J. Donald Capra
Leroy Chiao
Richard A. Dixon
Robert Hines
Robert McNeil
William Paiva
Duane J. Roth
Warren Qualley
Edward W. Ungar
J. Donald Capra, M.D.
CHAIR
President Emeritus, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Oklahoma City
Dr. Capra came to Oklahoma and to OMRF in 1997 from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where he served as professor of microbiology and internal medicine and was the Edwin L. Cox Distinguished Chair in Immunology and Genetics. He joined UT Southwestern in 1974 and in 1994 was named Director of Southwestern’s Molecular Immunology Center. Dr. Capra is well known for his studies of antibody genes and how they are mutated in autoimmune disorders. His early work on the relationship of the hypervariable regions of antibodies to the antibody combining site and idiotype of an immunoglobulin molecule is well known. He has published over 450 papers in the scientific literature, edited four books including a textbook of Immunology, and co-authored the book “The Antibody Enigma”.
A native of Vermont, Dr. Capra received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry (1959) from the University Of Vermont and an M.D. (summa cum laude) from the University Of Vermont College Of Medicine (1963). He held research fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and Rockefeller University, and he was professor of microbiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine at the University of New York prior to moving to Dallas.
In his nine-year tenure as OMRF President, Dr. Capra oversaw an impressive period of growth and new scientific discovery. External research funding tripled, the scientific faculty grew from 36 to 49, and the number of graduate students at OMRF tripled. OMRF completed a five-year capital and endowment campaign, exceeding its $100 million goal. Over 100,000 square feet of the OMRF facility was renovated, and the $15 million Donald W. Reynolds Center for Genetic Research and an administrative building and conference center were constructed.
In May 2006, Dr. Capra stepped down as President of OMRF. He currently consults for biotechnology companies, private and public biomedical research institutions, and also for OMRF. He also serves on the BOD of several biotech companies both privately held and publically traded. BACK TO LIST
Leroy Chiao, Ph.D.
Houston, Texas
Astronaut Leroy Chiao, Ph.D. is an entrepreneur, distinguished chair professor, consultant and public speaker. Dr. Chiao has extensive experience as a NASA astronaut and as a research engineer. He is involved in entrepreneurial business ventures and works in the US, China, Japan and Russia. He is an executive vice president and director of Excalibur Almaz, a private manned spaceflight company. Also, he is a director of InNexus, a biotechnology/pharmaceutical development company. Dr. Chiao is the first Raborn Distinguished Chair Max Faget Mechanical Engineering Professor at Louisiana State University. Active as a consultant and public speaker, he also serves as the chairman of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute User Panel, which is attached to the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Chiao is a director of Challenger Center and is an advisor to the Heinlein Prize Trust
Dr. Chiao left NASA in December, 2005 following a fifteen-year career with the agency. A veteran of four space missions, Dr. Chiao most recently served as commander and NASA Science Officer of Expedition 10 aboard the International Space Station. He has logged over 229 days in space - over 36 hours of which were spent in extra-vehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalks).
A native English speaker, Dr. Chiao also speaks Mandarin Chinese and Russian. He has flown space missions and worked closely with Russian, Japanese and European astronauts and their affiliated space agencies. Dr. Chiao is uniquely qualified to speak about the United States, Russian, Japanese, European and Chinese space programs. A space station commander and space shuttle mission specialist, Dr. Chiao was also a certified co-pilot of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He is an expert in all facets of US and Russian EVA hardware and operations and is EVA certified in US and Russian spacesuits, tools, and training programs. In September 2006, Chiao became the first American to visit the Astronaut Research and Training Center of China.
Dr. Chiao studied chemical engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1983. He continued his studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, earning his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 1985 and 1987. Prior to joining NASA in 1990, he worked as a research engineer at Hexcel Corp. and then at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. BACK TO LIST
Richard A. Dixon, M.A., D. Phil., DSC
Senior Vice President and Director of the Plant Biology Division
The Noble Foundation
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Richard A. Dixon is Senior Vice President, Professor, and Director of the Plant Biology Division at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. He also holds Adjunct Professorships at Rice University, the University of Texas at Austin, Washington State University, and the University of Oklahoma. He received his Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees in Biochemistry and Botany from Oxford University (UK), and postdoctoral training in Plant Biochemistry at Cambridge University (UK). He was awarded the Doctor of Science degree for his research achievements by Oxford University in 2004. His research interests center on molecular biology and metabolic engineering of plant natural product pathways. He has published over 350 papers on these and related topics in international journals, and has been named by the Institute for Scientific Information as one of the 10 most cited authors in the plant and animal sciences. Professor Dixon is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal BioEnergy Research, and a member of the Editorial Boards of four other international journals. He is Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was elected to membership of the US National Academy of Sciences in 2007. BACK TO LIST
Robert Hines Ph.D.
