Summer School Instructors

The instructors for the Laboratory Informatics Summer School are well grounded in their subjects, with first-hand experience in the industry. Moreover, each has worked extensively with their colleagues across the hall: as laboratory scientists with IT professionals, or as IT professionals with laboratory scientists. Each understands what the needs and issues are for the other group. Listed in alphabetical order, the instructors are:

Randy Collins

Mixed Session Workflow Engineering

Randy Collins is an automation consultant at Collins Computer Consulting, Inc. in the northwest Chicago area. An electrical engineer who also holds an M.B.A., Mr. Collins honed his skills as a laboratory automation consultant by working extensively in the field for the past twenty years. He has worked with hundreds of clients during that time, and is a veteran of numerous LIMS projects in all phases from initial study to implementation and rollout. As a former laboratory automation consultant at Digital Equipment Corporation, Mr. Collins’ M.B.A. and specialized training in Digital’s investment evaluation methodology gave him the fundamentals to justify, plan, and implement large laboratory projects. Throughout various laboratory automation projects, Mr. Collins developed novel modifications to general project implementation methodologies based on investment justification and workflow analysis. He was one of the first laboratory automation consultants to modify and apply workflow analysis to the laboratory environment for the purpose of streamlining laboratory operations and LIMS implementation.

Gerst A. GibbonGerst A. Gibbon

Laboratory Operations for the IT Professional

Mixed Session Team Building, Budgeting

Dr. Gerst A. Gibbon retired from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the U.S. Department of Energy in September, 2003. From 1974 through 1996 he was on the in-house research and development staff of the NETL, where his primary responsibility was LIMS and laboratory automation. In 1996 he moved to the Process Engineering Division where he worked primarily on DOE programs that addressed the emissions from coal-fired power plants. In 2000 he transferred to the Information Technology Division where he was a member of the enterprise architecture team a lead the team the re-invented the NETL library. Dr. Gibbon has been president of the LIMS Institute since its incorporation in 1988. He chaired the First International LIMS Conference (1987) and the 2003 Laboratory Informatics Conference. Previous teaching experience includes seven years as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Chatham College, and twelve years as a short course instructor for the American Chemical Society. Dr. Gibbon holds a B.A. from Albion College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University.

Clarence GillesClarence Gilles

Mixed Session Bar Codes and Labels

Clarence Gilles has been involved with bar coding for over 18 years. He was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Monarch Marking Systems, Industrial Division, before taking over the Channel and Software Integration Group. He started Tracking Solutions, Inc. in 1997, after the completion of a market study for a label manufacturer looking for new markets for durable labels. Tracking Solutions has grown to be on the leading edge of laboratory sample identification tools and processes, providing complete bar code solutions primarily for laboratories. Tracking Solutions has developed business partnerships with leading LIMS software providers for bar code integration with their LIMS systems. Clarence has been a frequent speaker at LIMS user’s conferences and at several laboratory informatics meetings. He has provided barcode consulting for some of the largest pharmaceutical companies.

Brian J. Good

Comprehensive IT for the Laboratorian

Brian Good leads the laboratory informatics group in the Product Research & Development division of Eli Lilly & Company in Indianapolis. Mr. Good has held information management roles of increasing responsibility over the past 10 years, including assignments in chemical process development, pharmaceutical product development and analytical sciences R&D. He has participated and/or led the development of solutions for electronic document submission, drug (bulk) substance management, scientific instrument data management and electronic laboratory notebooks. Current research areas include automated data acquisition, predictive simulation, and modeling, web services, and process analytics.

Joseph A. TurpinJoseph A. Turpin

Laboratory Operations for the IT Professional

Mixed Session Instrument Interfacing

Joseph Turpin is an associate senior analytical chemist with the Lilly Research Labs Division of Eli Lilly & Company in Indianapolis. Mr. Turpin is engaged in early phase process research and development, and the application of analytical technology in support of new drug development. Mr. Turpin’s interests are in laboratory automation, laboratory information management, and chiral and achiral chromatographic methods. Mr. Turpin has been involved with early phase drug development for 15 years, including the development of currently marketed products such as Gemzar, Prozac, Evista, and Alimta. His research expertise includes gas and liquid chromatography with particular expertise in chiral separations, supercritical fluid chromatography, and GC/MS and LC/MS. His interests also include the development of data management systems such as LIMS, scientific data management systems, and electronic laboratory notebooks.