Guest Speakers
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Andrea Carrao
Andrea Carrao works as a Group Leader of the R&D ESG team at Kao USA Inc. in Cincinnati, OH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kao Corporation, and leading manufacturer and marketer of top beauty brands including Jergens, Ban, Bioré, Curél, Wakati, and John Frieda. In this role, Andrea is responsible implementing the global and sector sustainability strategies within R&D. Previously, she has been responsible for the environmental safety assessment of Kao's beauty care products. In total, she has over 17 years of industry experience in safety and sustainability. Andrea has her Masters in Environmental Policy and Management and a Bachelors in Biological Science. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Cincinnati and is studying the environmental exposure potential of UV filters released from sunscreen products.
Mark Chandler
Mark Chandler is President of ACT Solutions Corp (Adaptive Cosmetic Technology Solutions), a formulation design consultancy and laboratory founded in 2012, serving the cosmetic and topical pharmaceutical industries, focusing on Adaptive Aesthetic Design™, Advanced Emulsion Solutions™, and Formulating for Efficacy™.
Mark has been in the industry for over 35 years, most recently serving as skin care applications manager for Croda Inc. He has had roles in Sales, Marketing, Strategic Planning and Acquisitions, and Research and Development. Mark has taught courses for the SCC, CfPA, and SpecialChem on Cosmetic Formulation, Cosmetic Raw Materials, Liquid Foundation Emulsions, Practical Basics and Theory in Emulsion Technology, Formulating for Efficacy, Surfactant Selection, Formulating with Food Ingredients, and Low Energy Emulsification for over 20 years.
Mark also is a lecturer in the Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design program at the University of Toledo – College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He was awarded Fellow status by the SCC in 2014. Mark has presented technology throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has authored numerous technical articles and chapters in such publications as Harry’s Cosmeticology and the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
Ingrid Chirico
Ingrid Chirico is currently the Distributor Network Manager at Schülke Inc., promoting preservatives and providing technical support to formulators in the USA and Canada.
She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from her native country of Colombia and has been active in the cosmetic industry for over 20 years. Prior to this role, she was a Senior Product Development Chemist at Chanel in the Toiletries and Skincare group for nine years, where she gained great insight into the fragrance industry and formulated unique products incorporating the iconic Chanel fragrances. She has also held positions as a formulations chemist in various USA companies, such as Voyant Beauty (formerly CEI), J&J, L’Oréal, and American Spraytech.
Ingrid is also an active member of the NYSCC and has collaborated in organizing various events for the cosmetic industry in the US. In addition, she has written technical articles on preservation as well as given lectures on this matter at educational schools (Rutgers University).
Kapal Dewan
Kapal Dewan has more than 30 years of overall experience working with pharmaceutical companies, in hospital and with Federal government. Mrs. Dewan expertise is in areas of policy and regulations, nanotechnology, toxicology, and project management. She has provided leadership and mentored scientist involved in the development of scientific review, policies, guidance, and regulations of cosmetic products. Mrs. Dewan is actively involved in many scientific working groups and have played a key role in developing policies for FDA regulated products. She is the lead author of cosmetics nanotechnology guidance titled “Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics.” Ms. Dewan is also a member of the Association of Government Toxicologists, the Genetic Toxicology Association, and the Society of Toxicology. Prior to joining FDA Mrs. Dewan worked for ICF International, DuPont Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Merck. She has a dual career, having worked as a clinical geneticist with Christiana Health Care Systems for 10 years.
Mrs. Dewan has a B.S. in biology from Patna University and an M.S. in biology with an emphasis in genetics from Science College, Patna, Bihar, India. She has conducted three years of post-graduate research in genetics at Delhi University. Ms. Dewan is a certified clinical laboratory specialist in cytogenetics [CLsp (CG)].
Angela DeLoach Ellington
Angela DeLoach Ellington, scientist, inventor and industry expert in the field of ethnic research and innovation is the founder and chief executive officer of D&E Industries Inc. and Moistura Silk. Angela’s career spans nearly three decades of driving business success for global personal care companies by leading the development of innovative products for textured hair. She is recognized as an authority in the field of product development and consumer insights. As an authority in the field, she has authored and co-authored a body of work in the cosmetic industry, providing scientific insights to consumers and fellow scientists on ethnic research and innovation. She has been awarded several patents in the field of hair care research.
Angela is the former Assistant Vice President of Ethnic Research and Innovation at L’Oréal USA, the global cosmetics leader. During her tenure she rose through the ranks and earned positions of increased leadership and responsibility. Under her leadership, she championed and inspired ethnic research and innovation for the conglomerate’s North America, Europe, Brazil and Africa operations, affording her the opportunity to travel to numerous countries educating scientists, dermatologists, stylists and business partners on the uniqueness of ethnic hair care product development. Angela has dedicated most of her life to fostering the development of quality, safe, innovative and high performing hair care products. In her positions at D&E Industries Inc. and Moistura Silk, she will continue to focus on the uniqueness of ethnic product development as well as inspire and mentor STEM major students interested in the field of cosmetic science.
