Meet Our Chemists

Dr. Alan H. Katz, PhD — Director, R&D and New Product Development, Spex® CertiPrep
Alan holds a B.A. in Chemistry from the University at Buffalo and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. At Spex, Alan oversees the research and development of new certified chemical reference materials and other novel inorganic and organic products. His specialties include organic, computational, heterocyclic, synthetic chemistry, drug discovery, biological assay design, structure-based molecular modeling, and lab automation. He has enjoyed combining his expertise with his interest in computer programming to develop a system to assist in drug discovery.

Patricia Atkins — Senior Applications Scientist, Spex CertiPrep
Patricia graduated from Rutgers University in NJ and started her career as a laboratory supervisor for Ciba Specialty Chemicals. In 2008, Patricia joined Spex CertiPrep within their Certified Reference Material’s division. As a senior application scientist, she spends much of her time researching industry trends and developing new reference materials.  She is an experienced speaker and has presented at numerous conferences, including NACRW, NEMC, Pittcon and AOAC. She is also a published author, and her work has appeared in various journals and trade publications, including Spectroscopy, LCGC and Cannabis Science and Technology, where she is a columnist for analytical issues in cannabis testing. 

William L. Green, PhD — Inorganic Manufacturing Manager, Spex CertiPrep
Bill graduated from Rowan University in southern New Jersey with BS in chemistry. Following his undergraduate work, he went on to complete a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the University of Delaware. In 2015, Bill joined Spex CertiPrep's Inorganic CRM team as a manufacturing chemist, where he focused on the preparation and scale-up of single element concentrates and stock products. As manufacturing manager, Bill oversees production and R&D operations for the inorganic department, as well as providing technical support for both customers and staff. He is highly skilled in synthetic inorganic chemistry and compound purification. He is also a published author and experienced technical speaker.

Katherine Cullinan — Inorganic QC Manager, Spex CertiPrep
Katherine holds a BS in chemistry from the University of Delaware. Katherine joined Spex in 2013 and now co-manages the inorganic department, supporting the vast knowledge among our team of chemists working in collaboration. Katherine is trained in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles. As QC manager, she is responsible for ensuring the highest quality is put into all our products, addressing any non-conformances and upholding the company’s ISO, 17025, and 17034 accreditations.

Eric Smith — Applications Scientist, Spex SamplePrep
Eric holds a BS in chemistry from Kean University. His current role at Spex SamplePrep involves managing all phases of application development including specifications, data collection, literature research, reporting and presentations. He serves as applications scientist, internal ISO 9001 auditor and a technical expert, traveling domestically and internationally for customer visits and tradeshows. Prior to joining Spex, Eric worked as an R&D and QA chemist and currently serves as an instructor at the International Center for Diffraction Data and the London X-ray Consulting Group.

Lauren Stainback — Global Product Manager, NSI Lab Solutions, Inc.
Lauren leads NSI’s product and business development efforts. Formerly a forensic lab director, Lauren has 15 years of experience within clinical and analytical laboratory science. She provides technical support and product development for molecular biology, pharmaceutical science, analytical chemistry, and microbiology. Lauren is focused on supporting Customers and Distributors through technical support, applications training, and new product development.