Keith Evans – President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Member of Board of Directors

Keith Richard Evans joined Kyma in 2005 and has over 20 years of executive experience in the compound semiconductor industry, spanning the supply chain from substrates to epiwafers to epitaxial equipment to devices.

With a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Purdue University in the fundamentals of gas-solid interactions, Keith began his career at US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) where he helped establish and grow a leading research group in compound semiconductor materials and devices.  He invented and the Air Force patented a real-time crystal growth control technology; Keith followed his invention to industry when he joined Semiconductor Laser International in 1996.  He went on to take lead executive management roles at QED/IQE, Veeco-St. Paul, and Crystal-IS, before joining Kyma.

Keith has a strong track record in strategic planning, strategic partnerships, venture financing, government contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and IPO’s.

Ed Preble – Vice President Business Development and Chief Operations Officer (COO) – Member of Board of Directors

Edward (Ed) A. Preble joined Kyma in 2003 as a Senior Research Engineer, was promoted to COO in 2007, and took on the VP Business Development role late in 2009.

Ed is an expert in the growth and characterization of bulk and epitaxial wide bandgap semiconductor materials.  As COO, Ed is responsible for the day to day operations of the company, ensuring all primary operations function according to the company’s plan, including sales, production,  finance, and R&D.  He is also responsible for developing and implementing continuous operations improvement plans.  Ed is a key player in IP portfolio management, strategic partnerships, and M&A activities.

Ed has experience from General Electric and received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering under Professor Bob Davis at North Carolina State University.  He has authored numerous scientific articles and is an inventor on several patents.

Bob Metzger – Chief Engineer

Robert (Bob) A. Metzger joined Kyma in early 2009 as a Senior Process Analyst and recently became the company’s Chief Engineer.

Bob is responsible for Kyma’s long term equipment and facilities hardware optimization, and he participates in and leads a range of short and near term engineering projects.

An expert in the growth, fabrication, and characterization of advanced III-V and silicon semiconductor devices, Bob’s experience includes that of Research Scientist at HRL Laboratories.  He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from UCLA, along with his B.S. and M.S. degrees in the same field.

Bob is also a highly published author of science fiction and was a Nebula Award finalist in the novel category in 2002 for his second novel, Picoverse.

Bob is co-founder of the technical journal Compound Semiconductor, and has authored over a hundred professional research papers. He has also written several articles on science for a popular audience for Wired magazine, and has published speculative studies involving climate engineering and space propulsion, co-authored with fellow scientist/sci-fi novelists Gregory Benford and Geoffrey Landis, respectively. He is also active with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Gregory Mulholland – Director of Operations

Gregory (Greg) J. Mulholland joined Kyma in 2008 as Senior Research Engineer, became the company’s Director of Engineering later that year, and was promoted to Director of Operations in late 2009.

Greg is responsible for all daily engineering functions and plays a major role in many other areas of the company too, including IP portfolio growth, facilities expansion, and information technology.

Greg received his M. Phil in Physics from Cambridge University.  At North Carolina State University Greg held the prestigious Park Scholarship and earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Computer Engineering.

He also co-founded the Krispie Kreme Challenge, was President of Advanced Rowing Instruments, and was President of the NCSU Rowing Club.

Greg has work experience with RTI International and the US National Security Agency.

Tanya Paskova – Chief Scientist

Tanya Paskova joined Kyma in 2007 as Chief Scientist.

Tanya is a leading expert in the growth and characterization of compound semiconductor materials.  As Chief Scientist, Tanya is responsible for the detailed analysis and improvement of Kyma’s materials manufacturing processes.  She is Kyma’s Principal Investigator on a number of government supported R&D projects and external scientific collaborations.  She is also a major contributor to the growth of Kyma’s IP portfolio.

Tanya obtained her Ph.D. in Physics at Sofia University (Bulgaria) and her Docent in Materials Science at Linköping University (Sweden), where she worked with world-renown Professor Bo Monemar on the fundamental properties of nitride semiconductor materials. Tanya has established a network of important scientific collaborations worldwide; has authored more than 200 scientific papers, reviews and chapters in highly prestigious journals and books; has given numerous invited talks at international conferences and university seminars; is the editor of two scientific books; and serves as a member of PhD evaluation committees and referee boards for several physics and crystal growth journals.  Currently she also holds a position of Adjunct Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at NCSU.

Heather Splawn - Director of Business Development

Heather Splawn joined Kyma in early 2010 as Director of Business Development and is responsible for helping Kyma capitalize on a number of corporate growth opportunities.

Heather received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University in 2009.  She was recently awarded a Corporate Research Postdoctoral Fellowship for Engineers sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the American Society for Engineering Education.

Heather was the President of the Founding Chapter of Upsilon Phi Epsilon, an International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines, served on the Executive Council of Phi Beta Kappa, and is a co-founder and form Director of Operations of The DOUGHMAN, a charity race that promotes sustainability and local foods while benefiting the Durham Inner-city Gardeners program.