Angela received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Spelman College.
Kelly A. Dobos
Kelly A. Dobos is a cosmetic chemist with 20 years of expertise in both skin care and color cosmetic formulation. She graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor's degree in chemistry and obtained a Master of Science in pharmaceutical sciences with an emphasis in cosmetic science from the James L Winkle College of Pharmacy (WCOP) at the University of Cincinnati. She is a recent recipient of the GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) Distinguished Alumni Award from the WCOP. Kelly also holds an MBA from Cleveland State University.
Kelly has served the Society of Cosmetic Chemists in numerous roles at the local and national level including Chapter Chair, Area II Director, National Treasurer, Executive Committee, Committee of Scientific Affairs (COSA), and Committee on Chapter Affairs (COCA), Constitution & Bylaws Committee, Nominations & Elections Committee, and the Editorial Review Committee for Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. Kelly served as the Society's President in 2019 and created the Florence E. Wall Award for women in cosmetic science.
Kelly has written numerous technical articles for Cosmetics and Toiletries and serves as a subject matter expert for publications like Allure and New Beauty magazines in addition to news organizations like NPR and The Washington Post.
Dr. Trefor Evans
Dr. Trefor Evans has worked in the Hair Care industry for over 30 years. The first 16 of these were spent as a scientist and manager in the product development labs of large consumer goods companies (Unilever, Helene Curtis). He then served for five years as Director of Measurement Services at TRI-Princeton (TRI), where he now holds the titles Director of Research and Institute Fellow. Dr. Evans is highly active in the hair care industry through many working relationships with companies of all shape, size and background. He is a regular presenter at International hair conferences and has been an invited speaker at many technical meetings and symposia worldwide. He was chairman of the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 20121 International Conferences on Applied Hair Science.
He has published numerous articles in trade magazines and the scientific literature and is co-author and co-editor of the book “Practical Modern Hair Science”. He writes a regular column on Hair and Hair Testing for Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine and sits on this publication’s advisory board. He is also Technical Editor for the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
Dr. Evans possesses a Ph.D. in physical-analytical chemistry from the University of Toledo and he has spent his career using measurement science to support the development, launch and maintenance of many international cosmetic products and brands. These approaches are also at the heart of fundamental research programs that have thrice been awarded by the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. A longstanding familiarity with the industry’s common testing methods has led to considerable activity in the area of hair care product claim substantiation and he is commonly asked to consult and advise in this area.
Dr. Evans regularly teaches training classes on the topics of hair science and hair care product claims which have been held in the US, Europe and Asia.
Harrison Fekrat
Harrison is Technical Service Chemist at SEPPIC/ Air Liquide. His innovations and performance led him to attain the level of Technical Community Leader (TCL) Local 1- Expert in Formulations and Emulsions-Cosmetics. Harrison has over 30 years of experience in the health and beauty care industry focusing in Cosmetic Formulation including natural (NPA) and USDA Organic. He has strong knowledge in formulating / scale up of pilot and production / QC and QA of health care and personal care products.
Starting his career in early 90's, he worked in manufacturing of health care and personal care raw materials from Sulfonation of fatty alcohols to the production of household cleaners. He was awarded for achieving the best performance oven cleaner formulation in Asia. In the past 10 years, using Liquid Crystal Technique, Harrison has formulated many emulsion-based OTC products for North American cosmetic industries.
Mr. Fekrat graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry and holds an MBA degree in project management. He has written technical articles on natural formulations and has given several lectures on this matter in the US, Asia and Europe.
Kristin Foley
Kristin Foley is a Sales Representative at Kuncai Americas. She began as an intern at Kuncai in 2017 and is now one of the main drivers for sales related to cosmetic opportunities. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics. She is pursuing her MBA beginning August 2020.
Valerie George
Valerie George is Executive Vice President of Research & Development at John Paul Mitchell Systems, the world’s largest privately owned salon professional brand. She joined JPMS in 2013, working on the latest research in hair color and reactive products. Valerie is a graduate of Kent State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biological Chemistry before continuing graduate work in chemistry at Marshall University. She is an active member of the California Society of Cosmetic Chemists, serving as the 2016 and 2018 Chair. She was most recently Chair of the Committee on Scientific Affairs for the National Society of Cosmetic Chemists and is an Foundation Board Member at Kent State University. She has been featured in a variety of industry trade publications, including Happi, GCI Magazine, and Cosmetics Design. Valerie currently resides in Los Angeles.
Sienna Gerdeman
Sienna Gerdeman is a Formulation Chemist at Wacker Chemical Corporation in the Personal Care Team. She received her Bachelor of Science in Cosmetic Science & Formulation Design with a minor in Chemistry and Business Administration from the University of Toledo. She is able to utilize her technical background along with her driven personality to develop new personal care products using innovative silicones to introduce into the market segment. As a chemist in her field she is responsible for cutting edge personal care solutions, specific customer projects, product development, performance and stability testing. She also assists production with product scale-up and trouble shooting.