President, Tech Resources, Inc. and Researcher, Questline
Columbus, Ohio
Dr. Hines has authored over 100 articles pertaining to natural gas and electric topics, including safe use, new products and applications for over 300 electric and gas utility commercial accounts. His training as an architect and planner has allowed him to respond to hundreds of inquiries regarding building and infrastructure issues facing companies and communities they serve. He is currently the contributing editor for the Nicor, Piedmont, Alliant Energy, Alagasco, and WE Energies’ Architects, Engineers and Developer’s newsletter.
Dr. Hines has also worked to implement the adoption and diffusion of new technologies. At Battelle, he was active in the fields of community development, industrial and technology assessment and industrial targeting. He has helped hundreds of communities develop improvement plans. He has also assisted individual manufacturing companies in 34 different states in implementing cost-saving improvements and developing new markets. Also, he has participated in the design of programs to overcome the barriers to technology and information transfer. He has facilitated private and public ventures, which stimulated local economic growth. He has worked with statewide organizations representing trade associations, industrial leaders, and local governments to develop industry improvement action plans.
Dr. Hines also evaluates commercial potential of new technology-oriented products for individual companies and for venture capital organizations that are evaluating investment opportunities. He has managed over 300 such market assessment and technology reviews with customers such as the State of Iowa, Oklahoma TCC, Kentucky Technology Services, ITAC and others.
Dr. Hines received his bachelor’s degree in urban planning and design from the University of Cincinnati. He also received his masters of science in agricultural economics/rural sociology (community development) and his doctorate in philosophy in agricultural economics/rural sociology (community development) from Ohio State University. BACK TO LIST
Robert McNeil, Ph.D.
Managing Director, Sanderling Venture Partners
San Mateo, California
Robert McNeil has over twenty-seven years’ experience as an active investor and management participant in seed and early-stage biomedical companies. He founded Sanderling Ventures in 1979 and has served since then as a managing director of Sanderling’s six investment partnerships.
Sanderling Venture Partners has been the seed investor of Western Technology Ventures, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems (acquired by Guidant Corp.) and Ventitrex (acquired by St. Jude Medical), all of which are highly successful companies. Dr. McNeil was a founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Stereotaxis, the chief executive officer and chairman of ReGen Biologics, and the chairman of Ista Pharmaceuticals.
As an active investor, Dr. McNeil has been instrumental in the successful development of InfraReDx, CoMentis (based on technology licensed from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation) and GeminX. In each case, close relationships with management and careful understanding of the companies’ technologies have allowed successful development of products at a very early stage.
Dr. McNeil earned his Ph.D. in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics in 1972 from the University of California, Irvine. BACK TO LIST
William Paiva, Ph.D.
Manager, Oklahoma Life Sciences Fund and Venture Partner, Sevin Rosen Funds
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dr. William Paiva serves as manager of the Oklahoma Life Sciences Fund (OSLF) and a venture partner for the Sevin Rosen Funds, which has over $2 billion under management. A resident of Tulsa, Dr. Paiva brings a broad range of knowledge from experiences within management consulting, pharmaceutical industry, and investment banking. The Oklahoma Life Sciences Fund was founded in 2000 while Dr. Paiva was a partner with Chisholm Private Capital. The OLSF portfolio companies, which were built on Oklahoma technologies, have attracted over $150 million in venture capital. This accounts for approximately two-thirds of venture capital attracted to the state of Oklahoma. Prior to joining Chisholm Private Capital, Dr. Paiva was a management consultant at Pittiglio, Rabin, Todd & McGrath, providing business strategy and process consulting services to large pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Searle, and Monsanto. He also served as an investment banking associate at JP Morgan in New York. Prior to his work in industry, he completed his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Oklahoma while conducting his dissertation research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). Afterward, he attended Dartmouth College, where he received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business. In addition, Dr. Paiva serves on the Institute for the Study of Aging Business Advisory Board and University of Oklahoma’s Price School of Business Board of Advisors and their executive committee. BACK TO LIST
Duane J. Roth
Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, CONNECT
San Diego, California
Duane J. Roth is the chief executive officer and member of the board of CONNECT, a globally recognized public benefits organization fostering entrepreneurship in the San Diego region by catalyzing, accelerating, and supporting the growth of the most promising technology and life sciences innovation. Focused on assisting start-up companies in the San Diego region, CONNECT has been directly involved with over 1,500 companies since its inception in 1985.
