SIMB Officers
President
2020-2021
Steve Decker, NREL
President-Elect
2020-2021
Noel Fong, Nucelis
Past President
2020-2021
Janet Westpheling, University of Georgia
Treasurer
2020-2023
Laura Jarboe, Iowa State University
Secretary
2018-2021
Elisabeth Elder, Georgia Southwestern State University
Director
Term ends 2023
Rob Donofrio, Neogen
Director
Term ends 2022
Katy Kao, Texas A&M University
Director
Term ends 2022
Priti Pharyka, Genomatica
Director
Term ends 2021
Tiffany Rau
Executive Director
Christine Lowe, SIMB
Standing Committees
2021 Annual Meeting Program
Program Chair
Adam Guss, ORNL
Biocatalysis
Jennifer Headman (Chair), POET
Aditya Bhalla, Dupont
Navanietha Krishnaraj, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Enrico Marsili, Nanyang Technological University
Benedict Okeke, Auburn University at Montgomery
Environmental:
Gemma Reguera (Chair), Michigan State University
Haluk Beyenal, Washington State University
Kevin Finneran, Clemson University
Kang Wu, University of New Hamphshire
Fermentation/Cell Culture:
Yoram Barak (Chair), BASF
Noel Fong, Nucelis
Tiffany Rau
Dongming Xie, University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Metabolic Engineering:
Andreas Schirmer (Chair), Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
Chris Johnson, NREL
Priti Pharkya, Genomatica
Zengyi Shao
Natural Products:
James Link (Chair), Princeton University
Yousong Ding, University of Florida
Jie Hu, Corteva Agriscience
Students and Posters:
Sara Blumer-Schuette, Oakland University
Raj Boopathy, Nicholls State University
Katherine Chou, NREL
Enrico Marsili, Nanyang Technological University
Ashish Sharma
Science Slam:
Katy Kao
Archives
Term Ends 2022
Debra Chadick
Members:
Paul Cino
Doug Eveleigh, Rutgers University (Emeritus)
Ann Kulback
Audit Committee
Term Ends 2022
Jeff Schwartz, PhD, JLS Microconsulting LLC
Members:
Debbie Yaver, Novozymes
C. Herb Ward, Rice University
Awards & Honors
Term ends 2021
Mahendra Jain
Members:
Cathy Asleson Dundon, Nordyeast
Tom Jeffries, Xylome
Raj Boopathy, Nicholls State University
Susan Bagley, Michigan Technological University
Dale Monceaux, AdvanceBio LLC
Diversity Committee
Term Ends 2021
Chair: Sara Shields-Menard, Nicholls State University
Co-chair: Sheena Becker, Corteva
Members:
Noel Fong, Nucelis, Inc.
Laura Jarboe, Iowa State University
Vanessa Nepomuceno, University of Illinois
Education and Outreach
Term ends 2022
Katy Kao
Members:
Steve van Dien
Laura Jarboe, Iowa State University
Noel Fong, Nucelis, Inc.
Mark Berge, MedImmune
Katy Watts
Elections
Term Ends 2022
Kristien Mortelmans, SRI International
Members:
Badal Saha, USDA
Ethics Committee:
Term Ends 2022
Susan Bagley, Michigan Technological University (Emerita)
Members:
Scott Baker
Neal Connors
Debbie Yaver
Exhibits
Term Ends 2023
Steve Van Dien , Persephone Biome
Members:
Robert Berger, B/B Associates
Abbie More, FrieslandCampina
Finance
Term Ends 2023
Laura Jarboe (Chair), Iowa State Univ
Members:
Steve Decker, NREL
Jan Westpheling, UGA
Elisabeth Elder, Georgia Southwest University
ex officio: Noel Fong, Nucelis, SIMB president-elect; Jeff Schwartz, JLS Microconsulting
Investment Advisory
Richard Baltz, CognoGen Biotechnology Consulting
George Garrity, Michigan State University
Members:
Meeting Sites
Term Ends 2021
Chris Lowe, SIMB
Membership – Individual
Term Ends 2022
Michael Resch, NREL
Members:
Paul Cino
Laura Jarboe
Thomas Klasson, USDA
Membership – Corporate Outreach
Term Ends 2023
Chair: Steve Van Dien , Persephone Biome
Co-Chairs:
Adreas Schirmer, Genomatica
Yoram Barak, BASF
Members:
Tom Kelleher, Xylome
Jonathan Sheridan, Teselagen
Nominations
Term Ends 2021
Steve Van Dien , Persephone Biome
Members:
Placement
Term Ends 2021
Robert Berger, B/B Associates
Members:
Sara Dorman, FrieslandCampina
Planning
Term Ends 2020
Noel Fong, Nucelis
Members:
Publications
Term Ends 2022
Nigel Mouncey, Joint Genome Institute
Members:
George Garrity, Michigan State University
Herb Ward, Rice University
JIMB Editor-in-Chief
Term Ends 2025
Ramon Gonzalez, PhD
SIMB News Editor-in-Chief
Term Ends 2023
Melanie Mormile, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Members:
Elisabeth Elder, Georgia Southwestern State University
Kristien Mortelmans, SRI International
Vanessa Nepomuceno, Univ of Illinois
SIMB Representatives to:
American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS): OPEN
International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS): OPEN
Presidential Ad Hoc Committees
International Outreach
Term Ends 2020
Susanne Kleff, Michigan State University
Members:
Scott Baker
Tim Davies
George Garrity
Thomas Klasson
Peter Punt
Michael Resch
Erick Vandamme
Special Conferences
Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals (SBFC)
Chair: Scott Baker, Pacific National Lab
Co-chair: Davinia Salvachua, NREL
Past Chair: Claus Felby, Novo Nordisk Foundation
International Conference on Natural Product Discovery and Development in the Genomic Era 2023
Chair: Ben Shen, Scripps Research Institute
Recent Advances in Fermentation Technology (RAFT™) 2021
Chair: Mark Berge, Astra Zeneca
Co-chair: Kat Allikian, Mythic Mushrooms
Industrial Microbiology Meets Microbiome (IMMM)
Chair: Debbie Yaver, Novozymes
Co-chair: Yoram Barak, BASF
Co-chair: George Garrity, Michigan State University