Beer & Biotech November at Freedom First!
Beer & Biotech is an RBTC signature series which pairs in-depth, technical conversation with delicious, locally-brewed beverages. Come out to Freedom First Headquarters in downtown Roanoke and join the biotech community for a thought-provoking discussion with this month’s expert speaker.
Join us this month for I’ve got friends in low(er airway) places presented by Dr. Cary Hill, Director of Nanomaterial and Emerging Contaminant Safety at ITA International, LLC in Blackburg, VA.
Are you routinely breathing in engineered nanomaterials? Are you sure? Learn about ITA International’s endeavors to assess airborne exposure threats from unexpected sources, as well as practical steps that can be taken to reduce exposure at work and at home. See cutting-edge technology in action during a live laser system demonstration, where ITA’s team will showcase how their system detects mask leakage in real time using a custom 3D-printed head model. Don’t miss this fascinating, hands-on look at how science and innovation are working together to protect the air we breathe.
Beer & Biotech takes place on the third Wednesday of each month. Come enjoy Schaals Catering and great conversation in the beautiful Freedom First Credit Union downtown in Roanoke. Free parking is available on-site. This signature event is made possible by EOS and hosted by Freedom First. Enjoy networking from 4:30 to 5:15p and the speaker will begin at 5:15p.
Speaker Spotlight
W. Cary Hill, Ph.D. Director, Nanomaterial and Emerging Contaminant Safety ITA International, LLC in Blacksburg, VA.
After beginning his career as an engineer of advanced materials including multifunctional coatings for military uniforms, ballistic protective materials, and extreme environment optical sensors, Dr. Hill transitioned his materials characterization expertise toward environmental health and safety applications upon joining NanoSafe, Inc. in 2016. As a Senior Research Associate and then Vice President at NanoSafe, Dr. Hill acquired and directed programs funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) which supported research related to the assessment of engineered nanomaterials in aqueous environments or as aerosolized by consumer products and the development of an accurate and inexpensive field kit for the measurement of lead in drinking water (US Patent No. 11971398). Dr. Hill also conducts testing and consulting for commercial entities, most prominently on behalf of The Graphene Council, where he leads efforts to characterize, classify, and validate graphene and graphene-containing products produced by manufacturers and member companies.
NanoSafe was acquired by ITA International in 2023, where Dr. Hill maintained work with the U.S. Army and NIEHS while beginning new ventures with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) related to developing a new standard for the Fitted Filtration Efficiency (FFE) of face mask and respirator products and assessment of fluorotelomer alcohols emitted by household paints, respectively. Emerging efforts are focused on developing testing protocols and advisement metrics for manufacturers who produce or handle engineered nanomaterials to help in-house environmental health and safety personnel reduce exposures to workers.
Dr. Hill received his B.S. (2009) and Ph.D. (2016) in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech, where he also serves as an Adjunct Instructor, teaching Polymer Engineering or Physical Ceramics to undergraduate students. When he is not looking for engineered nanomaterials in facilities or the environment, he can be found with his wife and four young children in the mountains of southwest Virginia (or dreaming of being in the mountains of southwest Virginia while attending youth rec sports games instead on beautiful Saturday mornings).