Renata K. Girnius
Renata K. Girnius joined Orchidia Fragrances in 2014 as an in-house perfumer, having previously worked for several years in the fragrance industry throughout out the United States.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Her career has included mentoring by a renowned French perfumer, fragrance hunting during trips abroad, and earning a certification from the American Society of Perfumers. Today, she serves on the board of Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce Foundation and an active member of Society of Cosmetic Chemists.
Whether developing a fine fragrance for a luxury brand or a scent for kitty litter, Renata's careful attentiveness to every customer - and her recognition that “my strawberry scent interpretation may not be your strawberry scent” - results in the delivery of product that consistently exceeds expectations.
Renata feels fortunate to be part of an industry with a long and rich history, something she strongly values. “Perfumery is one of the oldest crafts in the world, and it humbles me to think that each drop of fragrance I’ve created is now a part of that history.”
Tresha Heath
Tresha Heath is the founder of Make Me Makeup. She is also a widely respected and award-winning celebrity makeup artist and entrepreneur in the fashion, entertainment, and beauty industry. After 20 years of experience with the world’s top creatives, talent, and brands, Tresha has developed a customizable, universal, proprietary color system that is tonally balanced and looks good on everyone.
As a celebrity makeup artist, Tresha has worked with an A-list roster of actors, athletes, models, and musicians including Kristin Davis, Michael Jordan, Paris Hilton, and Eminem. She has also created, brought to market, and licensed multiple health and beauty products with top brands. Her work as been featured in top fashion magazines. She has appeared on major TV networks as a contributor, and consulted for top spas, plastic surgeons, and cosmetics companies.
Julian Paul Hewitt
Julian Hewitt is a leading expert on the formulation, development and testing of sunscreen products, with over 25 years of experience in this field.
Julian graduated from Oxford University in 1988 with a BA Honours Degree in Chemistry, and joined the Tioxide company. In 1991 he joined Tioxide’s Solaveil business, becoming the company’s technical expert for sun care products. He remained in this role as the Solaveil business moved from Tioxide to Uniqema and then Croda.
Julian left Croda in October 2011 and formed JPH SunCare Technologies, providing technical consultancy services, regulatory advice, and training to manufacturers of UV protection products and suppliers of ingredients used in such products.
Julian has presented over 40 papers and posters at conferences in venues across the World. He has been a frequent speaker at the Florida SCC Sunscreen Symposium and the London Sun Protection Conference. He has also written or co-authored more than 30 articles and 6 book chapters on formulating sunscreens, in-vitro SPF testing, and nanotechnology. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
Jane Hollenberg
Jane Hollenberg has over forty years’ experience in the cosmetic industry, working with skin care and color cosmetic products at Coty, Revlon, and Merck KGaA. Since 1996, she has operated JCH Consulting to provide services in the formulation, scale up, and troubleshooting of pigmented and non-pigmented formulations. She has taught in the continuing education program of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Fairleigh Dickenson University, and the Center for Professional Advancement. Jane is a three time recipient of the Alan Black Memorial Award granted annually by the US Society of Cosmetic Chemists for the best paper concerning color cosmetic formulation and is a fellow of the SCC.
Jane is a current member and past chairman of the Personal Care Product Council's Color Additive Committee, dedicated to assisting the cosmetic industry in conforming to world wide regulations and increasing the level of technical competence.
Surface treatment of pigments and fillers and the application of silicone technology to the field of color cosmetics are areas of ongoing interest which have resulted in a number of patents. Jane believes the objective of formulation is to develop products whose structure and composition improves the condition and appearance of the skin.
Ashraf Hossain
Ashraf Hossain is the Global Business Scientist for Beauty & Home Care at Ingredion, where he leads ingredient performance, evaluation and formulation development. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Ashraf works closely with the R&D and marketing teams to optimize new product development. Prior to joining Ingredion, he worked at Unilever and Alberto Culver. He was the recipient of the Crane Award for his patent work in hair relaxation at Colomer Group (Revlon). He earned his bachelor’s degree in polymer science from the University of Southern Mississippi with a research focus in personal care ingredients under Professor Robert Lochhead. Recently, he presented technical posters to the 71st – 73rd Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) annual meeting, written short articles for trade publications and has given technical presentations to the SCC chapters. At Ingredion, Ashraf is excited to continue providing plant-based, clean beauty solutions into the Beauty & Personal Care industry to meet customers’ and consumers' current and future needs.
Hailey Kim
Hailey Kim is an R&D Innovation Manager supporting the Alterna and Kenra Professional Brands at Henkel Beauty Care Hair Professional North America, based in Los Angeles, California. Hailey first started as an intern for Kenra Professional, where she was first introduced to claim substantiation. After graduating from the University of Toledo in 2017, she received an offer from Henkel. She started her career in analytical claim substantiation where she supported all 7 professional beauty brands and now serves as the R&D Manager for the Alterna and Kenra Professional brands.
