Speakers, Panelists, and Session Chairs

• Dan Hanfling, The White House, Ex-officio
• Stephanie Hooker, NIST
• William Bahnfleth, The Pennsylvania State University 
• Richard Martinello, Yale School of Medicine 
• Ashish Mathur, Ultraviolet Devices Inc.
• Richard Rasansky, XCMR Inc.
• Ted Mao, Evercloak and International Ultraviolet Association President
• Kathleen McPhaul, University of Maryland School of Public Health 
• Dustin Poppendieck, National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Nicholas Heredia, SafeTraces
• Lewis Rubinson, B.Next, In-Q-Tel
• Stephanie Gora, York University, Toronto
• Cameron Miller, National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Phyllis Posy, Posy Global
• Curtis Donskey, Case Western Reserve University
• Hao Luo, USP Technologies
• Paula Olsiewski, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
• Peter Gordon, EIT2.0
• Katja Auer, Wellness Consultants, LLC
• Joy Dunkers, National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Troy Cowan, Vision Based Consulting, LLC
• Holger Claus, Ushio America Inc.
• James Montavon, Blueprint Biosecurity 
• P.K. Swain, EIT2.0
• Gigi Kwik Gronvall, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
• Richard Vincent, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Tatiana Koutchma, UV4Good
• Bill Anderson, University of Waterloo
• Shawn Verhoeven, GAP EnviroMicrobial Services Ltd.
• Neil Avner Cikurel, RND Ltd.
• Mark Hernandez, University of Colorado
• Darrin Leonhardt, EIT2.0
• Matthew Hardwick, ResInnova Clinical Diagnostics
• Sam Guzman, American Ultraviolet
• Giulia Santi, Light Progress Group
• Rajul Randive, Crystal IS

 

Dan Hanfling, The White House, Ex-officio

Dan Hanfling, MD has recently left the White House where he served as the Director for Private Sector Strategic Partnerships in the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response. In that capacity, he helped lead discussions focused on improvements needed in the built environment to help mitigate pandemic response. Dr. Hanfling is a board-certified emergency physician and one of the key contributors to the body of work created under the banner of the National Academy of Medicine focused on scarce resource allocation in the setting of catastrophic health emergencies. He has held numerous leadership positions in the delivery of out-of-hospital emergency care, including nearly 25 years in the urban search and rescue system, having responded to a number of significant disaster events over that time span. His interests remain focused on the intersection of health and national security, and he holds an academic appointment at George Washington University.

 

Stephanie Hooker, NIST

Dr. Stephanie Hooker is Associate Director, Material Measurement Laboratory, NIST and a materials engineer whose diverse interests have kept her enthusiastic about science for 20+ years. From smart systems to nanotechnology, she is fascinated by how the right material can make virtually anything possible. 

Stephanie has built space experiments to qualify new materials, helped grow a high-tech startup, and, for the last decade, managed and promoted research in applied materials and chemistry at NIST. 

As manager, Stephanie aims to help scientists pursue their passions and achieve great impact for the nation.

 

William Bahnfleth, The Pennsylvania State University 

William (“Bill”) Bahnfleth is a professor of architectural engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Registered Professional Engineer. He is a Fellow of ASHRAE, ASME, and ISIAQ. He has held previous positions with ZBA, Inc. and the US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. Dr. Bahnfleth is a past president of ASHRAE (2013-2014), past chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force and the ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee. He currently chairs ASHRAE SSPC 241, the committee responsible for ASHRAE Standard 241 – Control of Infectious Aerosols.

Dr. Bahnfleth’s research focuses on sustainable control of indoor air quality with a particular emphasis on bioaerosol control with germicidal UV. His research on germicidal UV includes experimental and analytical studies of and upper room systems, aqueous and airstream measurements of UV rate constants of viruses and bacteria including SARS-CoV-2, and field investigations of cooling coil maintenance systems. He is the author of more than 180 journal articles and 15 books and book chapters. Dr. Bahnfleth is a distinguished alumnus of the University of Illinois Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering and a recipient of the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society World Class Engineering Faculty Award. His ASHRAE honors include the Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award, Standards Achievement Award, Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, and the F. Paul Anderson Award, ASHRAE’s highest honor.

