Volunteer Profile

​Volunteer Experience

Chairman, Past Chair, Newsletter Editor, Webmaster
Company Name: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Dates volunteered Sep 2002 – Sep 2020
Volunteer duration 18 yrs, Ben Venue Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH; Xellia Pharamceuticals, Novo Nordisk S/K
Cause Education
Active with National Engineers Week in February at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center Engineering Expo in booth meeting high school students and families interested in engineering career. Expo usually had 120 booths staffed with companies, universities, and organizations. Recognize high school students at the North East Ohio Science and Engineering Fair for their work from judging to awards banquet. Recognize outstanding chemical engineering students that excel in leadership or academics from both the Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University.
 
Cabin Counselor
Company Name: Achievement Centers for Children, Camp Cheerful
Dates volunteered Jun 1979 – Aug 1979
Volunteer duration 3 mos
Cause Children
Cabin counselor with 10 to 15 boy campers ranging in age groups from 10 to 18 years of age at a summer camp located in the Cleveland Metropark's Mill Stream Run area associated with the Cleveland Achievement Centers for Children. Campers would stay over night for 1 to 2 weeks depending on ages. Responsible for monitoring boys health and fitness during camp with help from nurses, social workers, and medical files. Responsible for boys to have fun.
 
Assistant Scout Master
Company Name: Boy Scouts of America
Dates volunteeredSep 2002 – Jun 2003
Volunteer duration 10 mos, Ben Venue Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Cause Children
Active leader of both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with local elementary school and church. Trained boys on outdoor skills, first aid, wood working, basic mechanics, photography, orienteering, weather, aviation, and engineering. All Cub Scouts achieved the Arrow of Light level of accomplishment, and one Boy Scout achieved Eagle Scout.

Industrial Advisory Board Member
Company Name: Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Fenn College of Engineering, Cleveland State Univ
Dates volunteered Sep 2004 – Present
Volunteer duration 16 yrs, Ben Venue Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Cause Education
Provide biotechnology and pharmaceutical perspectives on program planning meetings for chemical and biomedical department as well as subject interests from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers. Provided multiple presentations to classes on Current Good Manufacturing Practices, Project Management, Fermentation, and Pilot Plant Design, Construction, and Operation. Judged senior class plant design project from AIChE for thirty students divided into eight teams. Participated in audit interviews with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 2010 to help receive four more years of accreditation through 2014.
 
Chemical Engineering Senior Class Plant Design Project Mentor
Company Name: Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve Univ
Dates volunteered Sep 2009 – Dec 2009
Volunteer duration 4 mo, Ben Venue Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Cause Education
Mentored four senior chemical engineering students during a Plant Design Class for two separate semesters. Utilized students technical abilities to plan a sterilize in place operation for a formulaton vessel requiring a time, temperature, and pressure exposure to clean steam such that the colony forming units contained in it would have a six log reduction in population. Students were phased through a process flow diagram design for manual and automated systems; environmental, health, and safety considerations; user requirement specifications; functional specifications; multiple vendor quotes; bid tabulation; schedule for procurement, construction, and commissioning; as well as moral and ethical scenario situations to evaluate what-if and how-to-respond.

Biotechnology Business Partner with Cuyahoga Community College
Company Name: North Coast Tech Prep Program
Dates volunteered Sep 2003 – Dec 2007
Volunteer duration 4 yrs, Ben Venue Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Cause Education
Provided perspectives from biotechnology and pharmaceutical experience to help CCC NCTP Education Panel better define biotechnology programs at annual meetings for college and high school programs with pertinent subject matter. Interviewed multiple high school biotechnology educators, and awarded several positions at local school systems. Presentation on biotechnology with several high school classes at CCC Biotechnology Day 2007. Member of Biotechnology panel discussion for WVIZ Channel 25 PBS Television on March 21, 2005 with John Ramicone's Distance Learning program for seventh and eighth graders in audience.

Capstone Internship Mentor for four senior chemical engineering undergraduate students
Company Name: Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
Dates volunteered Jan 2018-Apr 2018; Jan 2019-Apr 2019; Jan 2020-Feb 2020
Volunteer duration 4 mos, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk S/K
Cause Education
Provided students with internship learning experience of operating a consulting firm with rotating positions from process engineers to project engineers, and finally to project managers on required conceptual design projects. Students were required to first create a process simulation spreadsheet for a Water For Injection System operating in a pharmaceutical production facility over a 24 hour period with a distribution over 20 points of use. The process simulator provided fluid flow information such as fluid velocity, pressure drop, and return pressure. All these are required for GMP information. This was with multiple unit operations calling for WFI at different locations at different times and for different durations. The overall system operation also monitored the available WFI level in the WFI supply vessel to verify it did not drop below 15% level for proper pump operation as WFI was in make-up mode from two vapor distillation units. The final report also had Equipment Efficiency of Use percentages for multiple unit operations to monitor systems capacity versus demand usage. At the end of the project the students reviewed their weekly status reports logging their hours charged to the project and calculated their profits relative to the other theoretical operating expenses they incurred during the project. They presented their work to our company stake holders for a final evaluation of the Concept Design Project for the next phase of engineering development. Both student teams did very well on their projects and presentations. All company stakeholders were very satisfied and pursued the projects into the next phase of Basic Design. The projects are presently on hold for Basic Design pending other projects in the funding process.
 
Lunch & Learn Presentations on Good Design Practices for Pharmaceutical Facilities
Company Name: Dept. of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland State University
Dates volunteered Jan 2017 – Apr 2017; Sep 2018-Dec 2018; Sep 2019-Dec 2019
Volunteer duration 4 mos, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, S/K
Cause Education
Provided 12 Lunch & Learn Presentations on Good Design Practices for current Good Manufacturing Practices in a Pharmaceutical Facility addressing the Food & Drug Administration 21 CFR Parts 210 & 211 for cGMP in Manufacturing, Processing, Packing, or Holding of Drugs and Finished Pharmaceuticals. The series of presentations included a midterm and final exam for 92 participating students. Students (61) that completed 75% of the presentations received a certificate of participation. The Lunch & Learn presentation was a joint venture between the student chapter of AIChE and Xellia Pharmaceuticals.​