Dr. Stephanie Smith is a distinguished food scientist with over 25 years of extensive and varied experiences in the private sector, academia, and the federal government. She is a subject matter expert on food safety and a former American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Science Fellow. During her time as a fellow, she coordinated a Senate investigation on imported food safety, organized Congressional hearings, testified before the Subcommittee, and developed legislation that became part of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. She is currently with the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT), a non-profit economic development organization working with Ohio-based food manufacturers.
Dr. Stephanie A. Smith has over 15 years of hands-on experience in microbiology, biochemistry, and metabolic engineering. She has built her substantial career upon her research interests and training at The Ohio State University in the areas of carbon fixation and photosynthetic microbiology. Previously, Dr. Smith played an active leadership role in the building of bioenergy initiatives at Battelle which eventually led her to a position as Chief Scientist at Algaeventure Systems, Inc. (AVS). Additionally, she has provided expert testimony to the U.S. Congress regarding the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 2011. Utilizing the skills she has developed, Dr. Smith currently oversees technical operations for Beagle Bioproducts.
Dr. Diane Vorbroker is a professor in the Biology and Bioscience Technology departments at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. She earned her B.S. in Biology at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. and her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from the University of Cincinnati. While at UC she worked in the Children’s Hospital Research Foundation researching the production of surfactant proteins in premature infants. Dr. Vorbroker realized that she had a passion for helping others understand complex biology concepts and gradually transitioned to a teaching career. She now is a professor in the Biology Department at Cincinnati State and is also the program chair for the Bioscience Technology program, which she helped start in 2009.