In an effort to expand our conversations about careers we are connecting postdocs with companies that hire postdocs and PhDs. As such, thanks to our partnership with the Stuckert Career Center, we invited recruiters and scientists from regional companies to attend the symposium. Take a moment to seek them out and learn, first-hand, what their companies are like, and what opportunities they currently have.
Dr. Tamiika Hurst-Darby, Detroit Native, Wayne State Chemistry grad, earned her MS Degree in Analytical Chemistry with a concentration in the Forensic Sciences from MSU. She obtained a PhD in Chemical Biology from The University of Michigan where she optimized the Carbonic Anhydrase-based biosensor which was, for the first time, used to probe the regulatory mechanisms of metal ions in brain cells damaged by disease or trauma. Following graduation, Tamiika moved to Cincinnati to join The Procter & Gamble Company. She then transitioned to academia to serve as an Adjunct Chemistry Professor at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, then Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati. Coupled to her work in education, Tamiika’s current role in HR with Cincinnati Children's is to expand and implement digital recruiting strategies that optimize candidate attraction tools, build diverse networks, and better evaluate candidates. When she's not working, Tamiika is a yoga teacher, enjoys trips to coffee shops, and spending time with her husband Bryan and their five children, Brooklyne, Elgin, Syria, Djoser, and Tazhe.
Dr. Gail Pyne-Geithman graduated with a BSc (Hons) jn Biochemistry from University College, London, and then completed her doctoral work in cerebrovascular biochemistry and physiology at the University of Oxford. Gail then came to Cincinnati, a leading stroke research center, for postdoctoral fellowships: 3 years in Physiology on an American Stroke Association fellowship, and then 3 years in Neurology funded by the NIH. Upon gaining her first major NIH funding, she transitioned to Assistant professor of Neurology, then moved to an Associate Professor position in the Department of Neurosurgery, where she was Director of the Neurovascular Research Laboratory. During this tenure, she also served a term as president of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and 2 terms as Secretary of the University of Cincinnati Faculty Senate. Gail shifted careers in 2014 and took a role as a Medical and Scientific Writer in the Department of Radiology at Cincinnati Children’s. Gail is now passionate about bringing the most talented researchers to the Cincinnati Children’s family. She moves to mentor, teach and coach and uses her experience to work closely with faculty to find them the quality postdoctoral fellow they are looking for. When she is not working, Gail enjoys spending time in nature with her US Navy Veteran husband Randy and children, David and Ruth, and loves to read, knit, crochet and embroider.
Erin Shea is the I-Corp Program Manager with Launch Blue for the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) at the University of Kentucky (UK), where she is responsible for managing recruitment, program facilitation and participant support. Before coming to UK, Erin was a marketing and communications director at an equine nonprofit and a journalist covering the sport of horse racing. In addition to her equine journalism work, she has also covered luxury business, fashion, travel, music, and dog sports for various local, national, and international media outlets. She holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural communications from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Kendra Stenzel, Ph.D., MBA is the Director of Innovation Talent Development where she works closely with the next generation of innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurial leaders by providing educational and experiential training opportunities to complement their current studies. She also works to educate researchers on campus about how to frame their research outcomes to ultimately impact the populations they seek to serve. Prior to this, she was Commercialization Manager for Medical Devices, Program Manager for the XLeratorNetwork, and Project Manager for the Kentucky Network for Innovation and Commercialization (KYNETIC). She earned her bachelor's degree in forensic science from Eastern Kentucky University, her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Kentucky, and just completed her Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship from UK. When she's not working with innovators, you can typically find her at concerts or practicing taekwondo.
Hannah is a Talent Acquisition Specialist who has worked at Medpace for over 4 years. She primarily supports Imaging, Medical Department, and the Bioanalytical lab. During her time at Medpace, she has supported several other departments including the Central Lab, Biostatistics, Data Management, Facilities, and the Clinical Pharmacology Unit.
I graduated from UK with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2010. During school, I joined the Navy’s NUPOC program, that I also recruit for now. I am a former Navy Nuclear Power School Instructor who loved Navy engineering so much that I requested to be a recruiter so I could share my experience and help others land their dream job. In my free time I enjoy playing and fixing pinball machines and spending lots of time with my wife and 2 girls.
Kam Manuel is an Education Project Manager working for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and development. She holds a Master's of Science degree in Educational Psychology for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Lindsay Tisdale is an Education Project Manager with Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) supporting the United States Department of Agriculture. She holds a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Dr. Nicholas E. Nanninga is the Interim General Manager at Secat, Inc., having joined the company in 2020 as Technical Director. In his role, he is responsible for engaging with new customers, coordinating R&D projects with universities and government agencies, supporting the development of technical training courses, and maintaining quality systems. Prior to Secat, Dr. Nanninga was the Corporate Director of Materials and Processes at Accuride Corporation. At Accuride, he managed a materials lab that provided support across multiple North American facilities through materials testing, alloy development, and process R&D. Notably, he developed a patented alloy and forging process that achieved a 15% weight reduction in aluminum wheels for commercial vehicles. Before his tenure at Accuride, Dr. Nanninga worked at Timet Corporation, where he focused on developing new titanium alloys and manufacturing processes. He began his career as a post-doctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he researched the impact of high-pressure hydrogen gas on the mechanical properties of metals and contributed to designing a specialized facility for testing. Dr. Nanninga holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Michigan Technological University, completed in 2003, 2005, and 2008, respectively. His research during his academic career included studies on hydrogen embrittlement in steel fasteners and the high cycle fatigue behavior of aluminum extrusions.
Dr. Weisenberger has been at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Research (UK CAER) since 2000, and since 2015 has served as Associate Director and leader of the Carbon Materials Group. Since the early 2000s a large part of his research has focused on carbon fiber processing, structure and performance, including solution-spun PAN based carbon fiber, melt spun (mesophase) pitch-based carbon fiber, and carbon nanotubes. In 2006 UK CAER commission a fiber development facility that today operates as the largest solution spinning facility in North America outside of industry. Recent and current work is focused on low-cost, high strength carbon fiber – including multifilament tow, hollow PAN-based carbon fiber. Additionally, the Carbon Group is very active in the conversion of coal to graphitic products including general-purpose and high-performance carbon fiber. Lastly of note, the Carbon Group has made some recent pioneering advancements in processing fibers from conductive, conjugated polymers including PEDOT:PSS. As a group we are very interested in creating and advancing new fiber technology.