Hailey has the University of Toledo to thank for her preparation for the industry. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Cosmetic Science & Formulation Design and minored in chemistry and business.
Rick Kistler
Rick Kistler is the North American Sales Manager for Kuncai Americas, a global supplier of pearl effect pigments to the coatings, plastics, and cosmetics industries.
Rick brings a total of 33 years of pigment experience to Kuncai having joined the company in 2018. He has been in pigment sales and new business development for EMD Performance Materials, BASF, and Ciba Specialty Chemicals. He graduated from Lehigh University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
Dr. Rong Kong
Dr. Rong Kong is a Principal Research Scientist at Amway Corporation. He has over 10 years of experience in non-invasive skin imaging and measurement that helps to optimize the performance of skin care products. He led the performance evaluation and claims substantiation of skin care and personal care lines with multibillion dollar annual revenue at Amway. He is also very active in skin research and open innovation in beauty and wellness, including skin aging, inner and outer health, age and health visual perception models, skin microbiome and epigenetics. He serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals and was the Chair of SCC Michigan chapter in 2022. Many of the research projects he led have been published in peer-reviewed journals and other media, including a featured segment in a recent BBC documentary about the science behind beauty products. He received his master’s degree in biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and PhD in bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
Gopa Majmudar, Ph.D
Dr. Gopa Majmudar has more than 20 years of experience in cutaneous biology, she has been working at Amway R&D for more than nine years. She has worked as a scientist and manager at companies such as Mary Kay, Alberto Culver in the R&D Department. There, she was actively involved in anti-aging and skin pigmentation research, looking for and evaluating new technologies, developing new biophysical methods and conducting clinical studies to support skin care, color and hair care products' claims. She provided her expertise and guidance in clinical studies and claims substantiation areas. Dr. Majmudar was a Chair and Co-chair of Committee of Scientific Affairs (COSA); National Society of Cosmetic Chemists from 1997 -2000. She was also a member of the Advisory Committee in Collin County Community College's Biotechnology division based in Plano, Texas from 1998 to 2005.
Dr. Majmudar obtained her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology from the M. S. University of Baroda, India. She is a recipient of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award (gold medal) from the Government of India in recognition for her research work done during her Ph.D. dissertation. She also received fellowships and grants for conducting cancer research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, USA, Jacques Monod Institute, Molecular and Cell Biology lab, Paris, France, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. She has presented and published several scientific papers in high impact peer reviewed journals and holds several patents. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and nurturing the next generation of scientists.
Dr. Majmudar obtained her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology from the M. S. University of Baroda, India. She is a recipient of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award (gold medal) from the Government of India in recognition for her research work done during her Ph.D. dissertation. She also received fellowships and grants for conducting cancer research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, USA, Jacques Monod Institute, Molecular and Cell Biology lab, Paris, France, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. She has presented and published several scientific papers in high impact peer reviewed journals and holds several patents. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and nurturing the next generation of scientists.
Kenneth Markowitz, DDS, MSD
Kenneth Markowitz, DDS, MSD obtained his dental degree from Columbia University in 1985 and his Masters of Dental Science from RSDM in 2009. While in dental school, he became interested in tooth sensitivity, dental pain and oral physiology. From 1991-2003, he did research in industry, first at the Block Drug Company Inc., then at GalaxoSmithKline. In industry, he and his coworkers investigated the ability of various materials such as polymers and colloids to reduce dentin permeability and other areas of dental therapeutics. In 2003, he joined the Oral Biology Department at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now Rutgers). At Rutgers, he serves as a clinical investigator on a number of NIDCR and Industry-funded projects, including a longitudinal study of bacterial risk factors and inflammatory markers of localized aggressive periodontal disease as well as clinical trials of oral antimicrobial agents. Together with other members of the department, he has developed laboratory and animal models used to study dental diseases. Much of his work concerns the critical appraisal and clinical application of devices used to diagnose caries and assess caries risk. Dr. Markowitz has conducted a longitudinal study of occlusal caries in adolescents. He has collaborators at other universities with whom he has examined tooth pain mechanisms and therapies.
At Rutgers, he has played a key role in developing and teaching the school’s new curriculum in evidence based dentistry. He teaches other course materials relating to: oral biology, cariology, dental pharmacology and dental pain. He also teaches clinical and pre-clinical restorative dentistry and practice general dentistry at the school’s faculty practice.
Paul H. Marotta
Paul Marotta joined Estée Lauder in March of 1998 and is currently the Director of the Corporate Mascara and Brow development team in R&D. In this role, Paul provides overall technical leadership across all aspects of mascara and brow innovation and creation across all ELC brands. Before his work at Estée Lauder, Paul worked for Arthur Matney/Pavion Cosmetics where he developed color cosmetics for the Artmatic and Wet-n-Wild brands.