 

Richard Martinello, Yale School of Medicine 

Dr. Richard Martinello is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine. He is board certified in adult and pediatric infectious diseases and completed his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He trained in adult and pediatric infectious diseases in addition to healthcare epidemiology at Yale. Dr. Martinello most recently served as the Senior Physician Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System for nearly a decade before becoming the Chief Medical Officer for Yale Medicine. 

He had previously served as the Chief Consultant for Clinical Public Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In each of these roles, he leads teams focused on programs, policies, and processes to improve the safety, effectiveness, and quality of care provided to patients. He is the principal investigator of a research program funded by the CDC for work focused on improving infection prevention and control. 

 

Ashish Mathur, Ultraviolet Devices Inc.

Dr. Mathur serves as Vice President, Innovation and Technology at Ultraviolet Devices Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of UV products for both air and surface disinfection. He received his doctorate and master’s degrees in polymer science from Cornell University, USA. Dr. Mathur has over twenty-five years of experience in platform technology development, product innovation, technology transfer, manufacturing and commercialization of products for the UV disinfection and filtration industry. He holds several patents and over thirty publications to his credit. He serves on the Board of the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) and is an active member of ASHRAE, where he recently served as Chair of the Technical Committee for Ultraviolet Disinfection. He is active in UV Standards developments, Handbook chapters and Research projects for the UV Industry and leads the Industry Working Group for application of UV technology in public spaces.

 

Richard Rasansky, XCMR Inc.

Richard A. Rasansky is the co-founder and CEO of XCMR Inc., a techbio startup specializing in next generation, proprietary UV-C protection solutions to combat infectious disease transmission. A seasoned entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience, he has held leadership roles across various industries, including biosecurity, software, healthcare, financial and consumer services. He is a pioneer in global supply chain standards and IoT, with expertise in AI, machine learning, and data science. His innovations have supported real-time data services and connected solutions to drive applications, analytics, and engagement for diverse sectors such as digital health, fintech, apparel, and foodservice. An alumnus of the Wharton School and Penn Engineering, he holds patents in respiratory protection, scheduling applications and feedback systems. Rasansky contributes to industry boards, mentors students and entrepreneurs, and lectures on innovation at leading universities.

 

Ted Mao, Evercloak and International Ultraviolet Association President

Dr. Ted Mao is the Chief Technology Officer at Evercloak (www.evercloak.com), an award-winning advanced materials start-up, and the Founder and Principal Consultant of MW Technologies, where he supports CleanTech start-ups in developing and commercializing new technologies. Previously, he was Vice President of Research and Chief Technology Officer at Trojan Technologies for 14 years, one of the world’s largest UV water treatment companies. Dr. Mao is a globally recognized expert in UV technology and CleanTech innovator. He led science and innovation at Trojan to help drive Trojan’s growth by 300% and build a global leading brand in the water industry with differentiated and IP protected offerings. Today, Trojan’s solutions support safe water access and environmental protection for over 1 billon people in more than 100 countries.

Dr. Mao has made an outstanding contribution to the adoption of UV water treatment around the world through rigorous science, industry-academic collaborations and partnerships with regulators. He pioneered large scale implementation of the Mitacs industry internship program, partnering with more than 10 universities and supporting over 100 graduate and postdoctoral fellows to accelerate innovation and nurture future talents. 

Dr. Mao serves as President and executive board member of the International UV Association (IUVA). He is also a member of Professional Engineers Ontario and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

 

Kathleen McPhaul, University of Maryland School of Public Health 

Kathleen M McPhaul, RN, MPH, PhD is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Her work addresses the social determinants of health via recognizing and evaluating interventions that improve working conditions in high hazard workplaces. She uses community-based research mixed methods to ensure that workers’ and communities’ perspectives are included in the research. Currently, she focuses on pandemic preparedness for airborne respiratory diseases, especially the engineering and building controls that improve air hygiene (i.e. ventilation, filtration and germicidal ultraviolet light air disinfection). She also examines the best options for personal protective equipment for healthcare employees and the utilization of masks as infectious source control. 

Currently, she leads research on the best approaches to communication with communities to ensure that information and messaging is clear and actionable with respect to indoor air, germicidal UV, and other pandemic preparedness issues.

