Who We Are
Chemists Without Borders is a public benefit, non-profit international humanitarian organization designed to alleviate human suffering through the use of proven chemical technologies and related skills. Our primary goals include, but are not limited to, offering expertise, knowledge, and solutions by mobilizing our global chemists to:
- Develop self-reliance models.
- Provide expertise and resources of chemists as needed and requested by NGOs.
- Organize around sharable processes and activities.
- Partner through social entrepreneurs and humanitarian organizations.
- Engage in Centers of Excellence: water analysis and purification, climate, quality medicines, science information & education.
- Education for LIFE!!!!
Why Chemists?
- Understand the science behind the needs.
- Promote science-based solutions.
- Add informed voices to help prevent future humanitarian crises.
Our People
Our goals for every living being include
- Sufficient safe water,
- Essential medicines and vaccines,
- Eco friendly and neutral climate,
- Restored degraded forests,
- Sufficient food processing trees,
- Sanitation/hygiene facilities.
Our Vision
We envision a global support network of volunteers providing mentoring, information and advice to ensure every person, everywhere, has affordable, consistent and persistent access to:
- Essential medicines and vaccines,
- Sufficient safe water,
- A sustainable energy supply,
- Education in green chemistry and business that people can apply in their daily lives and teach to others,
- Safe processes in work environments where chemical hazards exist,
- Emergency support including essential supplies, technology, and expertise.
Note
Chemists Without Borders is an equal opportunity 501(c)(3) organization.
Chemists Without Borders is not in any way affiliated with Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders is a registered trademark of Bureau International de Médecins Sans Frontières.
Dr. Steve Chambreau
Steve, who received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from UC Riverside, is a Research Scientist in the Propellants Branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base. Steve is a Co-Founder of Chemists Without Borders and has served as Vice-President (2005-2013), President (2013-2015) and on the Board of Directors (2005-2015). As President, he provided support and oversight to organization’s projects, was involved in membership and volunteer management, and assisted with fundraising, public relations and newsletter publications. He retired from his roles as Director and President in January 2016 but continues his support in various aspects. In his spare time, Steve teaches aikido and enjoys cycling and playing the violin. Click here to view his professional profile on LinkedIn.
Dr. Bego Gerber
Bego was educated at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and has Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of California Santa Barbara. He is Managing Director of Business Development International and is an Executive Associate accredited by the Institute for Independent Business. His expertise ranges from academic medical research to patented new product development; and from idea processing and information management, to entrepreneurial lifestyle marketing and the development of B-Quadrant businesses on the Internet. He also spent many years as a passionate court appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children. As a Co-Founder of Chemists Without Borders, he focuses on board development, public relations and partnerships. Click here to view his professional profile on LinkedIn.
Dr. Achal Garg (Chairman)
Dr. Achal Garg has worked for the City of Cincinnati for 24 years with the Division of Wastewater Treatment. As the Research and Innovation Manager, Achal developed many new and innovative technologies for the treatment, disinfection and monitoring of wastewater. Achal has received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship award twice, a rare accomplishment; first for Namibia, Africa in 2012, and the second for Peru in 2019. He holds an Adjunct Professor position with Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, and serves on advisory committees of several universities and Water Environment Federation (WEF). He has published more than 20 research papers in peer reviewed journals and is a regular presenter at national and international conferences. Achal received his Ph.D. in environmental toxicology. Click here to view his professional profile on LinkdIn.
Dr. Robert Kurkjian
Dr. Robert Kurkjian has devoted his career to protecting the environment, reducing risks to public health, and lecturing on environmental issues in the U.S. and internationally. Robert provides litigation support, expert technical review, and strategic planning regarding chemical impacts, environmental resources management, and Brownfield redevelopment. He serves as an International Consultant and Technical Advisor to NGOs, donor organizations, and government agencies on projects in Asia, Africa, and the Former Soviet Union. Robert earned a PhD from the University of California in Environmental Geochemistry, a Master of Science Degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chemistry from the University of Arizona. Click here to view his professional profile on LinkdIn.