Prior to joining CONNECT, Mr. Roth founded Alliance Pharmaceutical Corporation where he currently serves as chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Prior to Alliance, Mr. Roth held senior management positions at Johnson & Johnson and Wyeth operating companies. He has served as a member of the board of directors and executive committees of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the California Healthcare Institute (CHI), and BIOCOM (past chair). Mr. Roth serves on a number of advisory committees and boards of the University of California, including the President’s Board on Science and Innovation, the UCSD Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (past chair), the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Preuss Charter School (chair), California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), and the UC San Diego Foundation Board (past chair). Mr. Roth is active in the San Diego community, serving on the board of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (past chair), the San Diego State University College of Business (past chair), San Diego State University Sciences & Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board, and as co-chair of the Regional Housing Working Group. Mr. Roth was appointed to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he also serves as a member on the Governor’s Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth.
Mr. Roth is a graduate of Iowa Wesleyan College, where he serves as a trustee. BACK TO LIST
Warren Qualley
Senior Weather Engineer, Harris Corporation
Mr. Warren Qualley has 30 years of commercial aviation meteorology experience, the last 17 years of which has been serving in a management position. He is currently the Senior Weather Engineer for Harris Corporation, where his primary focus is serving the weather portion of the US government initiative, Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).
Prior to his work with the Harris Corporation, Mr. Qualley was Director of Aviation Services at Weathernews Americas, Inc., located in Norman, Oklahoma. He also served for over a decade as Manager of Weather Services with American Airlines and was a staff meteorologist for the airline before that.
Mr. Qualley’s expertise has garnered him many invitations to be keynote speaker at various industry events, just a few of which include:
He has also been published in a large variety of journals, newspapers, magazines and industry related publications.
Mr. Qualley is the Chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Meteorological Task Force. He is also an active participant in meetings of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). He is a member of the American Meteorological Society, has been Chairman of the Air Transport Association (ATA) Meteorological Committee, and he was a board member of the University of Oklahoma’s College of Geosciences Board of Visitors. On a community level, Mr. Qualley has been a board member of the Norman Chamber of Commerce and also on the Norman Community Foundation Board, a non-profit group that directs private donations to charities.
Mr. Qualley earned his B.S. in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin. BACK TO LIST
Edward W. Ungar, Ph.D.
President, Taratec Corporation
Columbus, Ohio
Dr. Ungar has focused most of his career on the development and commercialization of technology in the advanced energy and transportation space. He has worked on virtually all forms of energy production including coal, nuclear, wind, solar, and biomass. He has worked with many of the world’s energy technology developers and manufacturers. Working with the utility industry, he has been involved in projects relating to all aspects of energy delivery to industrial and residential customers.
Through Taratec, Dr. Ungar has conducted program evaluations for the US Department of Energy (DOE), National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). He led the development and implementation of project/program evaluation processes for technology to develop and commercialize fuel-efficient vehicles within the DOE FreedomCar and Vehicle Technologies Program. In addition, Dr. Ungar has been involved in a similar effort devoted to new energy conservation technology for the DOE Industrial Technologies Program. Dr. Ungar is currently contributing to the development and implementation of a joint electric utility/vehicle manufacturer working group established to address plug-in electric hybrid vehicle (PHEV) commercialization issues.
For the past six years Dr. Ungar, through Taratec, has been conducting proposal evaluations for the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier Program (TFP). The projects evaluated by Taratec include advanced energy and fuel cells.
Prior to his work with Taratec, Dr. Ungar worked from 1956-1987 with Batelle Memorial Institute, starting as Manager and advancing to Associate Director and then Director and Vice President.
Dr. Ungar holds directorships with the Nationwide Children's Hospital Research Institute; SCI Engineered Materials and AMT Machine Systems, LLC. He was previously the director of the following: Mercer Group, Inc.; The Edison Welding Institute (during start-up); The Center for Hazardous Materials Research; Columbus Technology Council-Executive Committee member; and Tin Research Institute. He is also a fellow with the American Society for Materials (ASM).
Dr. Ungar received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the City College of New York, his masters and PhD in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University, and completed the executive development program at Northwestern University. BACK TO LIST