Speakers of the Workshop

J. Thomas Chapin Ph.D.

UL Corporate Fellow
Vice President, Research

Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

Dr. J. Thomas (Tom) Chapin is the Vice President, Research at Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Tom is a UL William Henry Merrill Society Corporate Fellow and past chairman of the UL Fire Council. Tom currently focuses on emerging technologies, safety trends, aging, failure and forensic analysis, fire dynamics and the “evolving” definition of safety. Previously, Tom managed UL corporate research activities related to UL standards, testing and certification, and surveillance services.

As a trained materials scientist, Chapin’s career has been dedicated to the study of organic chemistry, polymer synthesis, characterization, product development and large-scale manufacturing and material processing, material degradation and aging and fire behavior.  Tom joined UL in 2001 after a 21-year career at AT&T Bell Laboratories and three years at The Upjohn Co.  He has 17 patents in telecommunication product and materials science. Tom has made over 300 technical presentations at conferences and has in excess of 150 technical publications in chemistry, materials and polymer science. He is serving as an Adjunct Professor at Case Western Reserve University lecturing on chemistry, polymer science and fire dynamics.

Tom was the past international chairman of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee, TC 113 on “Nanotechnology Standardization for Electrical and Electronic Components and Subsystems”.

Chapin received his BS in Chemistry with Honors in 1974 from the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. in Polymer Science in 1977 from the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut. 

 

Gordon Gillerman

Director, Standards Coordination Office
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gordon Gillerman, Director, Standards Coordination Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Department of Commerce Standards Executive leads NIST’s work in standards coordination and the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. Gordon supports extensive standards development and advises federal agencies and other stakeholders on standards and conformity assessment policy. The Standards Coordination Office is the NIST standardization focal point for federal government, administers the NIST Standards Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program, operates the U.S. Inquiry Point for the World Trade Organization’s Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, is the U.S. Designating Authority for Telecom Mutual Recognition Agreements and is a key information source for US industry on standards related market access issues.

Gordon has extensive standards experience across a wide range of critical issues including homeland security, safety, health and protection of the environment. Gordon is an expert on conformity assessment systems system design, advisor to the U.S. Trade Representative on technical barrier to trade and related trade agreements that has collaborated across the standards community to develop standards based solution for national priorities throughout his career. Gordon provided direct support in the drafting and negotiation of the Technical Barriers to Trade chapter of the USMCA.

Prior experience includes leading government affairs for the largest U.S. product safety certification and standard development organization, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in Washington, DC, and Staff Engineer for the medical device and information technology sectors at UL’s Northbrook, IL headquarters.

 

Travis Murdock

Manager, Technical Committee Operations
ASTM International

Travis Murdock is a Manager of Technical Committees Operations at ASTM International in West Conshohocken, PA. His primary function at ASTM is the management of numerous technical committees responsible for developing various standards related, but not limited to, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical product manufacturing, occupational health and safety, and sustainability. Prior to joining ASTM in 2016, Travis began his standards career in 2010 with the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), where he was responsible for the development and continued maintenance of coaxial and fiber optical cable and connector interface standards and best practices. In 2017, Travis took responsibility of the ASTM Academic Outreach programs designed to promote awareness and education of standards to the next generation. He is also chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Committee on Education. Travis holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from Penn State University as well as a MPA in Nonprofit Administration from West Chester University.

 

Daniel Ryan

Director – Standards Programs
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

Dan Ryan is the Director of Standards Programs with Underwriters Laboratories and is responsible for the technical management of UL’s global standards development and maintenance activities. Dan has nearly 35 years of standards related experience. Prior to assuming his current role, Dan’s management roles included managing UL’s relationships with national and regional standards bodies around the world and managing safety and sustainability standards development activities across a number of diverse categories, including indoor air quality, sustainability, security, signaling, building materials, hazardous locations, lighting, and flammable liquids. His management responsibilities included serving as the chair and program manager of the consensus bodies responsible for developing and maintaining the assigned UL standards, and ensuring that the associated standards development activities were in compliance with UL’s various accreditations, as well as with WTO principles for international standards. Prior to joining the UL Standards Division in 2003, Dan acquired nearly 20 years of experience in the application of standards through conformity assessment work, and as a technical participant in the standards development work of UL and other national and international standards development organizations. Dan currently serves as the vice-chair of the ANSI Executive Standards Council. 

 

Robert Solomon

Director, Built Environment Codes/Fire Protection Systems National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Robert is the Director of NFPA’s Built Environment Codes and Fire Protection Systems group. He oversees the operation of the 14 team members who have responsibility for NFPA codes dealing with life safety, building construction, water-based fire protection systems, risk and hazard assessment, energy storage systems, fire test protocols, spaceports and related safety issues for the built environment. He is Chair of the NFPA Health Care Interpretations Task Group and the ISO TC 268, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Working Group 3. He has authored and served as an editor for numerous NFPA publications dealing with automatic sprinkler systems, fire and life safety inspections, and general fire protection engineering topics. He has envisioned, managed and led several workshops for NFPA on health care fire safety, automatic sprinkler systems, and building safety/security. He is a guest lecturer at the University of Maryland, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Rhode Island School of Design.

 

Dorothy Stanley

Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Dorothy Stanley is an HPE Fellow and head of standards strategy at Aruba, A Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. She currently serves as Chair of the IEEE 802.11 Working Group. She is also Chair of the IEEE 802.11REVmd Task Group (responsible for maintenance and revision of the 802.11 standard), and has chaired the IEEE 802.11REVmc, 802.11REVmb and  IEEE 802.11v Wireless Network Management task groups. She has served in numerous leadership roles in Wi-Fi Alliance, and is co-chair of the IETF-IEEE 802 coordination committee. Previous to joining Aruba Networks in 2005, Stanley was a Consulting Member of the Technical Staff at Agere Systems for Wavelan products and a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Lucent Technologies and AT&T Bell Laboratories. Her responsibilities included system architecture, software development, and capacity and performance analysis for Digital Switching Systems and fixed wireless systems. Among Stanley’s awards are 5 patents, a WFA Members Achievement Award, WFA Special Recognition Awards for contributions and service to WFA, and IEEE Standards Association awards for contributions to numerous IEEE 802.11 standards.