42nd Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW)

Kerry Hollands is a Senior Lead Scientist in the IFF R&D team based in Wilmington, DE.  In 12 years with the company, Kerry has led technical teams to deliver engineered yeast strains for production of fuel ethanol, enzymes and other industrial products.  She has experience with both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-conventional yeasts, as well as fungal and bacterial expression systems. Prior to joining IFF, Kerry earned her Ph.D. in Biosciences from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and completed her postdoctoral training in molecular microbiology at Yale University.

Rachael Baker is a seasoned quality and process improvement professional with a strong foundation in the ethanol and animal nutrition industries. With over a decade of experience spanning laboratory management, regulatory compliance, and customer-focused technical roles, Rachael has played a pivotal role in ensuring product integrity and operational excellence. Her tenure at an ethanol producing facility saw her lead quality assurance efforts at an ethanol production facility, where she managed compliance with FDA, distilled spirits, and environmental regulations while optimizing lab operations and fermentation processes.

Pauline Teunissen is the Global Application Leader for Grain Processing, Health & Biosciences at IFF since 2020.

Pauline joined IFF (at that time Genencor) in 2000, initially in the R&D organization in Leiden, The Netherlands as a scientist and within this role she focused on the development of biochemical/screening assays for new enzyme development and built the foundation for the high throughput screening laboratory in Leiden, The Netherlands. In her next assignment Pauline built up the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) Grain Applications Laboratory to manage a team of scientists who were specialized in grain research and were responsible for customer support and product development in the region.

In 2011, Pauline relocated to Palo Alto, CA, USA and held the position of Grain Applications Research Leader and R&D project portfolio leader to guide the development of novel enzymes and yeast solutions for the fuel ethanol and carbohydrate processing industry.

With 25+ years of technical leadership experience in Grain Processing, Pauline currently leads the Grain Processing Application teams for North America, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific (ASPAC). In this role she is responsible for the overall technical product and application development and customer support for the different regions for the fuel ethanol and carbohydrate processing segments.

Sang kyu (Q) Lee is a Senior Lead Scientist in the R&D group at IFF, where he has over 25 years of experience in enzyme research and development. He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, with a background in metalloenzyme kinetics and enzymatic reaction mechanisms. At IFF, Q has led multiple enzyme development programs resulting in the successful commercialization of industrial enzymes. His work spans applied biochemistry and protein engineering, with particular leadership in the development of amylases for industrial applications. Q is known for combining deep mechanistic insight with practical innovation to advance enzyme performance.

Amie is a technical service account manager for IFF and lives in Wichita, Kansas. She has served in this role for 8 years, providing ethanol facilities with her expertise and guidance to achieve optimal fermentation performance. Before joining IFF, Amie worked with a leading yeast manufacturer for ethanol fermentation and an ethanol plant in Kansas, totaling 13 years of experience. Amie is passionate about the ethanol industry and provides a systems approach to identifying best practices within yeast fermentation. She obtained her master’s degree from the University of Nebraska, focusing on nitrogen liberation and anaerobic fermentation within ruminant nutrition.

Dr. Jaclyn DeMartini is a Senior Lead Scientist at IFF and currently directs the company’s Grain Applications Research Group. In this role, she studies new and improved enzymes and processes for the Grain industry. Her current research is centered on evaluating bio-based technologies to improve both oil recovery, as well as the value of protein coproducts. Prior to joining IFF, Jaclyn received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Systems Engineering at the University of California, Davis, and her Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Riverside. Her primary area of expertise focuses on the biochemical mechanisms that dictate the breakdown of plant materials for biofuels, including grain-based and cellulosic ethanol, as well as biogas. She has accumulated more than 18 years of experience and numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications on the topic.

Dawn Overby is the North America Marketing Director for Grain Processing at IFF, working to deliver the latest enzyme and yeast technology to continuously improve the sustainability and efficiency at ethanol plants. Prior to this role she worked in IFF’s Animal Nutrition and Health business. Dawn received a B.S. degree in Finance and International Business from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. and M.A. in International Relations from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and The Lauder Institute. Her diverse background includes significant experience in the mining and financial industries.