 

Dustin Poppendieck, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Dustin Poppendieck is an environmental engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He is interested in how building materials, building envelopes, low energy building designs, air filtration, infiltration, ventilation, and HVAC system operation can interact and affect indoor chemistry. His research involves characterizing primary emission sources, reactions at material surfaces and ozone influenced air chemistry. 

He has investigated emissions from kerosene can lamps, spray polyurethane foam, and non-smoldering cigarette butts.  He has examined the impacts of air cleaners (including germicidal ultraviolet devices) and high concentrations of gaseous disinfectants on indoor chemistry.

 

Nicholas Heredia, SafeTraces

Nicholas Heredia, PhD is a leader in pathogen detection, assay design, and biosensor development, specializing in advanced biotechnologies. During his postdoctoral work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he focused on detecting unknown pathogens for biodefense applications. He was an early innovator and a key member in the commercialization of digital PCR technology at QuantaLife, which was acquired by Bio-Rad Laboratories, where he continued to innovate in instrument, assay, and reagent development for precise digital biology measurements. He spearheads R&D at SafeTraces advancing bioaerosol detection technologies for improved infection prevention and respiratory health. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple major federal contracts and grants focused on commercializing and scaling next generation biosensor technology for healthcare facilities and critical infrastructure.

 

Lewis Rubinson, B.Next, In-Q-Tel

Dr. Rubinson is a Vice President for Technology in the B.Next (life sciences) practice at IQT, a strategic investor in innovative technology relevant to the USG national security mission.  For more than two decades he has focused on the challenges of delivering high quality medical care during emergencies such as outbreaks.  He spearheaded the multi-professional expert groups which developed the conceptual framework and operational tactics for Emergency Mass Critical Care.  

Lewis has also been a bed-side clinician caring for patients with novel pathogens during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the West African Ebola outbreak, and he was the medical director for the University of Maryland's Biocontainment Unit for nearly five years.  During the Covid-19 initial years, he was the Chief Medical Officer at Morristown Medical Center, a large regional referral center in New Jersey, and served as the lead physician executive for the hospital's Covid response. At the peak of the response, he oversaw 9 Covid-specific critical care units and 11 Covid-hospital units.

Dr. Rubinson attended medical school at Northwestern University Medical School. Lewis trained in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, where he also completed a PhD in Clinical Investigation.  Dr. Rubinson continues to practice at Johns Hopkins Hospital in adult pulmonary and critical care medicine. 

 

Stephanie Gora, York University, Toronto

Dr. Stephanie Gora is an assistant professor at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she leads the Safe and Sustainable Water Research Group and teaches courses related to water resources engineering, water process design, and engineering design principles. Her team's research is focused on the development and application of light-based technologies (e.g. UV, advanced oxidation, photocatalysis) for water treatment and biofilm control. The team also works on projects that aim to develop sustainable drinking water solutions for small, remote, and underserved communities, particularly in Inuit Nunangat. 

Dr. Gora holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and is registered as a professional engineer with Engineers Nova Scotia and Professional Engineers Ontario. She is a long time volunteer with the International UV Association, where she recently led the Biofilm and UV Task Force, as well as the Ontario Water Works Association and the Canadian Association on Water Quality. Dr. Gora’s team website is here for more information: https://www.yorku.ca/lassonde/research/sswrg/ 

 

Cameron Miller, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Cameron Miller joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1996. In 2022 Cameron became the Deputy Division Chief for the Sensor Science Division. Currently, he focuses on research including Photometry & Radiometry, Germicidal Ultraviolet Irradiance, Photopolymer additive manufacturing, and measurement uncertainty. 

Cameron is active in standards organization and professional societies, such as Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA), CIE, and ASTM. Cameron was made an IES Fellow in 2023. He is also an NVLAP assessor for the Energy Efficient Lighting Program and the Calibration Program. Cameron obtained his PhD in Physical Chemistry from Cornell University (1994).

 

Phyllis Posy, PosyGlobal

PosyGlobal develops proposals and funding applications for government agencies and industry, specializing in UV, water technologies, regulatory affairs and environmental restoration.  As an expert member of ISO TC282, Phyllis promoted standards for UV for water recycling for agriculture. 

She recently completed 5 years as Chair of the IUVA Education Committee, establishing the IUVA Education Resource Center and the IUVA’s Glossary effort. In prior roles, she organized successful campaigns to change EPA and FDA regulations to expand use of UV as well as applying validation protocols to UV efficacy for viruses.  