Paul’s greatest strengths are his creativity, technical expertise, and leadership. He thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the company’s reach. In his most recent launch for MAC, MAC STACK Paul and his team invented new ways to work to drive news claims. This resulted in a huge win for the MAC Brand. Within 5 days of launching on counter, it experienced 31% sold through in North America. MACStack currently ranks as #1 Mascara on Ulta.com, Nordstrom, Bloomindales in the US, as well as #1 Mascara at Boots and Look Fantastic in the UK, #1 Mascara in Sephora Canada, Sephora France. Paul has invented nine patents (four additional patent pending).
Paul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Math from the State University of New York at Oneonta and an MBA from Dowling University in Long Island, New York.
Bart Maxon
Bart Maxon is a Senior Technical Service & Development Scientist for The Dow Chemical Company – Home & Personal Care Group. He has over 37+ years of experience in the personal care, healthcare and medical diagnostics industries and has been with Dow/Dow Corning for over 24+ years in a variety of roles within their Beauty Care and Health Care businesses. Some different areas of experience at Dow include formulation development of skin care and topical pharmaceutical excipients; wound care; transdermal drug delivery (TDDS); and medical antifoams/fluids. Prior to Dow Corning, Bart was with McIntyre Group (responsible for surfactant product development), Abbott Laboratories-Diagnostics Division (in-vitro immunoassay development for therapeutic and abused drug toxicology testing); and Michigan Molecular Institute/Dendritech (responsible for bio-conjugation of antibodies/proteins and fluorescent tracers to Starburst Dendrimers for biomedical applications). Bart holds 16 patents and has a Bachelor of Science Degree- Biology from Central Michigan University and a second Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northeastern Illinois University. Bart has been actively involved in the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and was a co-founder and first Chairperson of the SCC Michigan Chapter and served as an Area II Director for the SCC National organization. He is also on the board of the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan (DNMM) and on the global leadership team for Dow’s Disability Employee Network (DEN) Employee Resource Group.
Kelly Mei
Kelly Mei is a Formulation Technologist for Ingredion supporting the Global Beauty & Home Care applications in Bedford Park, IL. She started her role in 2018 after college graduation. Her responsibilities include product evaluations to develop prototypes, application and stability testing’s. She provides technical solutions to customers’ projects and was given opportunities to travel for tradeshows and other networking events. She earned her bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical science from the University of Toledo in 2018 with a major in Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design, minors in chemistry and marketing. At Ingredion, Kelly is enthusiastic to explore formulations and provide solutions in contribution to the Beauty & Personal Care industry.
Tony O'Lenick
Tony O’Lenick is President of Nascent Technologies Corporation a consulting product development and intellectual property company located in Lawrenceville Ga, Prior to that he was President and Co-founder of Siltech LLC. Siltech is a silicone specialty company. Prior to that he held technical and executive positions at various surfactant and specialty chemicals companies including; Lambent Technologies, Alkaril Chemicals Inc, Henkel Corporation and Mona Industries. He has been involved in the surfactant and silicone industry for over 35 years.
Tony has written 5 books in various aspects of surfactant, silicone and organic chemistry, also published over 70 technical articles in trade journals, contributed chapters to six books, and is the inventor on over 300 patents. He teaches a course in silicone chemistry, surfactant chemistry and patent law. He has received a number of awards for work including the 1996 Samuel Rosen Award given by the American Oil Chemists’ Society, the 1997 Innovative Use of Fatty Acids Award given by the Soap and Detergents Association, and the Partnership to The Personal Care Award given by the Advanced Technology Group. Tony is a fellow in the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and in the American Institute of Chemists. Tony was a member of several committees in SCC including the Committee on Scientific Affairs, the Continuing Education Committee, and has served the SCC National as Treasurer, Vice President Elect, Vice President and 2015 National President. He was Chair of the Education Committee of the IFSCC for 4 years. In addition, Tony also received the Maison G de Navarre award in 2019, which is the highest award presented by the SCC.
Frank C. Pagano, Ph.D.
Dr. Frank Pagano joined ACT Solutions Corp. in February, 2014. He retired at the end of 2013 after spending almost eight years with Chanel. Frank has been in the industry since 1994 when he joined Revlon. Prior to that Frank had a varied career covering inks and printing (where he learned about color and color theory), as well as plant process chemistry and additives for engine lubricants.
While at Chanel, Frank worked in the Prospective Research Group developing new concept products for skin care, makeup and sun protection products. This included identifying new raw materials and technologies which could have use in these products. One of Frank’s skin care formulations was selected to be included in Chanel’s new skin care line – Le Lift. He also was involved in the identification and evaluation of new natural preservatives.
Frank spent 10 years at Revlon working primarily in the nail polish group supporting and maintaining the existing product lines while investigating new raw materials and technologies for nail polish and lip color. This included working with marketing and manufacturers. Frank is the co-inventor of Colorstay Nail Enamel and contributed to other patents while at Revlon.
Frank received his B.A. in Chemistry from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry with an emphasis in Photochemistry from Columbia University in New York City. He has authored three articles on nail polish for C&T Magazine. He was one of the coauthors of the chapter 'Nail Color, Part 1: Nail Lacquer' and the author of the chapter 'Nail Color, Part 2: Gel Technologies" in the book Color Cosmetics: A Practical Guide to Formulation."