Ronda L. Grosse
Dr. Ronda Grosse has been a Director on the Board of Chemists Without Borders since 2015 and is currently serving as the VP of Ethics. She retired from the Dow Chemical Company after a 30-year career as a chemist and science & technology leader in various R&D divisions at Dow and Dow Corning Corporation. Her primary expertise is in molecular spectroscopy, chromatography and mass spectrometry for materials characterization. While in Dow’s Business & Technology Incubator group, she led a team focused on developing novel materials for engineered components and other emerging technologies. Her international experience includes scientific research in Japan, affordable housing projects in India, and humanitarian work in Zimbabwe.
Dr. Ray Kronquist
Ray served as president of CWB from January of 2016 to February of 2021. During this time, two Rotary Clubs joined the Arsenic Project, the Shared Well project was started and funded, and collaborations with six biochar manufacturers were established for work on climate change. When Ray resigned as president of CWB, he founded Army of Volunteers for Earth, a nonprofit dedicated to combating climate change. Ray lived for a year in Germany as a student and five years in France when he worked for a laboratory near Paris.
Ray enjoys running and playing tennis. He is divorced, has two grown sons and twin grandsons. Click here to view his professional profile on LinkedIn.
Dr. Rolande R. Hodel
Dr. Rolande R. Hodel received the 2009 Astellas USA Foundation humanitarian award for her work as founder and president of AIDSfreeAFRICA, a non-profit organization based in New York. Born in Germany, she is a US citizen and a legal resident of Cameroon. She has worked for companies such as BASF/Germany, Nanocrystals Technology/NY, Pharmaceutical Discovery Corporation/NY (today Mannkind/CT) and Emisphere Technologies/NY. She received her Masters of Science in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Kansas in 1995 and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the City University of New York in 2005.
Dr. Hodel serves on the board of directors of Chemists Without Borders, and is active at the local, national, and international levels within the American Chemical Society (ACS). Click here to view her professional profile on LinkedIn.
“I am dedicated to promoting peace through the empowerment of people in Africa to produce their own generic and essential pharmaceutical drugs.”
Ramin Sedehi (President and CEO)
Ramin’s career is highlighted by his decades of pragmatic and transformative leadership at world-class organizations (UCSF Health, UCSF Stanford Healthcare, University of Pennsylvania, American University of Beirut, and Weill Cornell Medicine). He has successfully navigated these entities through periods of significant change. Throughout his career, he has developed and led the implementation of numerous strategic efforts that have transcended borders to balance sustainable financial and organizational frameworks to achieve aspirational objectives. These collaborations have led to unprecedented results; large-scale mergers of academic health systems, revitalization of major academic institutions, rise in national rankings, and international efforts to foster sustainable and innovative institutions. Read more
Dr. Sayanti Basu (VP Operations)
Sayanti Basu has 15+ years of industrial experience in various roles – R&D, Operations, Procurement, and for last several years, P&L leadership. She has worked in multiple Fortune 100-500 companies such as Celanese, Berry Global, Jeld-Wen and Honeywell. She is mostly known for her ability to transform businesses from low growth and margins to best in class through strategy, innovation, and standard principles implementation. She is most passionate about using science to impact lives. During daytime it is in a for-profit manner and during evenings and weekends in a non-profit way. Sayanti has more than 10 patents in the field of chemistry and is the recipient of prestigious awards such as “40 under 40”, “Women in Business” and “Walker Legacy” which are given to female leaders with panache for volunteering and giving back to the society. In the same spirit, she is excited to join Chemists Without Borders to be able to use her technical and corporate skills to make a difference. Click here to view Sayanti’s professional profile on LinkedIn.
Anagi Balachandra (Secretary and VP, Membership)
Anagi holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Michigan State University, an MS in Analytical Chemistry from Eastern Michigan University, and a BS in Chemistry (honors) from the University of Colombo. With nearly two decades of experience, she has been a leader in research, development, and innovation in material science and nanotechnology, focusing on defense and aerospace applications. Her expertise extends to greenhouse gas mitigation, heavy metal, and hazardous material remediation, as well as advancing low-carbon, green sustainable technologies. She has been involved with a number of university start-ups, commercializing cutting-edge technologies, and currently works as the Director of Business and Research Development at Adaxius Corporation. Anagi is the inventor of seven granted patents and has co-authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications (Anagi Balachandra – Google Scholar).
