a recipient of many awards including the Green Toronto Award – 2007 Environmental Award of Excellence, Toronto Community Climate Action Hero Award (2009), Canada China Low Carbon International Development Award (2011), 2015 Global Chinese Influential Person in Environmental Science & Technology by Hong Kong Satellite TV, 2019 Qilu Friendship Award, and 2022 Hebei Provincial Science & Technology Award.

Taylor, Stephanie (USA)

Dr. Stephanie Taylor, CEO, and Founder of Building4Health, Inc., holds an MD from Harvard Medical School. Her journey began in pediatric oncology, where she explored cellular growth control mechanisms. During her clinical work, she realized the significant role the built environment played in patient healing and healthcare-associated infections. Eager to comprehend this connection, she pursued a Master's Degree in Architecture. Armed with a unique blend of medical and architectural insights, Dr. Taylor delved into research on indoor environments and their impact on clinical outcomes. Her findings unveiled the profound influence of indoor air quality on acute infections, chronic inflammation, cognitive impairment, and various diseases. Importantly, these conditions affected occupants in all building types. Dr. Taylor shares her expertise by writing for publications like Engineered Systems Magazine and healthcare journals. She serves as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, a member of the Environmental Health Committee, and a technical advisor on Indoor Air Quality for the US Green Building Council. Dr. Taylor's pioneering work unites healthcare, microbiology, and architecture, fundamentally shaping our understanding of indoor environments and human health.

Tsai, Peter (USA)

Dr. Peter Tsai, Emeritus Professor at the University of Tennessee, has over 40 years of expertise in developing meltblowing (MB) systems and electrostatic charging (EC) materials for creating air filter electrets. The MB and EC technologies developed by Dr. Tsai have been utilized globally to produce billions of N95 face masks and numerous other air filtration applications. As the architect behind the core technology in N95 respirators, Dr. Tsai has made tremendous efforts to help industry players and the general public worldwide stay safe during the pandemic. He has received numerous international awards, including the Impact Award by the Federal Laboratory Consortium, the Director Award from Oak Ridge Laboratory, the 2021 US R&D Award, the Health Care Heroes Award from Knox.biz, and the Innovator Award 2020 from the Chinese American Museum. Dr. Tsai has earned 500 academic credit hours in Science and Engineering, published 500 technical papers, and holds 12 US patents. He has received three of the most prestigious awards from the University of Tennessee (UT) in recognition of his contributions to technology innovation and transfer. He is remaining active in R&D, curretnly conducting 10 projects with $1 million funding.

Tung, Kuo-Lun (Taiwan)

Dr. Tung is currently the Deputy Director of the Facility Technical Department at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. He served as a Distinguished Professor at National Taiwan University (NTU) and Deputy Director of the WInnER Center at NTU in Taipei, Taiwan. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in 1991, 1994, and 1998, respectively, all in chemical engineering from NTU. Before joining NTU in August 2012, he was the Director of the R&D Centre for Membrane Technology at Chung Yuan University from 2009 to 2012, specializing in research and development on membrane filtration applications for water and wastewater treatment for 20 years. Dr. Tung also serves as the editor of the Separation and Purification Technology journal and the Vice-Chair of the Membrane Technology Specialist Group in the International Water Association (IWA). He has been a fellow of IWA since 2019. Dr. Tung was a registered student in our CFSS 2022 Class. He has shown an excellent example to all of us for lifelong learning. He stated, "Filtration is a dynamic market impacting the air we breathe and the water we drink. Continuous learning and knowledge updates are crucial. We appreciate WFI's top-notch education program for students and the industry."

Vallet, Cédric (France)

Dr. Cédric Vallet serves as the Head of Product Management & Business Development for the Filtration Division at Ahlstrom. With an engineering degree in chemistry and a PhD from the University of Rennes in France, he started his distinguished career at Ahlstrom, taking on various roles across R&D, Sales, and Marketing in the filtration sector. Over the past 15 years, he has developed profound expertise in filtration media manufacturing, focusing particularly on air and liquid filtration applications within the transportation sector. In his current position, Dr. Vallet leads global initiatives such as Ahlstrom FiltEV®, an innovative platform providing high-performance filtration materials for Battery and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles. He has also played a pivotal role in the launch of Ahlstrom ECOTM, a new generation of lignin-containing materials, advancing eco-conscious technologies and supporting the growing sustainability demands in the global automotive market. Moreover, Dr. Vallet is a dedicated supporter of the WFI education program, contributing significantly to the global filtration industry. His efforts to enhance filtration knowledge and technology demonstrate a deep commitment to the field, benefiting the broader community through improved understanding and innovations.

