Advisory Board

Peter Eisenberger
Interim Chair

Dr. Eisenberger is currently a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, where he held previous posts as vice provost of the Earth Institute and director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. He came to Columbia from Princeton, where he was a professor of physics and director of the Princeton Materials Institute. His entry into academia was as a consulting professor at Stanford University’s Applied Physics Department, which was largely done concurrently with his post as director of Exxon Research and Engineering Company’s Physical Sciences Library.

Dr. Eisenberger began his career in private industry as a researcher for Bell Laboratories and then served as department head in that company for seven years. Dr. Eisenberger received his B.S. in Physics from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Harvard University. He is a fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was recently appointed by the Governor of New Jersey to the Commission on Science and Technology. He has been involved in numerous commissions and committees regarding the advancement of science, and served as the chair of the board of the Invention Factory Science Center in Trenton, New Jersey.

Debra Colodner

Debra Colodner is Associate Director of the Center for Sonoran Desert Studies at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The Center for Sonoran Desert Studies conducts the educational and scientific functions of the Museum and is a hub for research, education ad conservation of the Sonoran Desert Region. As the Center’s Associate Director, she oversees the Museum’s school and camp programs as well as the Earth Sciences Center. Dr. Colodner has more than 15 years experience in environmental science research end education. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where she focused on the use of ocean sediments as indicators of past climate change. She also has a BS in Geology and Geophysics from Yale University, where she won the Penfield Prize in Mineralogy. She was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, where she continued her research on ocean sediments, dove to the bottom of the ocean in the submarine, Alvin, to study hydrothermal processes, managed a new research lab and began her teaching experience. Prior to her current position, she was Education Director and Associate Director at Flandrau Science Center.

Ed David

Dr. David is President of EED, Inc., advisor to industry, government, and universities on technology, research, and innovation management. During his career, he was Science Advisory to the President of the United States and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, President of Exxon Research and Engineering Company, and an Executive Director of Bell Telephone Laboratories. Dr. David is the retired U.S. Representative to the NATO Science Committee and is a member of the American Philosophical Society, of the National Academy of Engineering, of the National Academy of Public Administration, of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a former trustee of the John S. Guggenheim Foundation. He is a Life Member of the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He is former President of the American Association for Advancement of Science. Dr. David also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the American Gemological Trading Association. He received his Doctorate in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is a recipient of 12 honorary degrees from such institutions as the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, Lehigh University, Carnegie-Mellon University, the University of Michigan, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and others. Dr. David’s advisees include the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Copper Union for Advancement of Science and Art, among numerous other universities, corporations, and institutes.

Richard Graeme

Mr. Graeme is Vice President and Head of Operations for Gold Fields Ghana, Ltd. Gold Fields Ghana Limited has two large open pit mines and produces between 800,000 and 900,000 ounces of gold per year. From 1996 to 1999, he was Vice President of Operations for Golden Queen Mining Company, Mojave, California, where his responsibilities included permitting and bringing the Soledad Mountain project into production. From 1993 to 1996, Mr. Graeme was employed as an Engineer by Mine Development Associates of Reno Nevada. He is a member of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers. Mr. Graeme graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Geological Engineering.

John Lucking

Dr. Lucking is President of Econ-Linc, an economic consulting firm in Phoenix, Arizona. He has served as an Economics Consultant for Bank One Arizona and Chief Economist for Valley National Bank. Dr. Lucking is a member of Arizona’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee Economic Advisory Panel, and the Western Blue Chip Economic Forecast Panel. He is a member of the Board of the Northern Arizona University Foundation and serves on various historical, civic, and economic association boards. Dr. Lucking is also Trustee-Director of New Mexico and Arizona Land Company.

Gene Meieran

Dr. Meieran is an Intel Fellow working on advanced manufacturing strategy development in Intel’s Technology Manufacturing Group. He has responsibility for introducing advanced technologies and applications into Intel’s component manufacturing facilities to help improve manufacturing performance. Dr. Meieran jointed Intel Corporation in 1973 as Manager of Package Development, with responsibility for developing new lines of plastic and hermetic packages for the emerging memory and microprocessor product lines. For several years, he was responsible for all of the Far-East and Caribbean assembly plant quality and reliability functions. In 1985, he was appointed as Intel Fellow, the second in the company’s history. Dr. Meieran founded and has been an active participant in the Electronic Materials Symposium, which sponsors an annual meeting to discuss materials and processing technology for the industry. He is a member of the Intel Research Council and the Intel Academic Relations Council, and was Intel’s representative to the Semiconductor Research Corporation Factory Sciences Board. He has received two Intel Achievement Awards for his contributions to Intel.

Bruce J. Oreck

Mr. Oreck earned his Bachelor of Arts from The Johns Hopkins University in 1975. He then earned his law degree from Louisiana State University, graduating as a member of the Law Review and Order of the Coif (highest academic honors) in 1978. From there, he attended New York University Law School, obtaining his Master’s Degree in tax law and graduating with honors. Although originally trained as a specialist in Federal taxation, for over fifteen years Mr. Oreck’s practice focused exclusively on matters of state and local tax planning and litigation. His practice covered all forms of state tax including income, franchise, sales, use, property, and special taxes. In addition, he serves in a management role for the family owned Oreck Corporation, which manufactures the appropriately popular 8-pound Oreck vacuum cleaner. Recently, after nearly 30 years of splitting his time between tax litigation and Oreck Corporation, he has decided to focus his time on the family business.

Les Presmyk

Mr. Presmyk was elected to the Gilbert, Arizona, Town Council in 1999 after serving on the Gilbert Planning and Zoning Commission for four years. He served as Vice-Mayor in 2001-02, and 2005-06. Mr. Presmyk is a Senior Mine Engineer with the Salt River Project and has been an active member of the Gilbert community for over a decade. He is active in mining and mineral education and has served as a mentor at the Pappas School for Homeless Children. Mr. Presmyk holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering from The University of Arizona.

Timothy R. Snider

Mr. Snider is President and Chief Operating Officer of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold, Inc. (formerly Phelps Dodge Mining Company). Mr. Snider began his career at Phelps Dodge in 1970 and has been with the company for over thirty years in positions varying from labor, manager, supervisory, chemist, and geologist. From 1990 to 1992, he led the feasibility study and design of a new copper mining operation in northern Chile. He currently runs a world class process technology center in Safford, Arizona, which serves the entire Phelps Dodge Mining Company. As a Board member of the Arizona Mining Association, Mr. Snider helped lead the development of an outreach program that now provides valuable educational materials and training for use by teachers in elementary and high schools in the State of Arizona. These materials provide scientific tools and technical information relating to the mining industry. Mr. Snider is also a Board member of the Friends of Kartchner Caverns. He also serves on the National Advisory Board for the University of Arizona Science Center. Mr. Snider earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Northern Arizona University and completed the advanced management program of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.