2026 SIMB Board of Directors Election and Amendments Voting
SIMB Election Info
The 2026 SIMB Board of Directors Election will being on March 2, 2026 and will end on March, 31 2026 noon EDT. Members must join/renew by March 30, 2026 noon EDT to be eligible to vote. Student members are not eligible to vote.
Current members for 2026 will receive login instructions for accessing the voting module by email.
If a member has recently joined or renewed for 2026 once the election begins, voting instructions will be emailed. Once voting instructions have been received, the member will have access to the voting module.
In addition to the Board of Directors slate, members will also be voting on two amendment changes to the SIMB Constitution.
Results will be published on the SIMB website and in SIMB News.
Candidates for President-Elect
Mark Blenner
University of Delaware
Dr. Blenner is the Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Career Development Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware. Prior to that, he was the McQueen Quattlebaum Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Clemson University. He received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College in 2004, and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University in 2009.
Mark’s research interests include metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, biocatalysis, natural products, biomanufacturing, and microbial community engineering – which align perfectly with SIMB’s foci. His research is broadly focused on engineering biomolecular and cellular systems to produce fuels, chemicals, enzymes, biopharmaceuticals and biosensors. He is interested in the use of synthetic biology to promote the translation of research to application. He works in various non-model and non-conventional hosts. His work has been recognized by the community through several awards including the 2025 Langer Prize for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the 2022 AIChE Food, Pharmaceutical, and Bioengineering Division Early Career Award, the 2022 Biochemical Engineering Journal Young Investigator Award, the 2021 ACS BIOT Young Investigator Award, and the 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
Mark has been actively involved in SIMB since 2015. Most recently, Mark has served as a member of the SIMB Board in the role of Secretary. He was the program chair for the 2022 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, and has served in other SIMB leadership roles. He is currently a member of the Awards Committee (2025), the Education Committee (2022), and the Webinar Committee (2023). He was previously a member of the Nominating Committee (2020). In addition, Mark has chaired numerous technical sessions and participated in all of SIMB’s meetings.
Mark is excited for the opportunity to serve in the role of SIMB President. Should he be elected, his strategic priorities will focus on giving SIMB an EDGE:
- Elevate our voice
- – Promoting the voice of SIMB in matters of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology and Bioeconomy
- – Enhancing partnerships with related societies and organizations in the US and abroad
- – Create avenues for engaging with emerging topics
- Deepen engagement with our members
- – Expand the value of SIMB outside of meetings
- – Developing an identity for SIMB
- Grow our membership
- – Creating better incentive structures for membership
- – Foster development of future members and leaders
- Efficiently operate Society business
- – Promote the Society’s long-term financial health
- – Exploring new and alternative models for meetings
Jennifer Headman
POET
“I am honored to stand as a candidate for President-elect of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. For nearly two decades, SIMB has been my professional home, a community that has shaped my scientific career, expanded my leadership capacity, and continuously reminded me of the power of collaboration in advancing industrial microbiology and biotechnology. I am running for President-elect because I believe deeply in SIMB’s mission, in the transformative strength of our membership, and in the critical role our Society plays at the intersection of research, innovation, and real-world application.
My professional career has been grounded in fermentation microbiology, product development, and technology commercialization across first- and second-generation biofuels, enzyme systems, and industrial yeast strain engineering. I have led teams responsible for taking concepts from molecular design through laboratory development, pilot trials, and full-scale deployment. Currently the fermentation manager in Research for POET, my work has spanned both industry and academia, resulting in multiple commercialized technologies, eight granted US patents, and meaningful contributions to the advancement of biorenewable solutions. These experiences have shaped my approach as a leader: datadriven, collaborative, supportive of diverse expertise, and always focused on long-term impact.
Within SIMB, I have dedicated years of service across committees, program leadership roles, and now as a current member of the Board of Directors. I have chaired the Biocatalysis Track, led the Student Poster and Oral Presentation Sessions, contributed to the Awards and Honors Committee, and am honored to serve as the 2026 Annual Meeting Program Chair. These roles have strengthened my understanding of our Society’s operational needs and strategic opportunities. They have also reinforced my belief that SIMB thrives when we foster inclusive scientific communities, support earlycareer professionals, and maintain strong, transparent engagement with our membership.