Denisha Patel
Denisha Patel is a Formulation Chemist at Vi-Jon, LLC. She graduated in 2016 from The University Of Toledo, Ohio with a bachelor’s in Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design. Denisha is an active member of Society of Cosmetic Chemist and currently serving the St. Louis Chapter as Treasurer.
Denisha started her career at Accupack Midwest, Inc. – a family-owned contract manufacturing company in Cincinnati, Ohio specializing in personal care and OTC products. Currently she is working for Vi-Jon, LLC. – a private label manufacturer in personal care, OTC, household and other industries. Over the years she has worked on many formulations such as Hand Sanitizer, Hand Soaps, Body Wash, Hair care, Sun care and Skin Care.
Steve Patton
Steve Patton is the Technical Marketing Manager for the Personal Care market segment at Wacker Chemical Corporation, the North American headquarters of the Germany-based silicones supplier, Wacker Chemie AG. He has 15 years of experience in the silicone industry, including 4 years managing the product development and applications testing lab for hair care, skin care, and makeup.
He previously held the roles of Chemist in the Home Care market segment, Process Chemist for silicone fluids and emulsions, and Production Supervisor for silicone rubber. Steve holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University.
Steve is also a member of Wacker’s internship committee. In this position he is a champion of the University of Toledo’s Cosmetic Science program, and hopes to continue a strong relationship with the program in the future.
Brittany M. Pease
Brittany Pease is an Application Scientist II for the Formulation, Technology, and Innovation team at INOLEX, a leading global specialty ingredients company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with locations in ten countries. Previously, Brittany worked as Applications Chemist for INOLEX’s former industrial lubricants division, LEXOLUBE. Prior to working at INOLEX, she worked for an industrial lubricant testing laboratory, Petro-Lubricant Testing Laboratories Inc., and worked product support for a medical device company, Instrumentation Laboratory, A Werfen Company. Brittany earned her M.S. in Cosmetic Sciences at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy in University of Cincinnati in 2021 and earned her B.S. in Chemistry at The College of New Jersey in 2014.
Damien A. Perriman
Senior Vice President, Specialty Products | Genomatica
Biography: Damien leads Genomatica’s specialty products business, overseeing development, production and sales of biobased ingredients for personal care, cosmetics, flavors and fragrances. He was responsible for launching the award-winning Brontide® natural butylene glycol in 2017 and continues to expand a pipeline of sustainable ingredients. Damien joined Genomatica in 2010 as vice president of business development.
He previously served in the New Ventures unit at The Dow Chemical Company and as Deputy Commissioner to the Americas for the Queensland Government. Damien holds an MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles and a BSc (Hons) in Industrial Chemistry from the University of New South Wales.
Marx Pion
Marx Pion was born in Brooklyn, New York. He lived his early days between New York and Santiago Dominican Republic and split his early educated between the two places until 2003 where he moved permanently to New York to finish high school and begin his college career. In 2007 he started at City College of New York in the Civil Engineer program. He quickly fell in love with chemistry and decided to switch careers. After receiving his degree in Chemistry, he continued to study for an additional minor in Bio-Chemistry thanks to the guidance of his chemistry professor. The school opened many doors for Pion and allowed him to do research in bio-chemistry and chemistry to help gear him towards a master’s or Ph.D. After concluding his schooling, he worked internships at PepsiCo, L’Oreal USA and Givaudan USA before getting a permanent job opportunity in a cosmetic applications lab for Ungerer & Co, a fragrance company now owned by Givaudan. During his two years at Ungerer, he worked on new application technology for cosmetics and became the lab supervisor within the year. In 2017, Grand Industries, a silicones specialty and actives manufacturer, gave Pion the opportunity to develop new actives and provide technical support to their sales team. Grant Industries allowed Pion to grow in chemistry and sales. More recently, with his experience in technical sales, cosmetic industry, formulation and synthesis, he has moved into technical sales and the handling of east coast accounts for ChemSpace. Pion works every day to promote materials, push natural derived ingredients, and keep up with new formulations to provide the best support possible to ChemSpace clients.
Hillary Phillis
Hillary Phillis has been an enthusiastic, passionate member of the Cosmetic Industry for three years. Her most beneficial preparation for her start in the industry was her experience at the University of Toledo in the Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design program. Now, as a self-diagnosed product junkie she is able to utilize her consumer perception coupled with her science background as the Technical Marketing Manager at Barnet Products in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Hillary proudly received her dual Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Pharmaceutics and Cosmetic Science & Formulation Design with a dual minor in Chemistry and Biology at the University of Toledo.
Di Qu, Ph.D.
