Selected Profiles

Antonio Aguilar

Logistics Technician

As the Logistics Technician for NuMat, Antonio supports shipping, receiving, material purchasing and handling as well as chemical inventory and waste management. Prior to NuMat, Antonio worked in similar roles at Amazon and T-Mobile.

Andy Arboleda

Head of Finance

Andy is responsible for the execution of strategic, financial, and corporate development initiatives at NuMat. He brings over 12 years of experience executing capital markets and strategic transactions as an investment banker and, most recently, as operator of a family business. Andy received his MBA from the Wharton School and his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida.

Edwin Argueta

Senior Process Engineer

As a Senior Process Engineer, Edwin oversees process development programs, pilot lab operation and process modeling initiatives at NuMat. Prior to joining the team, Edwin completed his Masters degree in Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University. Before NuMat, Edwin worked with the Snurr Lab to develop a novel charge-assigning method to improve the accuracy of MOF simulations.

Dr. Jose Arno

Chief Technology Officer

Jose is a technology and R&D leader with extensive experience in the specialty gas, electronics materials (delivery, sensing and abatement), and defense industries. He has a proven record of inventing, developing, and scaling up a number of commercially successful products related to advanced gas and materials delivery, pollution control, chemical sensing and detection instrumentation. He specializes in building technology teams and product development processes aligned with the size and needs of a growing organization. Throughout his career, Jose has authored 45 technical publications and holds 40 US patents for diverse applications. At NuMat, he leads the technology organization and provides the strategic vision that drives the technology and product development roadmaps. Prior to NuMat, Jose was the R&D Director at ATMI (later acquired by Entegris, NASDAQ:ENTG), Senior RD&E Director at Smiths Detection, and Vice President of Technology at NexPlanar (later acquired by Cabot Microelectronics, NASDAQ: CCMP). He received B.S. degrees in both chemistry and physics, and a PhD in physical chemistry from Texas A&M University.

Jackson Du

Senior Process Engineer

As Senior Process Engineer, Jackson is responsible for process design, scale-up, implementation, and optimization. Prior to joining NuMat, Jackson worked at Honeywell UOP, and led numerous petrochemical projects in a dozen different countries. He received his Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Omar K. Farha

Chief Scientific Officer, Founder

Omar K. Farha is a Founder of NuMat Technologies and the Dow Chemical Company Professor in Chemistry at Northwestern University. His current research spans diverse areas of chemistry and materials science ranging from energy to defense-related challenges. Specifically, his research focuses on the rational design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for applications sensing, catalysis, storage, separations, and water purification. His research accomplishments have been recognized by several awards and honors including a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Academy of Arab Scientists, Kuwait Prize, Japanese Society of Coordination Chemistry “International award for creative work”, the Royal Society of Chemistry “Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Early Career” Award, the American Chemical Society “The Satinder Ahuja Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science.” Omar has more than 480 peer-reviewed publications, holds 16 patents, 55,000 citation and h-index of 113 (google Scholar), and has been named a “Highly Cited Researcher” from 2014 to 2019.

Andy Farley

Director of Operations

Andy is responsible for leading manufacturing operations and facilitating scale-up of new commercial technologies. Prior to joining NuMat, Andy worked at Grace (NYSE: GRA), a leading specialty chemical and advanced materials company, in engineering and operations management positions in their hydroprocessing catalyst business. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth.

Dr. Lauren Fisher

Talent Acquisition and Assessment Lead

Lauren leads the talent acquisition and assessment strategy for the company. She is responsible for sourcing a diverse talent pipeline for the company's immediate and longer-term hiring needs. Internally, she utilizes assessments for leadership development purposes and to identify high potential talent. She also works with senior leadership on the execution of diversity and inclusion initiatives. Prior to NuMat, she was an executive search assessment consultant at one of the world's largest recruitment and organizational consulting firms. She received her PhD in counseling psychology from Columbia University and her MA and BA in psychology from Boston College.

Roberto Flores

Senior Process Development Specialist

Bob’s expertise lies in the commercial scale-up of novel porous materials, as well as management of current and new production processes. He joins NuMat from UOP, a Honeywell company, with over a decade of experience in zeolite synthesis, catalyst development, and new manufacturing technologies. While at UOP, he successfully commercialized multiple products for the petrochemical and water treatment industries.