As President-elect, I will prioritize three guiding commitments. First, I am dedicated to strengthening SIMB’s role as a hub for translational science—where academic research, industrial application, and emerging technologies connect to address today’s most pressing biotechnological challenges. Second, I will continue cultivating an inclusive and welcoming Society that reflects the diversity of our field, expands mentorship pathways, and ensures that students and early-career scientists see SIMB as a place where they belong and can grow. Third, I will work with the Board and membership to ensure SIMB remains agile, financially strong, and forwardlooking as our discipline undergoes rapid technological evolution.
It would be a privilege to serve SIMB in this capacity. I am grateful for your consideration and for the opportunity to help guide our Society toward a vibrant future grounded in scientific excellence, community, and collaboration.”
Candidates for Treasurer
Adam Guss
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
“I am a Genetic and Metabolic Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). I earned my PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign in the lab of Bill Metcalf, followed by postdoctoral positions at Harvard University with Colleen Cavanaugh and Dartmouth College with Lee Lynd. I have been at ORNL for 15 years, where my research group focuses on the development of genetic tools for non-model microbes and the use of those tools for metabolic engineering. Applications include production of fuels and chemicals from renewable (lignocellulose) or waste (plastics, syngas) feedstocks and engineering of microbiomes. I am passionate about collaborations between academic, government, and industry researchers to develop technologies that bring a positive impact to society.
SIMB is my ‘home’ society. I have been involved in SIMB conferences for nearly two decades, including as a speaker, session convener, and as part of the Program Committee for the Biocatalysis track (2015) and the Metabolic Engineering track (2016-2018). In 2021, I was the Program Chair for the SIMB Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas. Most recently, I served on the SIMB Board of Directors from 2022–2025. I would be honored to serve SIMB as Treasurer for the 2026–2028 term.
As a member of the Board of Directors, I saw the importance of securing the financial health of SIMB in order to ensure that we can continue providing maximum value to our members. Beyond finances, my goal will be to help the Society maintain our excellent reputation for promoting applied science and bringing together the industrial microbiology community. Extending this, I would like to see the Society do more to facilitate collaborations and knowledge transfer between academia and industry. I also advocate for increased participation in SIMB by early career researchers, including undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers and facilitating networking and career mentoring, helping to support and train the next generation of industrial microbiologists. SIMB plays a critical role in industrial microbiology, and I am excited for the opportunity to serve our community.”
Katy Kao
San Jose State University.
Katy is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at San Jose State University. Prior to joining San Jose State University in 2019, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Her work focuses on microbial adaptation for applications in biotechnology and microbial pathogenesis. Specifically, her lab is developing broadly applicable methods based on adaptive laboratory evolution for both strain development and to gain fundamental understanding of complex phenotypes in microbial systems. Her lab is also studying biofilm adaptation in human fungal pathogens.
Katy has been an active member of the SIMB community since 2008. She currently serves as the SIMB Treasurer. Her other service includes serving the chair of the 2019 SIMB Annual Meeting in Washington DC and as a director on the Board of Directors from 2019–2022, convening sessions, serving as a member of the Fermentation and Cell Culture program committee, and chairing the Fermentation and Cell Culture program committee. Her vision for SIMB is to grow the membership, engage young scientists, and continue to bring together members from industry, academia, and national labs to address issues important in industrial biotechnology.
Candidates for Director
K. Thomas Klasson
USDA ARS (retired)
Thomas Klasson is a recently retired biochemical engineer researching biofuel and bioproducts from sugar crops via fermentation. Thomas is a member (12+ years) and Fellow of SIMB and organized SIMB’s SBFC 2005-2016, serving as the Symposium’s Chair or Co-chair and on the Organizing Committee. He has also served on the Board of Directors at SIMB (2016–2019) and on several SIMB Committees (2016present), including the Ethics Committee, the Awards & Honors Committee, the International Outreach, and the Membership-Individual Committee. He has served as judge for SIMB Awards for High-School students for several years and provided award write-ups for SIMB News.
Thomas received his MS degree in Chemical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and his PhD in (Bio)Chemical Engineering, from University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. After his post-doctoral work on synthesis gas fermentation, he was the Biotechnology Laboratory Director at the University’s Engineering Research Center. Thomas worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 12 years as a R&D Engineer and Group Leader of the Biochemical Engineering Research Group and the Remediation Technology Group. He continued and completed his career working for the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (2004–2025) as a Research Leader for the Commodity Utilization Research Unit (25 members). The group’s research activities include development of fermentation processes for converting agricultural waste to fuels and products and genetic engineering of plants for improved vegetable oils, alternative uses for cotton seed, and process improvement of sugar factories. He recently co-authored work in JIMB on the potential application of antimicrobials in large industrial sugar processes.