Vijayakumar, R. (USA)

Dr. Vijayakumar is a globally leading expert and mentor in air filtration and contamination control, with over 30 years of experience and several patents. He received a PhD in particle technology. As the founder and head of AERFIL, he provides global consulting, technical solutions, and training in the field, and has served as an advisor to NASA on air filtration systems for space habitats. Dedicated to sharing knowledge, he frequently offers free teaching and advises start-ups. He's a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Building Research, involved in the University of Minnesota’s air and gas filtration course, and a founding faculty member of ISHRAE’s Cleanroom Certification Program. A Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer of ASHRAE, Vijayakumar has contributed significantly to cleanroom design education and lectures globally on filtration and aerosol mechanics. His publications include an iBook on Aerosol Mechanics and co-authorship of the ASHRAE Cleanroom Design Guide. As a past President of IEST and a current chair of standards development committees at ISO and in the US, he leads the standards for high efficiency filtration and filter media used in cleanrooms, hospitals, and indoor environments.

Yaeger, Scott (USA)

Mr. Scott Yaeger is currently President/CEO of Filtration and Separation Technology International, Inc. (FAST International, Inc.) . He has over 40 years with a broad range of experience in Membrane Filtration with several market leading manufacturers and marketers including Sartorius, Cuno/3M, Gelman/Pall, and PTI Advanced Filtration/Parker Hannifin. He has held worldwide senior level positions in Sales, Marketing, Engineering, R&D, Manufacturing, and General Management. Since 2004 as President of FAST Consulting, LLC, he has assisted in the development of new membranes into new and existing markets, new membrane device technologies, and new membrane applications for multiple market leading filtration companies.  Mr. Yaeger was the Founding Chairman of the American Filtration and Separation Society (AFS), a past Member of the Board of Directors, and Program Chair. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Electrocoat Association (EA). Mr. Yaeger has been awarded the Wells Shoemaker Award from AFS and the Brewer Award from EA. He is the inventor on 4 US Patents and their International counter parts, has presented over 400 technical papers into more than 10 technical societies. He is on the Editorial Board for Filtration News.

Zhang, Dong (USA)

Dr. Zhang is the editor-in-chief of Textile Research Journal (TRJ) and the Journal of Industrial Textiles (JIT). He is a globally well-recognized expert in textiles, nonwovens, material science and technologies. Dr. Zhang is the founder of Textile Research Associates (USA), an excellent resource to connect hundreds of experts in textiles and nonwovens from academia and the industry worldwide. He served as a research professor at the University of Tennessee’s Textiles and Nonwovens Development Center (TANDEC) from 1996 to 2004, with over 35 years of professional experience in textile engineering, carbon fibers, meltblown, spunbond, and other nonwoven processes. Dr. Zhang has over 100 publications, several US patents, and several books. He received his Ph.D. in Material Engineering and Science from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, USA in 1995, a Master of Engineering in textiles from Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, China, in 1985, and a Master of Science in material science from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, USA in 1991.

Zimmer, Tobias (Germany)

Mr. Zimmer is an experienced air filter specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the international ventilation industry. Since 2009 Mr. Zimmer has been employed by Camfil, an industry leading air filter manufacturer based in Sweden. He has held various positions within the Camfil Group and his current position is Vice President Global Product Management and International Standards. Mr. Zimmer serves actively in numerous working groups of several international standard committees including ISO TC142 (Cleaning equipment for air and other gases), CEN TC195 (Air filters for general air cleaning), CEN TC156 (Ventilation for buildings). Mr Zimmer is the convenor of the WG7, Environmental product declarations for air cleaning equipment in CEN TC 195 as well as Vice Chairman of PC-Fil at Eurovent Certification and an advisory board member of the Waterloo Filtration Institute.  In addition, he is active in various international ventilation & engineering industry associations and committees including Eurovent, REHVA, Eurovent Middle East, Eurovent International, VDMA and EHEDG. In this context, Mr. Zimmer co-authored several guidebooks and technical guidelines related to air filtration and ventilation.