 

 

Curtis Donskey, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center/ Case Western Reserve University

Curtis Donskey, MD, is an Infectious Diseases physician and hospital epidemiologist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and a Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. His research focuses primarily on epidemiology and control of healthcare-associated pathogens. 

His laboratory has conducted numerous investigations of ultraviolet light technologies in laboratory and clinical settings. These technologies have included UV-C, UV-A, and far UV-C light devices. His work has been funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

 

 

Hao Luo, USP Technologies

Dr. Hao Luo holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta, specializing in ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and indoor air quality. His research focuses on understanding key factors influencing UV microbial inactivation kinetics and advancing models for UV fluence rate, airflow dynamics, and bioaerosol disinfection efficiency in indoor environments.

Currently, as a Postdoctoral Fellow at USP Technologies and Western University, he works on optimizing wastewater disinfection processes. He also serves as Co-chair of the IUVA Task Force on Air and Surface Treatment, where he is committed to advancing UV disinfection technologies across air, water, and surface applications to improve environmental and public health.

 

 

Paula Olsiewski, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Dr. Olsiewski is a Contributing Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She is a pioneering leader in policy and scientific research programs in the microbiology and chemistry of indoor environments. Dr. Olsiewski leads the Center’s work on indoor air quality policy to mitigate airborne disease and global catastrophic biological risks. 

During her 2 decades at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, she led innovative and multidisciplinary programs that inspired, accelerated, and produced lasting impact. Her expertise in partnering with academic, governmental, and for-profit stakeholders fostered innovation and built research capacity through the creation of diverse stakeholder networks. 

Her accomplishments include the creation and direction of the microbiology of the built environment, chemistry of indoor environments, and biosecurity programs. Dr. Olsiewski is recognized as a leading expert in biosecurity and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She was Chair of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Homeland Security Research Subcommittee and was a member of the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors Executive Committee 2014-2022. She is a member of the Academy of Fellows of the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in chemistry. Dr. Olsiewski received a PhD in biological chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and received a BS in chemistry, cum laude, from Yale University. Dr. Olsiewski's full bio is here.

 

Peter Gordon, EIT2.0

Peter E. Gordon is an executive in the global photonics industry. He connects stakeholders via conversation engineering, drives alliances and partnerships, and manages NPI, resulting in generation of new revenue streams. He operates in diverse lanes including applying UVC to enhanced indoor air quality as a member of ASHRAE and novel drinking water treatment approaches as a member of the IUVA. In parallel, he markets detachable fiber optic connection between Photonic Integrated Circuits for AI generation in data centers.  

He has secured seed funding for start-ups as well as closing several exits for established smaller optics companies and is a named inventor in several utility patent applications. He is a published author in conference proceedings, recently presenting at SPIE 2022, SPIE 2023 on beam correction mirrors, and ECOC 2022 and OFC 2023 on fiber optic connectivity. He was awarded an Emerging UVC LED Innovations Award by his industry peers in 2018. Finally, as the elected Vice Chairman of the Weston, CT Public School District Board of Education, he champions boosting STEM curriculum, instruction, and student achievement and he helms the WPS Education Optimization Committee focusing on facilities modernization, educational spaces reimagination, and sustainability. He holds an MS in History of Technology and Innovation from Edinburgh University, an MSEE from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BSEE from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Katja Auer, Wellness Consultants, LLC

Dr. Katja Auer, EdD, has been a pivotal figure in the UV-C industry for nearly two decades, focusing on pathogen reduction in the environment. Her extensive expertise spans applications engineering, regulatory compliance, quality management, education, and complex systems leadership. 

Dr. Auer has been a member of ASHRAE since 2007, serving in various capacities including Subject Matter Expert, Chair of Technical Committee 2.09 UV-C for Air and Surface Disinfection, Chair of SSPC185 Methods of Test for Microorganism Inactivation in HVAC Systems, and Voting Member of GPC 37 Guidelines for Upper-Air UV-C Devices. She also convenes the US TAG to ISO/TC 142 WG2. 

Dr. Auer holds a BA in Chemistry from Southern Connecticut State University, an MA in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Arizona, an MBA from the University of La Verne, and an EdD from the University of Houston. 