His work has been documented in over 120 peer reviewed publications (including JIMB) and, in 2023, he was ranked in the top 0.7% of the scientist worldwide in the biotechnology research area. He has made numerous invited presentations and often served as expert reviewer for proposals and projects for the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Agriculture. He is a member of American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Society for Testing and Materials International. As a member of Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers, he has participated in discussion panels and is a mentor for Chemical Engineering student at his alma mater.
“If I am elected, I will bring administrative and technical experience from academia, national laboratories, federal government, conference organization, and professional societies. I will contribute to the Board’s future success and financial stability by promoting scientific meeting success and profitability as well as enhanced committee contributions to the Board. I will encourage SIMB participation by graduate students and early career scientists with travel awards. And I will promote SIMB member participation as science judges to promote STEM activities.”
Chris Stowers
Kerry Group
Chris Stowers currently serves as Vice President of BioFermentation Operations and Process Technology at Kerry Group, where he oversees more than ten biomanufacturing sites and leads a global team of process technology experts responsible for scaling new products and optimizing existing product lines. He brings nearly two decades of biotechnology leadership experience across R&D, manufacturing science and technology (MSAT), and operations, having held senior leadership roles at Dow, DowDuPont, Corteva Agrisciences, DSM, dsm-firmenich and Kerry. Throughout his career, Chris has guided teams in developing and commercializing a broad portfolio of products including biochemicals, agricultural chemicals, bioplastics, nutritional lipids, carotenoids, vitamins, and probiotics. He has also directed the design, commissioning, and startup of multiple pilot- and commercial-scale fermentation facilities.
Chris has been an active member of SIMB since his graduate school days twenty years ago. From his first meeting, he found a strong sense of community and collaboration that has shaped his professional development. In return for the society’s significant impact on his career, he has remained deeply committed to service. Chris has served as Chair of the SIMB Fermentation Committee, organized sessions at both RAFT® and the SIMB Annual Meeting, served as a poster judge on several occasions and delivered numerous presentations over the past fifteen years. Since 2019, he has taught the Advanced Fermentation Concepts workshop held prior to the RAFT ®meeting, helping train the next generation of fermentation scientists and engineers. He is also an active mentor in the SIMB Mentorship Program since its inception and frequently reviews manuscripts for JIMB. In 2023–2024, he co-led the SIMB initiative Accelerating the Bioeconomy Through a Pre-Competitive Knowledgebase for Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology and has actively advocated for the US bioeconomy on Capitol Hill for the last several years.
As a Director, Chris aims to uphold SIMB’s high standards for scientific excellence across its meetings and journal. He is committed to strengthening the Xociety’s partnership with industry by ensuring its programming remains both scientifically cutting-edge and industrially relevant. He also plans to continue expanding the mentorship program so that emerging biotechnology leaders are well-prepared and well-supported for the challenges ahead. Lastly, continuing to grow SIMB membership will be a priority, with a focus on attracting members from all three sectors: industry, government and academia.
Chris holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2004) and a PhD in Biochemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University (2008).
Amendment of the Constitution to allow student members to vote
Changes in bold
Allowing Student Members the right to vote in Society elections
i. ARTICLE III. Membership
ii. Section 2
iii. “…Student members shall have all the privileges of regular members including voting but excluding the privilege holding elected office….”
Amendment of the Constitution to establish vacancy procedures for the Board of Director offices of Secretary and Treasurer
Changes in bold
Clarifying vacancy filling when needed for the Board of Director positions of Treasurer and Secretary
i. ARTICLE V. Officers
ii. Section 3
iii. “In the event of resignation or death of the President, the President-Elect shall succeed to the office of President. In the case of vacancy in the office of President- Elect, the Nominations Committee shall submit to the Secretary the names of two (2) qualified candidates within thirty (30) days after said vacancy occurs. The Secretary shall then poll (by mail) the Society membership as to their choice between the two (2) candidates. The candidate receiving the majority vote immediately assumes the office of President-Elect. In case of a vacancy in the office of Secretary or Treasurer, the Board of Directors shall select a replacement to serve pro tempore until the next annual election, at which time the position shall be filled by election procedures described in Article V, Section 4 and in the Bylaws. The Officer, so elected, will complete the unexpired term or begin a new term if the selected pro tempore completed the unexpired term.”