External Advisory Board

Laboratory Fellow, Lead Scientist, and Chemist, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA

Don Baer is a Laboratory Fellow and a lead scientist in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Most of his research has explored the impact of surfaces and interfaces on material properties including understanding the behaviors of nanoparticles in aqueous and biological media, the surface chemistry and dissolution of oxides and minerals, and the role of interfacial chemistry on battery materials and stress corrosion cracking in metals. He has specialized in adapting surface sensitive tools to address complex problems and to provide quantitative information. Don received his PhD in Physics from Cornell University.

Chemist, Materials and Processes, Safran Cabin Inc., Marysville, WA

Emily Brown is a Western Washington University graduate where she received her B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry. In 2018, she began working in Research & Technology at Safran Cabin, a manufacturer of complete, integrated interiors for aircraft. Now, Emily works with a team of Materials and Process Engineers to pursue, develop, and evaluate disruptive materials and technologies for use in aerospace applications. She is interested in mature and nascent technologies that are greener, safer, more sustainable, and with reduced processing times, especially with regards to composites, adhesives, and honeycomb core. She is also interested in non-brominated flame retardants and the development of new techniques and methods for the characterization of fire properties.

Research & Development Manager, Janicki Industries, Inc., Hamilton, WA

Todd Chase received his BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado - Boulder. Todd has worked for Janicki Industries since 2012 -- a privately owned company that specializes in advanced composites and metals manufacturing of parts, prototypes, and tools. In Todd's role as a Research and Development Manager, he directs a team of engineers and technicians to push the boundaries of materials and manufacturing processes to build bigger and more challenging parts.

President and Partner, Conveyor Dynamics, Inc., Bellingham, WA

Jean-Luc Cornet is the president of Conveyor Dynamics, Inc. (CDI) -- a leader in the mining and minerals processing industry, and construction and manufacturing organizations through advanced belt conveyor and transfer chute systems, and ore comminution engineering. Jean-Luc received his PhD in Engineering Science at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. He has completed research and development in the areas that include brake and drive control algorithms, belt stress and side travel modeling, triaxial stress and fatigue analysis.

Emeritus Professor and B. Seymour Rabinovitch Endowed Chair, Chemistry, George B. Kauffman Professor, Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Larry Dalton is a renowned expert in a number of topics related to photonics including organic non-linear optical materials and devices, plasmonics, and photovoltaics. He serves as Director of the National Science Foundation Science (NSF) and Technology Center on Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research, the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Center on Polymeric Smart Skin Materials, the DARPA MORPH (Supermolecular Photonics) Program, the DARPA CS-WDM Program, and the NSF NIRT Program on Optoelectronic Materials. Larry is a Co-Founder and Co-Principal Investigator of the Center for Technology Entrepreneurship and a Research Fellow at University of Washington School of Business. He was also one of the principals in founding the Nanotechnology Center and the Nanotechnology PhD Program at UW. Larry received his PhD in Physical, Organic, and Materials Chemistry from Harvard University.

Professor, Engineering Program Coordinator, Whatcom Community College Bellingham, WA

Eric Davishahl received his MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington and is a tenured Professor of Engineering and the Engineering Program Coordinator at Whatcom Community College (WCC). Eric participates in many aspects of STEM education at WCC and actively works with WWU’s science programs. He has created a strong relationship with WWU that enhances the educational bridge from an AS degree to a BS degree at WWU. Eric has received numerous grants including a NSF grant in STEM education. Prior to his nearly 20-year career teaching in higher education, Eric worked in the field of fuel cell systems engineering. In addition to his work with AMSEC, he serves on the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Board of Directors.

Interim Director of the Institute of Materials Research, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

John McCloy is the Lindholm, Herman & Brita Endowed Chair in Materials Engineering and the Interim Director of the Institute of Materials Research at Washington State University. As a professor and researcher, John's areas of interest include nuclear materials, functional materials (optical, magnetic, electronic), material degradation (ceramics, glasses, metals), and advanced materials characterization methods. He has been published in numerous journals including Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, and Journal of Applied Physics.

Systems Engineer, Boeing, Seattle, WA

Ashley Tracey, PhD, is an engineer at The Boeing Company who works on the Product Strategy and Future Airplane Development team for Boeing Commercial Airplanes with a focus on composites, materials characterization, and surface preparation and adhesion. She is also actively involved with the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE), volunteering for various roles both locally and nationally. In 2018, she was selected as the SAMPE Young Professional of the Year. Ashley completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Washington.

Retired Aerospace Engineer/Executive (Pratt & Whitney Canada, Honeywell Aerospace, Rockwell Collins)

Dave received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, Canada.  He spent his career in the Aerospace industry and was involved in component design of gas turbine engines, and later in business development in the engines and avionics businesses.  He operated at the interface between Mechanical and Materials Engineering, focusing on component life prediction methodologies in advanced metallic and ceramic materials.  He utilized solid mechanics, fracture mechanics, and probabilistic design principles while incorporating material behavior considerations to address failure modes such as low and high cycle fatigue, stress rupture, thermomechanical fatigue, etc."