Beyond her professional achievements, Anagi is deeply committed to giving back. She volunteers for several non-profit organizations and advocates for equal access to STEM education, particularly for underprivileged communities. She is equally passionate about humanitarian activities to make a positive impact on society using her chemistry expertise and leadership skills, and excited to be a part of CWB management team. Click here to view Anagi’s professional profile on LinkedIn.
Dr. Ralph House (Senior Advisor)
Ralph is a leader with over ten years of experience building and managing intra- and inter-university collaborations, including with industry, national laboratories, and non-profit research organizations. His broad scientific background in Biochemistry (BS), Molecular Biology/Genomics (MS) and Physical Chemistry (PhD) gives him a general fluency across multiple STEM disciplines that enables him to break down disciplinary silos to better the student experience and broaden the research enterprise with a commitment to diversity in STEM and a team-oriented mindset to problem solving. Specific examples of some of Ralph’s key achievements are summarized below: Read More
Sergey Litvinenko (VP Informatics)
As Founder of Civic Hub, Sergey is working with the City and County of San Francisco, governments and nonprofits on projects related to civic engagement, economic and workforce development, community building, and inner-city youth education. He is Founder & CEO Geosphere Interactive to assist government and institutions with digital transformation. Geosphere Interactive’s prime focus is on project (program) management, asset management, supply chain management, interactive multimedia educational tools, and all forms of graphic and digital design. Sergey is active with several NGOs and in 2020, Sergey volunteered his skills to Chemists Without Borders and local government agencies, nonprofits, schools, and the farming community in a capacity of VP of Government Relations. Currently working on collaborative projects related to clean water, healthy soil, and climate initiatives under newly launched Healthy Soil Alliance. As of September 2022, he transitioned to VP of Informatics and now works on transforming the IT infrastructure of the organization. Click here to view his professional profile on LinkedIn.
Dr. Ann Miller (Chief Program Officer)
Ramin Sedehi (President and CEO)
Ramin’s career is highlighted by his decades of pragmatic and transformative leadership at world-class organizations (UCSF Health, UCSF Stanford Healthcare, University of Pennsylvania, American University of Beirut, and Weill Cornell Medicine). He has successfully navigated these entities through periods of significant change. Throughout his career, he has developed and led the implementation of numerous strategic efforts that have transcended borders to balance sustainable financial and organizational frameworks to achieve aspirational objectives. These collaborations have led to unprecedented results; large-scale mergers of academic health systems, revitalization of major academic institutions, rise in national rankings, and international efforts to foster sustainable and innovative institutions. Read more
Steve Chambreau
Dr. Bego Gerber
Arshad Hafeez (President/CEO)
Dr. Achal Garg (Chairman)
Dr. Ray Kronquist
Dr. Rolande R. Hodel
Ronda L. (Grosse, VP Ethics)
Dr. Robert Kurkjian
Arshad Hafeez (President/CEO)
Robert Kurkjian (CFO Finance Treasurer )
Ann Miller (VP Customer Relations)
Sergey Litvinenko (VP Informatics)
Abhisikta Bhowmick (VP Membership)
Ramin Sedehi (Executive VP Strategy and Planning)
Sayanti Basu(VP Operations)
Ralph House (VP R&D, Initiatives and Training)
Miriam Ahmed (VP Talent Partners & Training)
Stanley E. Revers(VP Philanthropy)
Steve Chambreau
Dr. Bego Gerber
Arshad Hafeez (President/CEO)
Mr. Hafeez has unique qualifications and expertise as an entrepreneurial executive for global business, advanced engineered material, global quality (20+ yrs), and supply chain management. He had the vision and leadership to invent Nadcap, leading grass root development and brand named seven additional programs that have drastically improved quality in the Aerospace, Space, Automotive, and Defense Industry supply chain. Working with multi-billion-dollar company corporate executives, his accomplishments is that of the combined experience of several manufacturing, quality and engineering CEO’s, VP’s and Directors, Mr. Hafeez’s contribution has been compared to the accomplishments of Aerospace and Automotive industry leaders (Dr. Deming) in continual improvement and quality.
