Dr. J. Nick Benardini is the Planetary Protection Officer in the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance responsible for policy management of spacecraft biological cleanliness. Nick has conducted research in the field of in environmental microbiology, studying extreme environments and started in the UV field over 21 years ago conducting research on Bacillus spores isolated from the Sonoran Desert. He has participated in both applied research and field studies in conducting molecular and traditional microbiological community analysis. He has actively participated in the implementation teams for the Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Science Laboratory, InSight and Mars 2020 Missions. Nick received his Bachelors of Science in Microbiology at the University of Arizona and his PhD in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry at the University of Idaho.

Matthew Meyer has over 25 years’ experience in engineering design, construction, and evaluation of commercial and residential space. Dr. Meyer specializes in the delicate balance of energy efficiency and air quality for indoor spaces. Dr. Meyer founded Provident Energy which assists building contractors in efficient and healthy building practices. As an engineer with OSHA’s Health Response Team, Dr. Meyer is rewriting Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation chapters of OSHA’s technical manual which guides agents in inspection techniques. Dr. Meyer has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a doctorate in Engineering Education. He enjoys yoga and sings with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

Jim is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the Director of the Electrotechnology Research Program in the UNH Environmental Research Group. Jim has a BS Degree in Environmental Chemistry from Rutgers University and a BS Degree in Civil Engineering while receiving his MS and PhD Degrees in Civil/ Environmental Engineering from UMASS/Amherst. He has more than 40 years of experience in the environmental engineering field. Jim currently serves IUVA as editor-in-chief of their UV Solutions publication. Jim was the Founding President of the International UV Association and between 1997 and 2000 he was instrumental in leading that association from a fledgling group of 22 steering committee members from North America to over 650 members in 30 countries. Jim received the 2007 International Ultraviolet Association’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the field of UV technology. Jim and his team received the American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Science’s Grand Research Prize in 2005. Jim served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Water Quality and Technology Division of AWWA from 2007-2010 and Chairman of the AWWA Technical and Education Council (2013-2017). Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, Jim and his students have been working on applications of UV disinfection systems to air and surfaces. To date Jim’s has served as independent third-party evaluator of UV technology system including 15 treating drinking water and 10 treating room air.

William (“Bill”) Bahnfleth is a professor of Architectural Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. He is a Fellow of ASHRAE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate. Dr. Bahnfleth holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and is a Registered Professional Engineer. His primary research interest is energy efficient control of indoor air quality with a focus on control of bioaerosols with germicidal ultraviolet light. His UV research has included analysis of in-duct air disinfection system performance and economics, characterization and modeling of low pressure Hg vapor germicidal lamps under variable operating conditions, field measurements of cooling coil irradiation system energy use impacts, measurements of SARS-CoV-2 rate constants, and modeling of interactions of upper room systems with room air distribution. Dr. Bahnfleth is the author or co-author of more than 180 journal articles and 15 books and book chapters. He has served ASHRAE in many capacities, including 2013-14 Society President and chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force. His ASHRAE awards include the Andrew T. Boggs Service Award, the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, the E.K. Campbell Award for teaching, the Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award, and the F. Paul Anderson Award, ASHRAE’s highest individual honor. His work as chair of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has been recognized with a letter of appreciation from the US EPA and the ASHRAE Presidential Certificate of Honor. He currently chairs the project committee for ASHRAE Standard 241P Control of Infectious Aerosols. He was involved in the formation of ASHRAE Technical Committee 2.9 Ultraviolet Air and Surface Treatment. He is also a member of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and has served on several National Academies consensus committees including the Committee on Emerging Science on Indoor Chemistry that authored the 2022 report “Why Indoor Chemistry Matters.”

Vito Ilacqua is acting as Director of the Center for Scientific Analysis in the Office of Radiation & Indoor Air at EPA. He is a scientist with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of public health, exposure science, and indoor air quality. His research has focused on indoor air chemistry modeling and particulate matter indoors. Previously, he was a scientist in the same office; a project officer for EPA STAR research grants (on air pollution epidemiology); one of the founding faculty members of the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida; and a researcher at the Finnish National Public Health Institute and at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ. He received a doctorate in Environmental Sciences from Rutgers University, and holds a BS/MS degree from the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.