Management Profile
Dr. J.R. Kittrell, President of KSE, Inc manages and markets technology licensing, technology invention and development, and expert litigation services for the Company. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He is an author of more than 100 technical publications and an inventor on over 50 U.S. patents.
Jeff Kittrell, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, joined KSE in 2020 to manage technology and business development initiatives for the firm. He holds a B.S. Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University, M.S. Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, and has a 35 year career in the Oil & Gas industry with experience in refinery engineering & operations, upstream oil & gas production, physical and financial commodity trading.
Keith D. Kittrell, Vice President of Operations is responsible for the commercialization of new technologies at the Company. His extensive business and finance background includes the management and operation of businesses with revenue streams exceeding $20 million, expansion of businesses into new markets, and execution of turnaround plan in preparation for selling off an existing business. These skills and experience complement the commercial technology skills of KSE, providing the expertise necessary to take new technologies to market. He holds a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts and a M.S. in Environmental Management and Planning from the University of Denver, as well as several Advanced Finance Certifications from Vanderbilt University and Harvard University.
Dr. Carl R. Dupre, Senior Engineering Manager, is responsible for engineering services for the Company and is a key member of the technology development team. He was previously employed by Monsanto and Bayer in polymer processing, research management, and technology services. He holds the Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.
Dr. Michael F. Malone (Mike) is senior advisor for all technology projects at KSE, Inc. involving Reactive Distillation. Mike is Vice Chancellor of Research and Engagement and Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He holds the B.S. Degree from Pennsylvania State University and the Ph.D. Degree from the University of Massachusetts, both in Chemical Engineering. His research and teaching interests include Conceptual Design, Process Economics and Optimization, Nonideal and Reactive Distillation, Integration of Engineering and Business, and Technology Innovation. Among many research publications and patents, he is the coauthor of the book “Conceptual Design of Distillation Systems”, with Dr. Michael F. Doherty.
Dr. Michael F. Doherty is senior technical and commercial advisor on all technology projects at KSE, Inc. Michael is Professor and Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of California Santa Barbara. He received his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, University of London in 1973, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Trinity College, University of Cambridge in 1977. His research interests are in conceptual process design, especially separation processes. He has received numerous honors and awards for his teaching and research, including the Clarence Gerhold Award and the Alpha Chi Sigma Award. In 2008 he was named as one of the “One Hundred Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era,” by the AIChE.
Dr. Li Quan, R&D Engineer, is responsible for all laboratory operations at the Company including chemical process and method development, analytical techniques/design of experiment, bench-scale and pilot plant demonstration activities. She holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Harbin University of Science and Technology, M.S. Chemical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Ph.D. Chemical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. Dr. Quan's research expertise includes rheological behavior and processing of polymers and biopolymers.
Robert Dec, Process Engineer, is responsible for execution of laboratory experimentation, maintaining analytical instrumentation, process engineering for bench scale operations, pilot plant and demonstration activities. He holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduating with High Distinction honors.