Patrick Fuller

Director of Technology

As Director of Technology, Patrick is responsible for managing a portfolio of emerging technologies from ideation through product commercialization. This includes advanced separation technologies in the energy, defense, and semiconductor sectors. In addition, Pat oversees NuMat's digital technology and computational teams, leading the development of proprietary platforms for the development of programmable chemistries.  Patrick has received awards for designing air and water purifiers, published numerous research papers and patents, and is an active advocate for open-source scientific software. He is a key inventor of NuMat's computational technology.

Randi Groy

Process Development Specialist

Randi supports the process and development of MOF prototypes, helping transition novel chemistries into products. She has extensive experience in R&D for catalysis applications, specializing in synthesis and formation, from her previous employment at UOP, a Honeywell Company. Randi completed her master’s degree in synthetic chemistry at DePaul University.

Volker Heilmann

Sales & Marketing, Electronic Materials

Volker has over 25 years of experience in global sales, marketing, business development, and general management roles within the chemicals and specialty gas industry. His experience ranges from scaling start-ups through exit to launching high-growth products and managing teams in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining NuMat, Volker was a Senior Vice President at Matheson TriGas, a global leader in the gas industry and a member of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation. In this role, he led highly profitable business units responsible for manufacturing and marketing material-enabled strategic products. As part of this effort, Volker directly led sales and qualification efforts, setup, and management of indirect sales and distribution channels. Volker received a degree in Industrial Business Management in Frankfurt, Germany.

Benjamin Hernandez

Chief Executive Officer, Founder

Ben is the Founder & CEO of NuMat Technologies. Prior to NuMat, he worked at a global private equity firm with over $30 B in invested capital. In this capacity, Ben led board-level strategy, operations, and human capital initiatives  to drive enterprise growth at portfolio companies. He previously was a management consultant at a leading firm, serving clients in the industrial technology sectors, including advanced materials. An engineer by training, he received a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the the Northwestern University School of Law, and an MBA with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.

William Hoover

Quality Specialist, Senior Chemist

Bill supports manufacturing quality initiatives, building and maintaining adherence to the ISO9001:2015 standards that drive NuMat's products. He also supports the synthesis and scale-up of novel porous materials at NuMat. He received his B.A. in Chemistry from Northwestern University.

John Jeanneret

Vice President, Business Development

John is a senior business development executive with over 35 years of experience in managing and structuring global alliances, strategic partnerships, and development agreements in the advanced materials, industrial technology, and oil & gas sectors. Prior to NuMat, John served as a Business Director at UOP, a Honeywell Company and a market leader in adsorbent and catalyst technology. In this role, he successfully launched new products and businesses, managing R&D, marketing, sales, and manufacturing resources in a high-growth, rapid scale-up environment. He also served as UOP’s Director of Open Innovation & Alliances, where he managed an extensive global portfolio of strategic alliances, partnerships, and research collaborations. John is a chemical engineer by training and received his MBA from the University of Chicago.

Dr. James Jeffryes

Senior Software Engineer

James manages the computational infrastructure that supports NuMat's operations. He also drives continual improvement of production and research processes by developing and deploying automation and manufacturing tracking software. Prior to joining NuMat, James earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern and was a software developer on the Department of Energy's Systems Biology Knowledge Base.

Jill Johnson

Director of Administration

Jill Johnson works with the CEO and senior level management to execute on NuMat’s key initiatives. She is responsible for administrative functions, including managing day-to-day operations, accounting processes, and marketing projects, and acts as the main organizational contact for vendors, regulatory agents, and other key relationships. Prior to NuMat, Jill worked at Northwestern University for 10 years. Her most recent position was with the Department of Chemistry serving at the Associate Director for Administration.

Dr. Yeon Hye Kwon

Senior Applications Engineer

Yeon is a Senior Applications Engineer at NuMat. She is an expert in integrating novel chemistries into membrane systems for complex separations. Yeon received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and completed her post-doctoral studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

Owen Lumsden

Manufacturing Supervisor

Owen is a Manufacturing Supervisor at NuMat Technologies. His main responsibilities include managing production and assembly processes of engineered products integrating novel chemistries. Prior to NuMat, Owen worked in industries ranging from construction to manufacturing. 

Carri Miller

Director of Contracts Management

Carri is our Contracts and Proposal Management consultant, providing in-depth professional guidance and support in the navigation of contract requirements and audited business systems. Carri is a Certified Federal Contracts Manager and Certified Professional Contracts Manager and holds a MBA from Tiffin University.  Carri has over 20 years experience in the execution of contracts, subcontracts and establishing corporate business systems.

