CERA Fellowship Advisory Board

Stefan Willemsen, J.D.

Public Health International Executive
Sepsis Alliance Institute
Stefan Willemsen is a performance-driven executive leader with 20 years of experience in In Vitro Diagnostics and Life Science/Biotech Industries. After working in Germany as a lawyer, Stefan studied law at George Washington University Law School after which he joined the New York State Bar. Subsequently, he pursued more studies at Harvard University and London Business School.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-willemsen

Professor Pierre Boumtje

Professor of Agriculture Economics
Southern Arkansas University
Dr. Boumtje practices the perfect balance of professionalism in teaching paired with genuine interest in his students.

Professor Valerie Goss

Associate Professor of Chemistry
Chicago State University
Dr. Goss is interested in surface chemistry, in higher ordered structures on surfaces which can be modified to build functional circuits or sensors is the driving science behind our research.  One of the major nanostructures that her group  uses is DNA origami.  Her work is applicable to molecular electronics and biomolecule sensing.  In addition, she is also interested in nanomolecules binding onto meteorite surfaces, and the antimicrobial properties of metallic nanoparticles

Dr. Symon Gathiaka

Senior Computational & Structural Chemist
Merck & Co., Inc
Dr. Gathiaka explored the mechanism and specificity of PRMT1, a methyltransferase implicated in oncology, using state of the art computational methodologies for his   PhD studies. After a postdoc at the University of California (UCSD)  building the Drug Design Data Resource (D3R), it seemed natural to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry; now he applies computational chemistry to impact the discovery of new medicines.

Professor Nicholas A. Kotov

Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan
Director, COMPASS
Professor Kotov’s  lab has built materials that give us stronger armor, thinner lithium ion batteries, safer paints, better deep brain implants and accurate cancer diagnostic tools. He has been driven to search for novel ideas. He delights in discoveries that break the accepted laws of nature; he encourages his students to embrace the things that make them unique and use those gifts to transcend the academic mold.

Professor Martin Thuo

Professor, Material Science & Engineering
North Carolina State University
https://mse.ncsu.edu/thuo
Deputy-Director, COMPASS
Professor Thuo researches focus on the development of a generalized framework for engineering structures and ultimately functional devices via self-assembly and/or stacking of molecules, films, or layers of materials, to introduce new function(s) or utility. Thuo’s Lab is, by necessity, an inter-disciplinary physical-organic/materials research group interested in engineering soft matter, and understanding surfaces and interfaces at all size scales.

Valerie Wehiong-Batta, MA

Outreach & Coordination, COMPASS
[email protected]
Mrs. Wehiong-Batta is an accomplished mediator and international project coordinator with extensive experience in leading and contributing to multidisciplinary initiatives around the world. She has worked on various projects across multiple continents, including Africa, Europe in fields ranging from education, knowledge transfer and sustainable development, 
She currently  serves as the coordinator of the CERA research program that brings together African researchers and scholars from the United States.

Dr. Yonas Gizaw

Scientist and Innovator
CEO/ GreenChemSolution
Consulting services on green chemistry, biodegradable natural polymers, hydrocolloids, surfaces, and interface science to SMEs and major corporations.

Dr. Elena Della Valle

COMPASS Managing Director, PhD
A well rounded research engineer with broad experience on different subjects (technical and managerial/logistic).