Virtual Technology Fair: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Archived: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Sponsored by: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) presents a "Virtual Technology Fair" featuring Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant recipients developing innovative solutions for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Speakers will give a "pitch", showcasing the work underway and its value-added to disrupt the market. We encourage participation by and questions from potential end-users, customers, and other stakeholders to accelerate technology transfer of these promising approaches.
Steve Dietz, TDA Research, Inc. (sdietz@tda.com)
Dr. Steven D. Dietz is a Principal Scientist at TDA Research, Inc. and has been a key contributor for the company since 1993. Dr. Dietz has a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Kansas and over thirty years’ experience the development of homogeneous catalysts and materials. At TDA, he has developed engineered porous carbons for water cleanup, carbon capture and energy storage resulting in nine U.S. patents with more pending.
Claire Rowlands, Bluegrass Advanced Materials, LLC (crowlands@bgamaterials.com)
Dr. Claire Rowlands has four years of experience developing polymeric sustained release systems for pharmaceutical delivery. Her background in polymer science is central to advancing BAM’s technology. She also earned a certificate in Biopharmaceutical Engineering during her undergraduate studies, providing her with valuable training in drug formulation, development, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Dr. Rowlands received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2020 and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2024.
Katy Roodenko, MAX-IR LABS LLC (kroodenko@max-ir-labs.com)
Dr. Roodenko earned her PhD in Physics from the Technical University of Berlin, specializing in material analysis across a broad spectral range from Infrared to X-rays. She completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she studied optical properties of materials and researched new methods for analyzing novel material systems such as metal-organic frameworks, nanostructured materials, and industrial processes including sacrificial layer etching and atomic layer deposition.
She founded Max-IR Labs in 2017 to develop infrared sensors for industrial process control, biofluid analysis and environmental monitoring, including water and wastewater applications. Her team is advancing the IR-SMART™ sensor for real-time detection of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which integrates infrared spectroscopy with sorption-enhanced optical waveguides and is based on Max-IR Labs’ ISMIR™ (Ion-Selective Material with IR Detection) technology. Dr. Roodenko is a member of the ASTM International Committee on water standards, serves on professional committees including Optica and SPIE Photonics West, advises investors on early-stage technology startups, and mentors students and interns in infrared technologies.
Jason Beck, Espira Inc (jason.beck@espirainc.com)
Jason is a member of the technical staff at Espira Inc., a startup in Salt Lake City, UT, that is focused on the development of a field-deployable instrument – FluoroFind – designed for the rapid and low-level detection of PFAS in aqueous samples. Jason earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Utah, under the guidance of Dr. Marc Porter. His graduate work sought to advance analytical methodology in a variety of fields including calibrant-free analyte quantification, electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography, and SERS-based immunoassays.
Moderators:
Heather Henry, NIEHS (henryh@niehs.nih.gov)
Heather Henry, Ph.D., is a health scientist administrator for National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) where she oversees Superfund Research Program (SRP) grants that span human health toxicology, risk assessment, detection technologies and remediation approaches. She provides guidance to potential applicants for SRP’s Multi-Project Center Grants (P42s), Individual Research Grants (R01s), and Small Business / Technology Transfer Grants (R41-44; SBIR/STTR). She serves on several working groups including: Federal Remediation Technology Roundtable; Federal PFAS Strategy Team; National Nanotechnology Initiative Water Sustainability Team; NIEHS Microbiome; NIEHS Emerging Contaminants; and NIH Disaster Research Response. She has been with NIEHS since 2006. Prior to that, Heather studied bioremediation as part of her doctoral work at the University of Cincinnati and as a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne and University of Adelaide in Australia.
Michael Adam, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (adam.michael@epa.gov or 202-566-0875)
As a Triad advocate, Mike directed the final production of the Management and Interpretation of Data Under a Triad Approach. For the Technology Innovation Program (TIP), Mike serves as POC for various issues and initiatives such as Vapor Intrusion, Decision Support Tools, and the Measurement and Monitoring Technologies for the 21st Century initiative; and is part of the CLUIN management team. Mike has graduate degrees in Plant Physiology (2000, Iowa State) and Environmental Engineering (2003, Nebraska-Lincoln), and was a staff Research Assistant in Environmental Soil Science at Nebraska-Lincoln before joining the Technology Innovation Program at the EPA in late 2004.
Chris Zevitas, U.S. Department of Transportation (Chris.Zevitas@dot.gov)
Dr. Christopher Zevitas is a nationally-recognized subject matter expert with over 38 years of experience in the Departments of Defense and Transportation managing and directing comprehensive environmental assessment, mitigation, and restoration activities. He serves as a senior technical advisor on multiple federal programs with a focus on evaluating the impact of transportation-related pollutants. Dr. Zevitas leads major inter and intra agency initiatives addressing the nation’s top priorities concerning novel pollutants and emerging threats to human health and the environment through his participation in expert committees such as the Federal Remediation Technology Roundtable and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council. Dr. Zevitas holds a Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree in Environmental Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts - Lowell.
Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)
Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.
Webinar Slides and References:
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Virtual Technology Fair Opening Slides (1.58MB/PDF)
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Slide Presentation for Beck and Rowlands (2.79MB/PDF)
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Slide Presentation for Dietz (1020KB/PDF)
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Slide Presentation for Rowlands (15.5MB/PDF)
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Slide Presentation for Roodenko (2.21MB/PDF)
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Closing Slides (744KB/PDF)
Additional Resources:
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Rehabilitation Act Notice for Reasonable Accommodation
Rehabilitation Act Notice for Reasonable Accommodation
It is EPA's policy to make reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities wishing to participate in the agency's programs and activities, pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 791. Any request for accommodation should be made to Heather Henry at 984-287-3268 or henryh@niehs.nih.gov, preferably one week or more in advance of the webinar, so that EPA will have sufficient time to process the request. EPA would welcome specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. EPA welcomes specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. Please note that CLU-IN provides both alternate phone call-in options and closed captioning for all webinars, and requests for these specific accommodations are not necessary.
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