Read More
Dr. Achal Garg (Chairman)
Dr. Ray Kronquist
Dr. Rolande R. Hodel
“I am dedicated to promoting peace through the empowerment of people in Africa to produce their own generic and essential pharmaceutical drugs.”
Ronda L. (Grosse, VP Ethics)
Read More
Dr. Robert Kurkjian
Project Leaders
Mohammad Mohiuddin – Bangladesh Arsenic Project
Adam Cooper & Brian Vaccaro – Climate Change Project
Bakarr Kanu – Ongley-Myers Sierra Leone Chemistry Education Project (OMSLCEP)
Sut Ahuja –Assuring Water Quality Project
Joseph Aubertin – Biochar – Drought Relief / Climate Control and Reversal
Collaborators
Rolande H. Hodel – AIDSfreeAFRICA
Marya Lieberman – Paper Analytical Device (PAD) Project
Julian Tyson – Arsenic in Rice Measurement
Chief Financial Officer
Rolande H. Hodel
Fundraising Team and Marketing and Public Relations Team
We have a number of dedicated volunteers who make part of these vital teams. We are always looking for committed and motivated individuals.
Would you like to join us?
Special Recognition for Extraordinary Service
A Bakarr Kanu, Abul Hussam, Alvin Menezes, Andrew Douglass, Anowara Begum, Chris Lizardi, Hadiyah Fain, Hana Hashim, Jayashankar Raghunathan, K. C. Wang, Ladan Artusy Aslani, Lois Ongley (deceased), Madolyn Murray, Michael Schur, Nazneen Khanam, Nina Paquette, Onofrio (Nuch) Palazzolo, Poornima Rangaswamy, Ray Kronquist, Rolande Hodel, Ronda Grosse, Rusty Myers (deceased), Satinder Ahuja, Shahena Begum, Tony Ennenga.
Significant Contributors
A K M Munir, Abigail Luminarias, Adam Cooper, Adity Shayontony Das, Adrian Barranco, Alan Smith, Alec Wodtke, Alivelu Duvvuri, Allan Smith, Alyssa Adcock, Amber Wise, Amolik Kakade, Andrea Phillott, Andrei Lopatenko, Andrew Guenthner, Ankit Vij, Ankita Shastri, Anuj Upadhyay, Aquila Hopkinson, Audrey Reid, Babu Rahman, Baibai Kamara, Bart Simmons, Breeze Outhwaite, Chathuri Weerasinghe, Christina Storm, Colin Scholes, Conrad Bergo, Danella Rugile, Daniel Lent, David Kemper, Debbie Andres, Dennis Kyne, Dev Mandal, Devayan Mandal, Dhruti Shah, Doug Molitor, Ed Lo, Ehsan Alam, Emilia Barros, Eric Yee, Eve Zoebisch, Farzaneh Abhari, Frances Pai, Franco Cabrerizo, Gary Deboer, Gayatri Atchanta, Gayatri Kumari, Gilbert De Gregorio, Glenna Drisko, Harunur Rashid, Heather Morrison, Heidi Doak, Henry Shinefield, Howard Peters, Isabel Chiu, Jason Shweiri, Jean-Claude Bradley (deceased), Jeffrey Hurst, Jennifer Farinha, Joan Chang, Joan McMahon, Joe McKay, John Cihonski, Johnathan Neshiwat, Joseph Aubertin, Joseph McKay, Josh Kearns, Josiah Bjorgaard, Julian Tyson, Kabir