Morrisville, Pa — Seeking to further capitalize on the business potential of its broad selection of silane, silicone and metal-organic compounds, Gelest has announced the promotion of company veteran Edward Kimble to product manager, Silicones, and the appointment of Barbara Tsuie, PhD, as product manager, Silanes and Metal-Organics. Both report to Joel Zazyczny, vice president, Silanes, Silicones & Metal-Organics.

As Product Manager, Silicones, Kimble will be responsible for the development of new business for Gelest’s polymeric materials. He joined Gelest in 1998 in the company’s development group after earning a BS degree in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University. Thereafter, he assumed positions of increased responsibility until he was promoted to production supervisor, then to Applications and Polymer Development manager in 2004. In this position, he headed Gelest’s Silicone R&D Group, working to develop new siloxane-based polymers, until he was assumed his current position. Kimble holds a patent in silicone macromers, and has made multiple presentations on the subject.

As product manager, Silanes and Metal-Organics, Dr. Tsuie is responsible for the development of new business for Gelest’s wide range of functional and non-functional alkyl silane compounds and for the company’s greatly expanded range of metal-organic compounds for materials, polymers and synthesis. She joined Gelest following a successful 10-year tenure at Equistar Chemicals (now LyondellBasell) in Cincinnati, Ohio. There, Tsuie worked primarily on catalyst synthesis and olefin polymerization in the company’s catalyst research and development group, and managed the technical side of catalyst scale-up. She also earned 12 patents in the field of olefin polymerization.

A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, with a BA degree in chemistry, Tsuie earned her doctorate in chemistry at the University of Iowa in 1998. Her thesis covered organic and organometallic synthesis and characterization as well as olefin polymerization. She did postdoctoral work at the University of Florida and subsequently at the Georgia Institute of Technology in association with BFGoodrich, focusing on catalysis and polymerization chemistry, before joining the former Equistar Chemicals in 2000.

SOURCE: Gelest