Robert J. Vander Zanden, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board

Dr. Robert J. Vander Zanden, Board Member since 2004, was elected Chairman of the Board in early 2009. Having served as a Vice President of R&D with Kraft Foods International, he brings a long and distinguished career in applied technology, product commercialization, and business knowledge of the food science industry to Spherix. In his 30-year career, he has been with ITT Continental Baking Company as a Product Development Scientist; with Ralston Purina's Protein Technology Division as Manager Dietary Foods R&D; with Keebler as Group Director, Product and Process Development; with Grupo Gamesa, a Frito-Lay Company, as Vice President, Technology; and with Nabisco as Vice President of R&D for their International Division. With the acquisition of Nabisco by Kraft Foods, he became the Vice President of R&D for Kraft's Latin American Division. Dr. Vander Zanden retired from Kraft Foods in 2004. He currently holds the title of Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Clemson University, where he also is a member of their Industry Advisory Board. His focus on achieving product and process innovation through training, team building and creating positive working environments has earned him multiple awards for product and packaging innovation. Dr. Vander Zanden holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and an M.S. in Inorganic Chemistry from Kansas State University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville, where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2002.

Douglas T. Brown

Douglas T. Brown, Spherix Board Member since 2004, is Senior Vice President and Manager of the Corporate Banking Government Contracting Group for PNC Bank N.A., Washington, DC. Mr. Brown has been with PNC and its predecessor bank, Riggs Bank, since 2001 and previously worked for Bank of America, N.A. and its predecessor banks for 16 years as a Loan Officer, as well as a manager of Loan Officers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Subsequent to 1990, the majority of Mr. Brown's customers were companies that provided services to Federal and State Governments. Mr. Brown holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from American University and a graduate degree from The Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware.

Edward M. Karr

Mr. Edward M. Karr, a Board member since November 2012, is the founder of RAMPartners SA, an investment management and investment banking firm based in Geneva, Switzerland. Since 2005, RAMPartners has helped raise more than $200 million for small capitalization companies in fields such as natural resources, high technology, health care, and clean energy. RAMPartners is a member of Global Alliance Partners (GAP), a network organization of internationally minded financial partners focusing on the capital midmarket. Prior to founding RAMPartners, Mr. Karr managed a private Swiss asset management, investment banking, and trading firm based in Geneva for six years. At the firm, he was responsible for all of the capital market transactions, investment, and marketing activities. In 2004, Futures Magazine named Mr. Karr as one of the world's Top Traders.

Harvey J. Kesner

Mr. Harvey J. Kesner, a Board member since November 2012, is a partner with Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP. He has concentrated his practice on corporate finance and the structuring of complex domestic and international capital markets transactions. He has represented issuers, investors, underwriters, agents, lenders and financial intermediaries in public and private offerings of securities. He provides assistance to participants in all types of financing transactions including initial public offerings (IPOs), startup and venture capital financings and private placements including public company PIPE transactions. He also counsels clients on traditional merger and acquisition transactions, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, workouts and business disputes. He assists issuers with a broad range of securities regulatory and compliance issues including SEC filings, exchange listings, ongoing regulatory reporting and compliance, and responding to regulatory inquiries and investigations.