Monica Tisack, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Monica has over 25 years of polymer industrial experience with both DuPont and Chemours, and joined MPI in January of 2017. She has global experience in business management and strategy, product and market management, new product development, technical service, and manufacturing trouble shooting.
Samuel Lahasky, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist
With a Ph.D. in polymer/organic chemistry, Samuel Lahasky’s experience, which ranges from formulation science to materials engineering, has been utilized by companies like Dow Chemicals, Oxiteno, Indorama Ventures’ Integrated Oxide Division and Materic. He has developed novel materials for military applications, including thermal textiles, enhanced oil-recovery mechanisms and the development of gas diffusion layers for hydrogen fuel cells.
Ty Posey
Senior Scientist and Workforce Development Leader
Ty has a B.S. in Polymer Science and a M.S. in Workforce Development. Ty joined MPI in 1997 and has trained thousands of employees for companies of all sizes. He is a NIST-certified instructor for the suite of Lean Manufacturing Courses, a certified plastics instructor, and a Six Sigma Black Belt. His technical areas of expertise include composites manufacturing, polymer processing, CAD, and 3D printing.
Sara Bayley
Laboratory and Quality Manager
With more than 20 years experience in polymer research and development, Sara's B.S. in Polymer Science has enabled her to become a subject matter expert in the areas of ISO/IEC 17025:2017, material science, analytical and physical testing. Sara's expertise is ASTM testing and method development on a wide range of instrumentation including advanced microscopy techniques.
Caitlyne Shirley​
Business Development Manager
Caitlyne has a M.S. in Chemistry, over 15 years of experience in research and 4 years of experience in lab management. She is an expert in a wide variety of synthetic and analytical techniques and instrumentation. Caitlyne's experience in start-up management and technical know-how are assets to companies wanting to expand their business or solve technical problems.
Lauren Romine
Program Manager
Lauren has an M.S. in Microbiology and over 8 years of experience in biomedical research. She co-founded a biobased materials startup and was responsible for scale-up activities associated with creating a FDA-approved mushroom manufacturing plant. Lauren leads MPI’s sustainability platform and is the resident expert in biodegradation testing, compost ability, marine degradation, and microplastics analyses. Lauren also oversees MPI’s new Sustainability Assessments (carbon footprint analyses and life cycle assessments) and Sustainability Training Certifications
Taler Dykes
Synthetic Specialist
Taler is a 2019 graduate with a B.S. in Polymer Science. His lab experience concentrates on polyol and polyurethane syntheses and optimization of polymerizations by using ReactIR technology.
Tianli Ren
Technical and Marketing Representative
Tianli has dual M.S. degrees in Polymer Science and in Marketing Analytics. She is experienced with research and development of polymer related products, with particular focus on material property analysis and marketing strategy for new products.
Cameron Nuzzo
Operations Manager
Cameron has a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with over 14 years of Building Management experience. He has experience in Project Management, Economic Development, and Problem Solving that aids in the advancement of the Innovation and Commercialization Park and The Accelerator.
Robbie McDonald, M.B.A
Entrepreneurship Program Manager
Robbie holds an MBA with a Graduate Certificate in Economic Development and has earned sustainability certifications including (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED Green Associate and WELL AP. He is experienced in entrepreneurship and community development, with a focus on advancing sustainable practices and strategic growth in local ecosystems.