 

Joy Dunkers, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Joy Dunkers is a Physical Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD, where her technical specialty is optical imaging and spectroscopy. She has over 30 years experience with rigorous, impartial and data-driven science in the areas of materials, modeling and visualization, cell therapy, microbial systems and most recently germicidal UV inactivation. She currently serves a vice chair for ASHRAE 185: Methods of Test to Inactivate Microorganisms in HVAC Systems with UV-C Lights. 

She is also a member of the U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 142, WG 2 (UV-C technology) and the IUVA Healthcare/UV Working Group. She received her BSE, MS and PhD in Macromolecular Science from Case Western Reserve University. 

 

Troy E. Cowan, Vision Based Consulting, LLC

Richard L. Vincent, MS, FIES, LEED AP, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, trained as an architect and specialized in technology management. He is part of a Sinai investigative team studying integrative lighting to improve sleep of patients during hospitalization. His research in germicidal UV (GUV) applications encompasses induct for biosecurity, upper room for airborne pathogen reduction and whole room for surface decontamination of hospital associated pathogens. He has studied the application of traditional Hg sources, 254nm, LED, 275 nm and excimer 222nm filtered sources as well as LED visible light, 405nm.  He currently chairs the ASHRAE Upper Room UV-C₂₅₄ Guidelines Committee (GPC 37) and TC 2.9 research subcommittee. Since 1988, Mr. Vincent has devoted his time to working on germicidal UV solutions to interrupt transmission of tuberculosis starting with the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study (TUSS) led by Dr. Philip W. Brickner, MD, PI and Dr. Edward A. Nardell, MD, Co-I.  

Mr. Vincent has worked on upper room germicidal UV projects in the US, India and Pakistan. He has lectured on the use of upper room GUV during the COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID-19 he joined a team of Sinai virologists and bioengineers conducting research on inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 using UV-C₂₅₄ for reuse of respirators. His most recent work with the Mount Sinai team, includes a pulmonologist, to develop a localized source control to capture and irradiate high flow exhalate from infectious patients before release into a room or reuse to conserve oxygen in high-flow ventilation procedures. His current work involves use of 222nm UV-C in patient room settings to assess applicability for continuous surface decontamination. He is reporting on UV inactivation rate constants for design based on work with a group of scientists at the University of Maryland, led by Dr. Jelena Srebric. The UV inactivation rate constants database was sponsored by ASHRAE.

 

Tatiana Koutchma, UV4Good

Dr. Tatiana Koutchma is a Co-founder  of the USA NGO UV4Good and a Research Scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph Research and Development Centre where she leads research in novel food processing.

Tatiana’s activity focuses on application of novel processing technologies including ultraviolet light (UV) for good and  to enhance microbial and chemical safety and functionality of foods and feed including regulatory approvals, validation and technology transfer.  Tatiana initiates, directs and performs fundamental and applied research on UV light application for beverages, grain, food and food contact surfaces; interacts extensively with Canadian and international government agencies and collaborates with industry and academia partners.

Tatiana is an active promoter of novel food processing and science-based regulations to professional community.  She is a Scientific Editor of the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, Journal of Food Process Engineering, Food Science and Technology International, She is a co-founder and co-chair of UV for Food Working Group of International UV Association (IUVA). Tatiana is a past Chair of Nonthermal Processing Division of Institute of Food Technologies (IFT),  led food engineering track of Annual Meeting Scientific Program Advisory Panel (AMSPAP) and a member of IFT leadership committee.

She authored and co-authored 8 books, 14 book chapters, and more than 100 publications in peer reviewed and trade journals.

 

Bill Anderson,University of Waterloo

Dr. William A. (Bill) Anderson is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He has 30+ years of research and consulting experience in photoreactors, photocatalysis, advanced oxidation and other technologies for air and water treatment.  

His activities in the areas of disinfection and infection prevention include development and commercialization of rapid microbial detection tests, UVC surface and air disinfection testing, pathogen reduction on textiles, and antimicrobial surfaces and coatings. He has participated in an IUVA task force on submerged UVC lamp output measurements and is the Chair of a Standards Council of Canada ISO mirror committee on the development of standard methods for testing antimicrobial hard surfaces.