Dr. William Morris

Director of  Research & Development

William leads the chemistry team, carrying out a wide range of research and development tasks in the area of gas storage, separations, and catalysis, identifying porous materials for applications and evaluating product feasibility. He is also engaged in several strategic partnerships with government and industry sponsors. Prior to NuMat, William completed his Ph.D. work in the laboratory of Professor Omar Yaghi where he worked on the synthesis, characterization, and postmodification of metal-organic frameworks and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. Following his Ph.D., he spent two years at Northwestern, where he developed skills in lithography, nanoparticle synthesis, and DNA-mediated assembly.

Sam Nave

Software Developer

Sam identifies opportunities and develops software solutions that improve manufacturing and research workflow as a member of the Data Engineering Team. Before joining NuMat, Sam received his B.S. in Computer Science from Benedictine University with a minor in Mathematics and Physics.

Natalie Nicholls

Applications Engineer

As a part of the applications team, Natalie is responsible for developing methods to test novel materials and bringing them to real-world applications. Prior to joining NuMat she developed a broad technical skillset at Honeywell UOP, including the synthesis and evaluation of materials for catalysis and energy storage and the use of CNC machining for prototyping. She received her degree in Chemistry from Colorado College.

Hector Rea

Manufacturing Specialist

Hector is a Manufacturing Specialist at NuMat Technologies and is responsible for manufacturing operations, including integrating novel chemistries into engineered products in an ISO9001:2015 environment. Prior to NuMat, Hector received his degree in physics and led a team of undergraduate researchers in analyzing the effects of carbon retention in high alkali glasses using Raman Spectroscopy, Pycnometry, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

Rachelle Richardson

Senior Chemist

Rachelle supports the design and synthesis of novel porous materials at NuMat. Previously, she worked at the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, researching a derivative of a plant starch for use as a potential anti-malarial drug. She also worked as a research assistant at Xavier University, where she researched anti-cancer nano-therapeutic drugs.

Vince Rinaolo

Chemist

Vince applies his synthetic chemistry background to design small molecules which he incorporates into porous structures. He evaluates these carefully crafted adsorbents for a variety of purification applications. Prior to joining NuMat Vince worked as a science teacher for three years. Vince received his B.A./M.S. from Northwestern University while working as a researcher with Professor Regan Thomson.

Stephanie Rodriguez

QC Analytical Chemist

Stephanie supports the characterization of novel porous materials at NuMat, working with both the Quality and R&D organizations. Prior to joining the team, Stephanie participated in research comparing metabolic enzymes from organisms undergoing harsh conditions such as starvation.

John Siegfried

Director of Engineering

As Director of Engineering, John is responsible for overseeing product development and process scale-up programs. Prior to joining NuMat, John worked at UOP, a Honeywell company, where he contributed to the commercialization of multiple process technologies in the refining and petrochemical sector. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Northwestern University.

Dr. Paul Siu

Director of Quality

Paul evaluates new product and engineering designs and their transition to manufacturing, collaborating with all functional areas of the company.  He ensures products and services are in compliance with the company's and customer's  quality and regulatory requirements.  Paul is also responsible for the company's Quality Management System and for managing internal/external audits.

Kevin Stoffel

R&D Chemist

Kevin's role in the laboratory focuses on the synthesis, characterization, optimization, formation, and scale-up of porous materials.  Prior to joining NuMat's chemistry team, Kevin received his B.A. in chemistry from Northwestern University and has experience with research into the MOF-assisted destruction of chemical warfare agents.

Dr. Glenn Tom

Technology Fellow

Glenn is widely recognized as an expert in the development of next-generation gas storage, separation, and purification products, holding more than 90 U.S. patents and developing the technology used in two-thirds of all point-of-use specialty gas purifiers installed globally. At NuMat, he is responsible for developing and launching new products. Prior to NuMat, Glenn co-founded ATMI, which was acquired for $1.1B by Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG). At ATMI, Glenn served as Chief Scientist, Vice President of Research and Development, and Technical Fellow. Prior to ATMI, Glenn spent nine years at Hercules Corporation, a major chemicals manufacturer acquired by Ashland (NYSE: ASH). He received his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Stanford University and performed post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Daniel Tsai

Vice President, Performance Materials

Daniel has 30 years of experience in performance materials, including leadership roles in business development, commercialization, marketing, R&D, and operations, spanning from industrial to consumer companies.  Prior to joining NuMat, Daniel was the Global Director of Business Development and Strategy for U.S. Silica. Daniel has previously served in commercial and technical leadership roles at Imerys, Kimberly Clark, and Air Products. He also founded an advanced materials firm, where he served as CEO. In his career, Daniel has consistently demonstrated his ability to create and effectively execute innovative growth strategies, which is balanced with understanding of value propositions, customer needs, and market trends.  Daniel holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and an M.B.A from Kellogg School of Management.

