Meet the Experts
Jason Todd: Liquid Chromatography Lab Manager and Expert
Jason received his BS in Chemical Engineering and MS in Wood Science and Forest Products from Virginia Tech. Jason has been with PSI for over 10 years and his attention to detail is second to none. His contributions and knowledge base have contributed in critical ways to PSI’s growth. In addition to developing an expertise in deformulations, additives analysis, mass spectrometry, and method development, Jason also serves as PSI’s in-house meteorologist.
Athena Spencer: Gas Chromatography Lab Manager and Expert
Before joining the PSI Team five years ago, Athena received her BS in Chemistry from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with minors in Mathematics and Business Management. She also gained years of experience from multiple firms in the chemical and polymer industries. Athena served a vital role in developing our gas chromatography lab, and even developed a method to test for phthalates that the Consumer Products Safety Commission has adopted as the industry standard. Athena has an unrivaled work ethic and expertise in gas chromatography. She is also a phenomenal baker.
Jennifer Brooks PhD: Project Management Department Head, Thermal, Physical, and Microscopy Laboratory Manager, and Expert
Jennifer started at PSI over 9 years ago after receiving her BS, M Eng, and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Jennifer has been, and continues to be, a driving force in the development of PSI, and contributes in significant ways to who we are as an organization every day. Her ability to pull together disparate pieces of data and information to create novel testing programs and solutions makes chemistry seem more like art than science. The only individual who has proven themselves capable of wearing more hats than Jennifer is Mr. Potato Head, who resides on her desk.
Alan Sentman PhD: Applied Chemistry & Spectroscopy Lab Manager, and Expert
Alan joined us all the way from California five years ago after receiving his BS in Chemistry from the University of California Riverside, and his PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of California Berkeley. Alan continues to up the ante in the development of our spectroscopy and applied chemistry labs, develops new in house capabilities, and teaches our team something new every day. Recently IBM’s computer Watson successfully defeated two humans on Jeopardy… because Alan wasn’t playing.
Jim Rancourt PhD: Founder & CEO
Jim is a Massachusetts native who received his BS in Chemistry from the University of Lowell. With his bachelor degree in hand Jim began working for Albany International in Dedham. It was here that Jim was given the opportunity to attend a polymer short course at Virginia Tech, where he relocated to earn his PhD in Polymer Chemistry and started Polymer Solutions Incorporated. Fifty-five presentations, 60 trial testimonies, 7 United States patents, and 60 publications later, Jim has developed Polymer Solutions into the industry’s premier independent testing lab. For the past 25 years Jim has grown PSI through complementing his passion for helping others with his love of analytical chemistry, while building a team of brilliant scientists and support staff along the way. If there was such thing as the Career Olympics, Jim would win gold in the decathlon, while simultaneously planning his next victory.
Kyle Copeland: Senior Technical Consultant
Kyle received his BS in Polymer Science from the University of Southern Mississippi before gaining over 15 years of experience in multiple sectors of the plastics industry. Before joining PSI in 2010, Kyle held positions in project management, production management, polymer synthesis, polymer processing, sales and marketing, and R&D. These unique experiences have contributed to Kyle’s intuitive understanding of our client’s challenges, and has equipped him with the ability to generate efficient testing plans that truly address our client’s needs. If Kyle’s ability to design and implement a strategy to achieve a specific outcome was applied to chess, it would leave Kasparov feeling deeply blue.
Beth Caba PhD: Senior Project Manager
Beth received her BS in Chemical Engineering and PhD in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining the PSI team four years ago Beth worked for DuPont, where she developed a detailed understanding of project management, process management, quality, safety, and industry requirements. By combining these experiences with her expertise in analytical methods, Beth is able to consistently create novel test protocols that meet strict quality and safety requirements, yet remain relevant to industry demands and the bottom line. In addition to providing tremendous value to our clients, Beth also champions internal process improvements that meet the needs of our quality and business requirements. Beth’s ability to find a beautiful resolution in a quagmire of competing data is exemplified in her photography.
Cynthia Rancourt: Director of Business Operations
Cynthia received her BS in Nursing from Salem State College in Massachusetts, and unknowingly started her career in quality. The knowledge she gained from the nursing program, and the wisdom she gained from serving patients as a registered nurse, established the foundation for her quality expertise. When Cynthia joined PSI in 2004 she quickly displayed an intuitive understanding of quality and how to balance it with the demands of business. She then went one step further by attending seminars, researching, and fostering relationships with quality experts. With Cynthia leading the charge, PSI has expanded our quality system beyond ISO-17025 accreditation to being GMP compliant, FDA registered, and DEA licensed. She has also been published in multiple trade journals and even delivered a presentation at a national method validation conference. Cynthia will bring out your best, while making you feel better still.
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