He currently leads a proposed research project in collaboration with Health Canada and others to develop methods and measure UVC dose-response characteristics of target pathogens on surfaces for use in regulatory reviews of such germicidal devices.

 

Shawn Verhoeven, GAP EnviroMicrobial Services Ltd.

Shawn Verhoeven is a skilled microbiologist and the Technical Manager at GAP EnviroMicrobial Services Ltd. (GAP), a leading provider of environmental microbiology laboratory services. GAP specializes in microbial support for UV water disinfection bioassays and UV equipment validation. With over two decades of expertise, GAP has played a crucial role in advancing UV Disinfection Guidance Manual (UVDGM) and National Water Research Institute (NWRI) UV validation protocols, including pioneering the use of T1UV as a key microbial surrogate.

Shawn brings over 17 years of experience in supporting UV disinfection bioassays, both in laboratory settings and in the field. He has made significant contributions to understanding and addressing key challenges in UV collimated beam uncertainty, developing strategies to minimize these issues. 

Additionally, Shawn was involved in the early development of action spectra for key microbial surrogates used in UV disinfection equipment validation. His ongoing work continues to improve the accuracy of UV bioassay testing, particularly in identifying and resolving interactions between certain surrogates, specific water types, and UVT modifiers that can lead to errors in testing.

 

Neil Avner Cikurel, RND Ltd.

Neil Avner Cikurel is the co-founder and Business Development Director of RND Ltd., a company specializing in Research and Development Projects and the industrial use of IR and UV technologies. With over 20 years of experience in the UV industry, Neil has led numerous high-impact R&D projects, focusing on food safety, novel food processing, surface inactivation, whole room and air disinfection solutions, securing substantial EU and Turkish government funding. Since 2014, Neil has been a strong advocate for real-time UV performance monitoring, emphasizing its critical role in ensuring system efficacy. Under his leadership, RND Ltd. has integrated real-time UV monitoring into all its manufactured equipment, reinforcing its commitment to reliability and performance verification.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spearheaded the development of nine UVC-based disinfection systems for surface, air, textile, and PPE applications, six of which were rapidly commercialized. Under his leadership, RND Ltd. became one of the first companies to receive approval from Turkey’s Ministry of Health for the efficacy of its UVC equipment. Neil played an active role in shaping Turkey’s Biocidal Products with No Active Substances regulations, as Turkey became one of the first countries in the world to regulate the use of UVC, HEPA filter, ionization or other novel technologies claiming to disinfect surfaces, environment, and air for disinfection purposes. His contributions helped establish guidelines ensuring the safe and effective application of UVC technology.

He is an active member of the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA), serving on the Healthcare/HAI and Technology & Research of Air and Surface Treatment (TRAST) working groups. In addition, he is a member of the Editorial Board of UV Solutions Magazine, contributing to industry knowledge and best practices. Neil holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Dokuz Eylul University and an MBA with a dual major in Marketing and E-Commerce from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is fluent in Turkish, English, French, and Spanish, and conversational in Italian. Neil brings a global perspective to innovation in UV technology, bridging research, regulation, and commercialization.

 

Mark Hernandez, University of Colorado

Dr. Mark Hernandez is the SJ Archuleta Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Aerobiology and Disinfection Lab at the University of Colorado. Dr. Hernandez attained all his degrees from University of California at Berkeley and holds the Archuleta Chair of Environmental Engineering at the University of Colorado. He is a registered professional civil engineer and is an expert on the characterization and control of bioaerosols. His research leverages modern forensic science for air quality surveillance and the design of novel disinfection systems for the built environment.

During his 28 years on the University of Colorado’s engineering faculty, he has authored over 120 archival publications and holds 8 patents–many of which are licensed to the tech sector. He has served on four US National Academy of Science Committees, focusing on the containment of bioterrorism research, the microbiology of the indoor environments and disease transmission in urban settings and slums. He is currently leading a CDC funded effort to couple air quality monitors with (70,000) HEPA filters being installed in public school classrooms across the State of Colorado.