Dr. Di Qu is currently retired and provides support to the skincare/cosmetic industry through Ringing Arrow Technical Consulting and Services LLC. He had worked at Amway R&D for almost 30 years. Dr. Qu obtained is Ph.D. degree in chemical and biochemical engineering from Rutgers University in 1992, his M.S. from China National Research Institute of Food & Fermentation Industries in 1985, and B.S. from Tianjin University of Science and Technology in 1982. He had worked in R&D capacities for 34 years with 4 years in biotechnology research in China, and 30 years in consumer product development at Amway. His industrial experiences include skin care product formulation, process development, as well as skin property and product efficacy testing. He is a member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and a formal chair of the Michigan Chapter in 2015. Dr. Qu has given numerous technical presentations at various industry and academic conferences and holds 9 U.S. patents. His most recent publications include "noninvasive measurement of advanced glycation end-products in the facial skin: new data for skin aging studies", as well as "objective methods for quantifying color retention and bleeding potential of a lipstick through large scale panel presentation and controlled usability studies", which was awarded the best paper on makeup technology (Allan and Jeanette Black Award) by SCC in 2021.
Miquel Ramírez
Miquel Ramírez was born in 1978 in Terrassa, a city in Barcelona's metropolitan area.
He focused his studies in Chemical Engineering at Barcelona University, obtaining his degree in 2003. During his studies he worked in different chemical industries related to surface treatment, including doing some trainee research in the ATO-FINA group (Multinational Petrol Company).
Miquel then entered the staff of Chemipol in the technical assistance department focusing on promoting additives and preservatives for coatings and paints in the Catalonia region. Soon after, he began giving technical support to the sales agents and distributors all around Spain. During this period he also studied for a specific post-grade master’s degree in Marketing and Business Management at Euncet Business School in Terrassa. After obtaining this degree, his position at Chemipol was changed to a marketing and project management role. In his assigned markets, he developed and established business for the company. Some of the services he promoted were: polymerization, ceramic tile, water treatment (cooling circuits and boilers), fertilizers, fuel, and cosmetics). Miquel always focused in microbial control and biocides applied in different markets.
In 2014, after a period of growth for Chemipol, new requirements changed Miquel’s role once again to work on the project of starting up the Cosmetic Export division. He is now the product manager involved in giving technical support to more than 100 distributors in 75 countries around the world and helping thousands of cosmetic brands to develop formulations.
Perry Romanowski
Perry Romanowski has spent the past 20+ years researching and developing products to solve consumer problems in the personal care and cosmetic industry. His primary focus has been on formulating hair-related products. He is currently vice president of Brains Publishing, which specializes in science education and is responsible for the consumer-focused beauty website, TheBeautyBrains.com, and the cosmetic science website, ChemistsCorner.com.
Previously, Romanowski worked for Alberto Culver, serving as a senior project leader for hair care innovation. He has been an active member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) and is currently the Area II National Director. In addition, he has served in various positions within the Midwest Chapter of the SCC, including chapter chair.
Romanowski earned his B.S. in Chemistry from DePaul University and his M.S. in Biochemistry. He has written and edited numerous articles and books. His latest book is"It's OK to Have Lead in Lipstick". He also teaches the SCC’s Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry continuing education class. Additionally, he provides consulting services for cosmetic formulating, testing and Internet solutions. He can be reached through his website, ChemistsCorner.com.
Michael Starch
Michael Starch has worked in the personal care industry for over 40 years and has experience working on both the raw material and finished product sides of the business. He worked 26 years at the Dow Corning Corporation, a leading supplier of silicones for the personal care industry. At Dow Corning, he worked in product development, technical service, and application development. Michael also worked for seven years at Kao Brands (formerly the Andrew Jergens Company) in skin care product research and development. Michael joined the International Nomenclature Committee (INC) when he worked at Dow Corning. Since retiring, he has remained on the committee as a paid consultant. He has been a member of the INC for 24 years.
In 2011, Michael retired from Dow Corning and started a consulting business (Wintermute Consulting Services). He advises clients on silicone chemistry, application development, INCI nomenclature, and strategies for introducing new raw materials into the personal care industry.
Marc Stucky
Mr. Stucky is currently the Head of Professional Open R&D and Regulatory, R&D Henkel Beauty Care Hair Professional North America. He graduated in 1998 from Butler University with a B.S. in Chemistry and spent 13 years working at Roche working with Pharmaceutical and Diagnostic products, where he learned how to work with the FDA/DEA/and other government agencies. After Roche, he was given the opportunity to work at Kenra Professional, LLC; working within the supply chain group, designing and implementing the quality program and outsourcing their claims testing. Then in 2013, he was given the opportunity to create an internal Technical Testing/R&D group, which performed 95% of Kenra's claims testing, ensured global compliance for their products, performed all of their benchmark testing. During his time with Kenra, he was able to create and launch two different color brands and a FDA compliant smoothing system. Currently, he is responsible for the Henkel North American R&D/Regulatory for 6 professional brands.