Kamran, Kasturi Kulkarni, Kate Ahern, Katherine Lanigan, Kathleen Webb, Kiki Lin, Kola Akinade, Kristin Mandia, Ksenia Afonicheva, Lacey Cluff Brent, Laura Asiala, Linda Smith, Linda Spremulli, Logan Ray, Louis Ciabattoni, Madeleine Plumer, Mairi-Christine Oliver, Marco Masia, Mark Berard, Mary Mase, Margherita Pucino, Marya Lieberman, Meera Hira-Smith, Meghann Mouyianis, Meghann Murray, Mengling Jia, Mia Crager, Michael Cina, Michael Matson, Minji Kim, Miranda Gallagher, Montse Perez, Nazli Bano, Nicholas Azad, Nicholas Fragola, Nicolas Gaboriaud, Nikki Rowe, Noreen Akhtar, Patrick Wang, Peter Ravenscroft, Peter Sohn, Priyanka Gupta, Rachel Pokrandt, Rafi Rafiyu, Raj Kumar, Randy Logan, Reem Hannun, Rene Kathawala, Richard Lyman, Ronelly bem GarciaTaborite, Rose Capistran, Rudy Baum, Sahima Khan, Sara Aronchick, Sara Schneidmiller, Sarah Murray, Sasha Dimova, Sasha Kozlov, Serkan Kabak, Shalini Sharma, Shawon Barua, Smrithi Srinivasan, Solomon Ray, Sonia Shorif, Steve Malvey, Sucharit Neogi, Sumayea Shafiul, Susanne Kennedy, Suzanne Marks, Tadeusz Wysocki Jr, Teddi Ann Galligan, Terry Lemons, Tom Lane, Tom Paquette, Upul Ranaweera, Vadim Baigildin, Vanessa Hoang, Victoria Watkins, Violeta Sevillano, Vy Nguyen, Werner Haag, Zann Gill.
Steve Chambreau
Dr. Bego Gerber (Chairman)
Dr. Achal Garg
Dr. Ray Kronquist
Dr. Rolande R. Hodel
Dr. Ronda Grosse
Dr. Robert Kurkjian
Project Leaders
Mohammad Mohiuddin – Bangladesh Arsenic Project
Adam Cooper & Brian Vaccaro – Climate Change Project
Bakarr Kanu – Ongley-Myers Sierra Leone Chemistry Education Project (OMSLCEP)
Sut Ahuja –Assuring Water Quality Project
Joseph Aubertin – Biochar – Drought Relief / Climate Control and Reversal
Collaborators
Rolande H. Hodel – AIDSfreeAFRICA
Marya Lieberman – Paper Analytical Device (PAD) Project
Julian Tyson – Arsenic in Rice Measurement
Chief Financial Officer
Rolande H. Hodel
Fundraising Team and Marketing and Public Relations Team
We have a number of dedicated volunteers who make part of these vital teams. We are always looking for committed and motivated individuals.
Would you like to join us?
Special Recognition for Extraordinary Service
A Bakarr Kanu, Abul Hussam, Alvin Menezes, Andrew Douglass, Anowara Begum, Chris Lizardi, Hadiyah Fain, Hana Hashim, Jayashankar Raghunathan, K. C. Wang, Ladan Artusy Aslani, Lois Ongley (deceased), Madolyn Murray, Michael Schur, Nazneen Khanam, Nina Paquette, Onofrio (Nuch) Palazzolo, Poornima Rangaswamy, Ray Kronquist, Rolande Hodel, Ronda Grosse, Rusty Myers (deceased), Satinder Ahuja, Shahena Begum, Tony Ennenga.
