Dr. Stern is a Chemical Engineer with over 15 years of experience in the manufacturing, treatment, and handling of chemicals, with deep expertise in traditional chemical processing, electrochemical systems, oil and gas operations, separation technologies, crystallization, hydrometallurgy, and failure analysis. His work centers on diagnosing the root causes of performance issues and failures in industrial processes and products. He conducts comprehensive investigations that span system design, scale-up, engineering, process and laboratory data analysis, and the application of chemical engineering principles. His post-incident assessments frequently include fire and explosion investigations. 

Dr. Stern has authored expert reports, served as a testifying expert in international arbitration, and led numerous investigations involving fires, explosions, and chemical releases. He also advises clients on patent and trade secret disputes, drawing on his extensive experience as both a chemical engineer and inventor. An incomplete list of examples includes: 

• Chemical Processing: He has designed, built, and operated chemical systems for the production and separation of various chemicals and intermediates. Dr. Stern has investigated operational issues and failures across numerous industrial facilities and is highly experienced in interpreting process data and analytical laboratory measurements. His hands-on expertise spans a broad array of process technologies, including aerated reactions, crystallization, precipitation, leaching, dewatering, solid/liquid separations, ion exchange, gas absorption and stripping, polymerization, distillation, crushing and grinding, and redox (reduction/oxidation) processes. 

• Electrochemical Systems: Dr. Stern has evaluated, designed, constructed, and operated a wide range of electrochemical systems, including implanted medical devices, consumer products, industrial electrolyzers, and fuel cells. He is the inventor of multiple patents in this field. 

• Oil and Gas Systems: Dr. Stern has designed, built, and operated system for processing crude oil and conducted investigations into failures at oil and gas facilities, including refineries, natural gas liquids (NGL) plants, pipelines, terminals, and storage depots. These investigations have involved incidents such as fires, explosions, spills, and chemical releases. 

• Patents and Trade Secrets: In addition to authoring more than 10 granted and pending patents, Dr. Stern has performed technical analyses in cases involving alleged patent infringement and invalidity, including proceedings in district courts and Inter Partes Review (IPR). He has also supported investigations into alleged trade secret misappropriation, leveraging his deep technical knowledge and experience as an inventor. 

• Fire and Explosion Investigations: As a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), Dr. Stern has performed dozens of fire and explosion investigations ranging from residential fires to large refinery fires. He has also authored multiple articles on issues ranging from combustible dust hazards, electrical fires, and the competency of different ignition sources. Dr. Stern has performed a range of fire and explosion testing and served on the NFPA, ASTM, and CSA committees that developed standards and recommended practices for fire and explosion mitigation methods.  

• Carbon Capture and Abatement: Dr. Stern completed his Ph.D. in carbon capture technologies, where he designed and operated advanced carbon capture systems, authored patents, and developed a novel technology that has since spun out into a startup. Following his Ph.D., he investigated performance issues at industrial-scale carbon capture facilities and provided independent evaluations of the inputs used in life-cycle analyses (LCAs) for emerging chemical manufacturing technologies. In industry, Dr. Stern also served as Director of Process Research and Development, where he led the development of a novel manufacturing process for low-carbon cement. 

Prior to joining Secretariat, Dr. Stern served as the Senior Director of Process Research and Development for a low-carbon cement manufacturer. In this role, he led the development of the company’s electrochemical and chemical processing systems, served as Principal Investigator for a $9.6 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy, and acted as the Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) for both the headquarters and pilot production facility. Before that, Dr. Stern spent nine years at a large engineering and scientific consulting firm, where he conducted failure analysis investigations and provided technical support to help clients improve the safety, reliability, and performance of their systems. 

Dr. Stern earned his PhD at MIT, where he developed electrochemical methods for capturing carbon from post-combustion flue gases across industries such as power generation, steel production, cement manufacturing, and aluminum refining. His doctoral work led to patented technologies and the formation of a startup focused on industrial carbon capture.