Leor Fay Tal
Leor Fay Tal is the Technical Marketing Leader for the Personal Care division of Gattefossé USA. She delivers information on trends and consumers, provides technical marketing support to the company’s sales teams and agents across North America, Canada, and Mexico, and works to promote knowledge and understanding of the company’s ingredients. Prior to Gattefossé, Leor had worked in the R&D Powder Laboratory and then as the Raw Material Regulatory Affairs Specialist at MANA Products. Leor Fay is an active member of the NYSCC. She organized the April 2018 event Cosmetics in the Middle East, A Regulatory Perspective and now serves as the Secretary for the executive board. Leor Fay graduated from Rutgers University, earning her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.
Matt Trotter
Matt Trotter joined Orchidia Fragrances, a division of Flavorchem, in 2011. As a Key Account Manager, he currently covers the Southeast and portions of the Midwest. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Middle Tennessee State University, relating to the field of Concrete, Matt did not always know he was destined for a career in the Flavor and Fragrance Industry. After college, he took a position with BASF selling concrete chemical admixtures. After a decline in the economy, an opportunity to work with Orchidia Fragrances arose. He admittedly was honest with the recruiter when asked about his knowledge of the Fragrance and Flavor Industry, stating he did not know much. After ten years, with a lot of on-the-job training, he’s really come to enjoy the nuances of what fragrance can bring to new product development and learning the industry. His appreciation and understanding of fragrance have grown over the years and he enjoys helping his customers make similar connections. Bringing his customers ideas to fruition, acting as a liaison between the technical expertise of the perfumery lab and drawing from his own real-life experiences, is why Matt truly enjoys his role as Key Account Manager for Orchidia.
Marty O. Visscher, Ph.D.
Marty O. Visscher, Ph.D., is a Professor of Skin Pharmaceutics and Cosmetic Science at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati. She is an expert in neonatal skin development and repair, infant skin adaptation, and noninvasive biophysical measurement of skin properties. Her research areas include skin maturation in premature and full-term infants via proteomic and transcriptomic analysis, vernix biology, neonatal innate immunity, iatrogenic skin injury in neonatal intensive care patients, and the use of quantitative multimodal imaging methods for measuring skin condition. Her current research projects include the investigation of Skin Maturation in Premature Infants, Skin Integrity in Neonatal Intensive Care Patients, and the Impact of Coconut Oil on Late Onset Sepsis and Skin Barrier Development in NICU patients in Bangalore, India. Dr. Visscher has conducted numerous major research projects in the NICU setting. She has collaborated with healthcare professionals to understand and mitigate skin injuries in hospitalized patients and implement best practices for skin care. She is a member of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, the International Society for Biophysics and Imaging of the Skin and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.
Helen is the Director of Product Development at A-Frame Brands, a startup incubator for personal care lines focused on the needs of underrepresented groups. She manages the full innovation pipeline from idea to market for brands such as Naomi Osaka's Kinlo and John Legend's upcoming skincare line, and is an expert in bringing a sustainable lens to fast-paced product development. Helen's passion and expertise lie in scientific storytelling and communicating cosmetic science in consumer-friendly language.
Prior to joining A-Frame, Helen managed product development at two different startups focused on clean, sustainable products: Public Goods and cocokind. Before diving headfirst into the startup world, Helen learned the ropes at multi-national health & wellness corporation, Amway. She holds a dual bachelor's degree in Chemistry and English Language & Literature from Columbia University where she conducted four years of synthetic nanochemistry research. In the cosmetic science industry, Helen is known for her research on the topical effects of blue light, which was presented at the 72nd SCC National Conference and won a 2019 Society of Cosmetic Chemists Award.
Helen is currently based in San Francisco, CA. Feel free to reach out via LinkedIn or email with any questions.
Cindy Yu
Cindy Yu is the Marketing Manager at Orchidia Fragrances, the fragrance division of Flavorchem. She conducts market research, collaborates with Perfumers and Sales to deliver valuable insights to market leading brands. As a beauty enthusiast, she has over 10 years of experience in marketing, formulations, applications, and product development in the Beauty and Personal Care industry. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She’s a contributing author to personal care magazines, and has presented several posters at the SCC annual meeting.
Dr. Di Qu is currently retired and provides support to the skincare/cosmetic industry through Ringing Arrow Technical Consulting and Services LLC. He had worked at Amway R&D for almost 30 years. Dr. Qu obtained his Ph.D. degree in chemical and biochemical engineering from Rutgers University in 1992, his M.S. from China National Research Institute of Food and & Fermentation Industries in 1985, and B.S. from Tianjin University of Science and Technology in 1982. He had worked in R&D capacities for 34 years with 4 years in biotechnology research in China, and 30 years in consumer product development at Amway. His industrial experiences include skin care product formulation, process development, as well as skin property and product efficacy testing. He is a member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and a formal chair of the Michigan Chapter in 2015. Dr. Qu has given numerous technical presentations at various industry and academic conferences and holds 9 U.S. patents. His most recent publications include “noninvasive measurement of advanced glycation end-products in the facial skin: new data for skin aging studies”, as well as “objective methods for quantifying color retention and bleeding potential of a lipstick through large scale panel perception and controlled usability studies”, which was awarded the best paper on makeup technology (Allan and Jeanette Black Award) by SCC in 2021.