Dr. Nicolaas Vermeulen

Lead Chemist

As a member of the chemistry team, Nicolaas supports organic synthesis, porous material design and formation, and materials characterization. Before joining NuMat, Nicolaas worked with Corteva (formerly Dow Agrosciences), a leader in agrochemicals, as a Discovery chemist where he worked to design and develop new pesticidal compounds. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Prof. Christina White in organometallic catalysis and joined the group of Prof. Fraser Stoddart, at Northwestern University, to complete post-doctoral training in supramolecular chemistry.

Dr. Ross Verploegh

Senior Research Engineer

Ross is a computational engineer at NuMat. He combines novel atomistic simulations with traditional unit and process modeling to drive new product and process development. He also employs predictive analytics that leverage NuMat’s growing RD&E databases to accelerate materials innovation. Ross received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Tim Wang

Senior Scientist

Tim is a research scientist at NuMat and conducts research to provide fundamental understanding of the materials used in gas storage, separation, and catalysis applications.  Prior to NuMat, Tim completed his Ph.D. at Northwestern University and spent two years at Sandia National Laboratories working on hydrogen storage, radiation detection, and biofuel catalysis.

Sandra Weiss

Chief IP Counsel

As Chief IP Counsel, Sandy is responsible for managing and prosecuting NuMat's patent portfolio and trademarks, developing its intellectual property strategy, and IP licensing and acquisition activities. She has over 30 years of experience in intellectual property law, in both law firms and in-house. Sandy received both her bachelor's degree in chemistry and her master's degree in inorganic chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She worked as a bench chemist for two years at the Department of Energy doing research on analytic methods for uranium. She transferred to the DOE patent group while pursuing her law degree at DePaul University of College of Law. Upon graduation, Sandy worked at law firms large and small, serving clients in all areas of intellectual property, particularly patents. In 2014 she joined Akzo Nobel, a global chemicals, paints, and coatings company, as Senior IP Counsel. In that role she worked closely with various  business groups in providing IP protection for products across a wide range of industries, and in negotiating a range of contracts including joint development agreements, licenses, and confidentiality agreements, as well as IP provisions in commercial contracts.

Jeff Wells

Senior Chemist

As a member of the chemistry team, Jeff carries out a range of tasks in the laboratory, including organic synthesis, porous material formation, and materials characterization. Before joining NuMat, Jeff developed his synthetic organic chemistry skills at Eli Lilly where he spent five years as a medicinal organic chemist, synthesizing hundreds of therapeutic molecules for targeted pharmaceutical applications.

Dr. Mitch Weston

Director of Applications

Mitch is an expert in the rational design, synthesis, and characterization of porous materials. At NuMat, he oversees the Applications Group, which is responsible for transitioning novel chemistries into products. In this capacity, he oversees a diverse team of engineers, chemists and material scientists.  As a synthetic chemist, his prior research focused on developing new porous materials useful for gas storage, heterogeneous catalysis, and chemical separation applications.

Javan Whitney-Warner

Process Engineer

Javan supports process development and optimization efforts as part of NuMat’s Engineering team. Before joining NuMat, Javan received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University, where she gained research experience in organic synthesis and kinetic modeling of chemical reactions. 

Susan Wojnicki

Senior Scientist

As a Sr. R&D Scientist in the Applications team, Susan provides technical support to R&D and Engineering in the design and scale-up of MOF based solutions.  Prior to joining NuMat, Susan worked at Honeywell UOP, a leading refining and petrochemical company, with extensive experience in catalyst characterization, methods standardization, quality programs, project management, team leadership and safety programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Loyola University, Chicago.

Dr. Ash Wright

Lead Chemist

As a Lead Chemist at NuMat, Ash leverages his extensive experience in inorganic chemistry to design and evaluate porous materials for diverse applications. Prior to NuMat, Ash completed his PhD in synthetic inorganic chemistry at UC Santa Barbara before moving onto post-doctoral positions at University of Washington and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His expertise is in porous materials and small molecule reactivity.