Significant Contributors
A K M Munir, Abigail Luminarias, Adam Cooper, Adity Shayontony Das, Adrian Barranco, Alan Smith, Alec Wodtke, Alivelu Duvvuri, Allan Smith, Alyssa Adcock, Amber Wise, Amolik Kakade, Andrea Phillott, Andrei Lopatenko, Andrew Guenthner, Ankit Vij, Ankita Shastri, Anuj Upadhyay, Aquila Hopkinson, Audrey Reid, Babu Rahman, Baibai Kamara, Bart Simmons, Breeze Outhwaite, Chathuri Weerasinghe, Christina Storm, Colin Scholes, Conrad Bergo, Danella Rugile, Daniel Lent, David Kemper, Debbie Andres, Dennis Kyne, Dev Mandal, Devayan Mandal, Dhruti Shah, Doug Molitor, Ed Lo, Ehsan Alam, Emilia Barros, Eric Yee, Eve Zoebisch, Farzaneh Abhari, Frances Pai, Franco Cabrerizo, Gary Deboer, Gayatri Atchanta, Gayatri Kumari, Gilbert De Gregorio, Glenna Drisko, Harunur Rashid, Heather Morrison, Heidi Doak, Henry Shinefield, Howard Peters, Isabel Chiu, Jason Shweiri, Jean-Claude Bradley (deceased), Jeffrey Hurst, Jennifer Farinha, Joan Chang, Joan McMahon, Joe McKay, John Cihonski, Johnathan Neshiwat, Joseph Aubertin, Joseph McKay, Josh Kearns, Josiah Bjorgaard, Julian Tyson, Kabir Kamran, Kasturi Kulkarni, Kate Ahern, Katherine Lanigan, Kathleen Webb, Kiki Lin, Kola Akinade, Kristin Mandia, Ksenia Afonicheva, Lacey Cluff Brent, Laura Asiala, Linda Smith, Linda Spremulli, Logan Ray, Louis Ciabattoni, Madeleine Plumer, Mairi-Christine Oliver, Marco Masia, Mark Berard, Mary Mase, Margherita Pucino, Marya Lieberman, Meera Hira-Smith, Meghann Mouyianis, Meghann Murray, Mengling Jia, Mia Crager, Michael Cina, Michael Matson, Minji Kim, Miranda Gallagher, Montse Perez, Nazli Bano, Nicholas Azad, Nicholas Fragola, Nicolas Gaboriaud, Nikki Rowe, Noreen Akhtar, Patrick Wang, Peter Ravenscroft, Peter Sohn, Priyanka Gupta, Rachel Pokrandt, Rafi Rafiyu, Raj Kumar, Randy Logan, Reem Hannun, Rene Kathawala, Richard Lyman, Ronelly bem GarciaTaborite, Rose Capistran, Rudy Baum, Sahima Khan, Sara Aronchick, Sara Schneidmiller, Sarah Murray, Sasha Dimova, Sasha Kozlov, Serkan Kabak, Shalini Sharma, Shawon Barua, Smrithi Srinivasan, Solomon Ray, Sonia Shorif, Steve Malvey, Sucharit Neogi, Sumayea Shafiul, Susanne Kennedy, Suzanne Marks, Tadeusz Wysocki Jr, Teddi Ann Galligan, Terry Lemons, Tom Lane, Tom Paquette, Upul Ranaweera, Vadim Baigildin, Vanessa Hoang, Victoria Watkins, Violeta Sevillano, Vy Nguyen, Werner Haag, Zann Gill.
Our Sponsors and Partners
The power is in the network. The greatest things can only be achieved when joining forces with inspired individuals and organizations. Together we can brainstorm, innovate, design solutions and execute them!
Existing Partners & Collaborators:
Chemists Without Borders invites you to leverage our global membership and increase the resources to your organization or institution. If your goals align with ours and you would like to collaborate with us, contact us.
MERYT Catalysts & Innovation
MERYT Catalysts & Innovation is passionate about helping customers reduce their catalyst and energy costs and optimize production processes. This work improves environmental outcomes by reducing energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. Thanks to these efforts the company has been awarded “Best Oil & Gas Energy Saving Technology Provider 2019 – Spain” by Corporate Vision Magazine.
Founder and owner, Dr Meritxell Vila, is a strong advocate for the work of Chemists Without Borders. She has promoted the work of Chemists Without Borders through her company website and a conference presentation.
Learn more about Meryt here.
Thank you to our sponsors, who recognize the value of our work and endorse it.
We are currently looking for sponsors to support our work while gaining exposure to our international community. Interested? Feel free to contact us!
The power is in the network. The greatest things can only be achieved when joining forces with inspired individuals and organizations. Together we can brainstorm, innovate, design solutions and execute them!
Existing Partners & Collaborators:
Chemists Without Borders invites you to leverage our global membership and increase the resources to your organization or institution. If your goals align with ours and you would like to collaborate with us, contact us.
Other Locations
India
123, Dev Plaza, 34th Street, New Delhi, 110011, India
Australia
16 Munique Rd, Birdsville QLD 4482, Australia
Africa
5th Floor, St Adams Towers, P. O. Box 1234, Nairobi, Kenya
United States
123 S Westmore Rd, Lombard, IL 60148, United States
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