 

Darrin Leonhardt, EIT2.0

Dr. Darrin Leonhardt, joined EIT 2.0 in late 2024 as their Chief Innovation Officer and Head of Engineering to champion the development of new UV measurement products. Prior to joining EIT 2.0, Dr. Leonhardt held technology leadership roles at Euclid Techlabs (ultrafast electron microscope technology and ultrawide bandgap materials) and Heraeus Noblelight’s industrial specialty lighting (UV) business. At Noblelight (formerly Fusion UV Systems), he led global R&D teams developing gas discharge and solid state UV light sources from laboratory proof-of-concept to full product release in local markets (US, Europe, China). Prior to Noblelight, Dr. Leonhardt was a research physicist at the Naval Research Laboratory carrying out basic research in plasma physics and plasma-induced modification of materials.    

 

Matthew Hardwick, ResInnova Clinical Diagnostics

Matthew Hardwick, PhD, is a thought leader in the field of infection prevention and an expert in antimicrobial surface technologies. Dr. Hardwick conducted his academic research at Georgetown University, where he earned his PhD in Cell Biology, and at Johns Hopkins University, where he completed postdoctoral fellowships in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Brady Urological Institute.

His last academic appointment was with MedStar Health Research Institute where he worked on numerous research initiatives including the development and effective use of antimicrobial surfaces in clinical healthcare environments.

He is widely published, authoring articles on the use of antimicrobial technologies in clinical environments and the role of microbial surface contamination on infection rates in clinical settings.

Dr. Hardwick is very active in professional standards organizations such as AATCC, ASTM International, and ASHRAE. Working closely with community-oriented non-profits, he also serves as an active leader focusing on local partnerships and engagement.

 

Sam Guzman, American Ultraviolet

Mr. Guzman is the Global Director of Sales for the American Ultraviolet Company and is responsible for all of American Ultraviolet’s product lines including germicidal equipment for liquid, surface, and air disinfection as well as UV systems for photochemical activation. Mr. Guzman’s expertise includes electrodeless, arc lamps, additive lamps, low pressure and medium pressure lamps, pulsed xenon sources, LEDs, and amalgam lamps systems.  His experience includes designing custom systems for curing, disinfection, HVAC, pharmaceutical applications, food service, and healthcare applications.

Mr. Guzman has been an active member of the ASHRAE TC 2.9 - Ultraviolet Air and Surface Treatment technical committee for over 28 years and is currently serving as the Chair. Prior to this, he served as the Vice Chair, Secretary, and Programs Chair. He is a contributing author to the ASHRAE handbook chapters for both fundamentals and systems and equipment as well as SPC-185.1, 185.2, and is the current Chair of 185.2. Mr. Guzman is also currently a contributor and voting member of GPC-37. Mr. Guzman has been a session Chair and a speaker at multiple ASHRAE / AHR conferences, providing seminars and roundtable discussions on the use of UV-C energy in an operating theater, HVAC systems, and for direct surface disinfection. Mr. Guzman is also a founding member of the IUVA (International Ultra-Violet Association) Healthcare working group, is a member of the Chairman’s kitchen cabinet. 

 

Giulia Santi, Light Progress Group

As CEO, Giulia leads the strategic vision and direction of Light Progress S.r.l., a manufacturer of UV-C disinfection devices for air quality improvement, surface treatment in industrial & food processing, and healthcare applications. With 15 years of industry marketing and sales experience, she drives growth and customer satisfaction in every facet of the company. Giulia is a UVC disinfection expert and a lifelong learner, passionate about market development and innovation. She received her master's degree in Export Management from Business School Il Sole 24 Ore with a specialization in International Marketing from The Umbra Institute. She is a native Italian living in Tuscany and fluent in English, German, French, and Italian.

 

Rajul Randive, Crystal IS

Rajul Randive is the Director of Application Engineering at Crystal IS. Dr. Randive specializes in advancing UVC LED technology for disinfection applications. His extensive experience in applications, technical sales, and customer relations has enabled him to effectively bridge customer needs with product development efforts. He ensures that innovations align with market demands by translating customer feedback into actionable enhancements.  

Rajul's role involves not only overseeing engineering but also working collaboratively with customers and internal teams to refine testing protocols and product specifications. With an MBA and a strong background in prototype development, he excels in mapping customer requirements into engineering solutions. This approach has been instrumental in driving industry-leading product roadmaps and fostering sustainable business growth.  

Rajul has a PhD in Organic Chemistry, an MS in Chemistry from Clarkson University, and MBA from the State University of New York at Albany.