Norm Weeks has over 30 years of experience as a process analytical scientist and engineer. He has expertise in spectroscopy, microscopy, process optimization, and quality assurance. Weeks has worked with petroleum refining, food ingredients, chemicals, paper, and fermentation companies to solve analytical challenges and optimize processes using techniques like NIR, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and microscopy. He has experience developing monitoring systems, predictive models, and software tools to improve process efficiency and product quality.

1. Norm Weeks, Ph.D.
nw42862@gmail.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/normweeks
SUMMARY
Process Analytical Scientist/Engineer with significant successes in the manufacturing
environment. My experience has afforded me an optimal synthesis of process analytical and
information technologies to solve business problems. Open to permanent positions and
consulting opportunities of any duration.
Competencies:
• Process Analytics • Predictive Modeling • Process Optimization
• Spectroscopy • Software Development • Quality Assurance/LIMS
• Microscopy • Materials Characterization • Process Problem Solving
Industries served: Petroleum refining, food ingredients, chemicals, paper, fermentation products.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PAT/Spectroscopy Consultant 2010-2016
Assisted various companies spanning the petroleum refining, semiconductor, and chemical
industries with solutions to their analytical/data processing challenges. Highlights:
• Phillips66: Diagnosed differences between lab and online gasoline NIR’s and made
recommendations for improving blending by improved utilization of online analysis.
• Valero Energy Corp: Led a successful project for FTIR and Raman monitoring of critical
gasoline quality properties for purposes of gasoline blend optimization. Also solved
multiple other process analytical challenges related to biodiesel production, crude and
turbine fuel quality, reformer and FCCU efficiency.
• LT Industries/Gazprom: Installed and developed NIR process analyzer applications for
hydrocarbon properties and algae production.
• ECI Technology: Developed spectroscopic applications for the semiconductor chemicals
industry, branching out to other fields such as pharmaceuticals and solar energy.
SUNOCO, INC., Marcus Hook, PA 2006-2009
Senior Process Engineering Specialist
Provided company-wide advanced analytical support for process problem solving and
optimization: spectroscopic and microscopic analysis of samples related to mechanical failures,
environmental issues, and customer issues. Created innovative analytical solutions and systems
for optimization of Sunoco’s petroleum refineries.
• Led the analytical efforts of multiple teams in process problem analysis and solution
creation for customer, processing, and environmental issues involving crude oil, racing
fuels, fuel oils, diesel, and gasoline. These efforts resulted in direct improvements to
customer satisfaction and trust, health and safety, and process efficiency.
• Led a successful project for NIR monitoring of critical gasoline quality properties for
purposes of gasoline blend optimization. Developed ongoing monitoring and
maintenance procedures and trained local personnel.
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2. CARGILL, INC., Memphis, TN 1988-2005
Senior Research Scientist
Position entailed development of in-line and bench-top analysis systems. Applied novel
chemometric methods for process optimization. Employed spectroscopic and chemical
microscopic techniques to agri-food systems for problem solving and product development. An
extensive amount of computer programming was utilized for the purposes of business data
collection/analysis/presentation, LIMS, and optimization of project and team management.
• Designed and implemented multiple in-line and at-line analysis and neural network-based
process control systems, resulting in decreased production costs and improved final
product quality.
• Authored a suite of data entry, analysis, and presentation software tools in support of
process analytical solutions. Trained personnel in the use of these tools, and provided
documentation procedures to ensure consistent control of improved processes.
• Led teams to assist external customers and internal clients with diagnostics of processing
issues, improvement of existing processes, and with new product development. Tools
and techniques used included FT-IR, SEM, and various forms of optical microscopy.
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy, Chemistry (analytical major, inorganic minor). The University of
Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL. Dissertation (1988): Characterization of Noises and
Interferences in Analytical Flames and Plasmas.
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry major, Biology minor. Berry College, Mt. Berry Station, GA.
Thesis (1984): Monitoring of Elemental Contaminants in Ground Water Using Cyclic
Voltammetry.
ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
NIR, FTIR, Raman and UV/Vis spectroscopy, excitation-emission fluorescence spectroscopy,
fluorescence microscopy, polarized light microscopy, XRF, mass spectrometry, scanning
electron microscopy, optical microscopy, water activity, RF dielectric moisture analysis,
refractometry, polarimetry, rheology, auto-titration, flame and plasma atomic spectroscopy.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Completed multiple courses on Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Total Quality, and Operations
Excellence Management.
• Completed numerous time management, project management, personnel management, and
standardized safety courses.
• Attained Toastmaster CTM certification in Fall 2004. Member of the American Chemical
Society, Instrument Society of America, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.
• Completed the Kepner-Tregoe Problem Solving and Decision Making workshop.
• U.S. Government Security Clearance: T.W.I.C.
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3. Example petroleum industry analytical projects:
• Led successful projects for NIR, FTIR, and Raman monitoring of critical gasoline
quality properties for purposes of gasoline blend optimization.
• Redesigned Sunoco’s IR laboratory, expanding its capabilities to include parallel
testing, gas-phase IR, NIR, Raman, and advanced microscopic techniques.
• Performed an extensive, side-by-side comparison of a dozen IR, NIR, and Raman
analyzers for process monitoring of gasoline, diesel, and crude cuts.
• Invented a novel method for rapidly estimating the activity of zeolite catalysts used
for fluidized catalytic cracking processes.
• Designed the analytical systems for a new ethanol production facility, including
online monitoring of purity, water, and denaturant.
• Led the spectroscopic effort at determining the measurement and prediction of 2-oil
stability factors.
• Developed a novel method for rapidly characterizing the aromatics and diene profiles
of incoming crude, crude cuts, and diesel.
• Responsible for all of the naphthalene testing (D-1840) for distillation cuts of
incoming crude.
• Led the effort for online and bench top testing of ppm levels of HCN in stack gases.
• Rapidly determined the point source of a soil contaminant, preventing contamination
of local tributaries with petroleum distillates.
• Developed a method for quantifying hydraulic fracturing chemicals in crude oil.
• Completed contingency training in order to assume petroleum product testing
responsibilities in event of a labor strike.
Data Systems Experience: Interfacing to a wide variety of instrumentation, OSI Pi,
SQL*LIMS, AspenTech InfoPlus.21, LabVantage LIMS, and other LIMS and data
historians based on Oracle 8i, SQL Server, and Microsoft Access. Advanced VBA for
Excel.
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4. Example food ingredient projects
• Performed two major side-by-side NIR instrumentation benchmarking comparisons
relevant to food ingredient analysis.
• Designed and implemented NIR-based benchtop analysis systems for raw ingredient, in-
process, and final product samples.
• Helped to identify the exact sequence of egg product freeze/thaw/cook cycles in order to
optimize the production of egg pucks for a major fast food provider.
• Designed the analytical systems for a new ethanol production facility, including online
monitoring of purity, water, and denaturant.
• Contributed to project teams investigating the automated measurement of meat texture
using various spectroscopic techniques.
• Contributed to the development of a patented method for calculating process settings
based on specific, customized requirements for final products. U.S. Patent #7,233,834.
• Created and implemented a neural network-based data model for recommending the most
efficient enzyme dosages in a high-capacity fructose sweetener refinery.
• Designed and implemented a successful Near Infrared in-line analysis system for
monitoring various quality parameters in corn syrups.
• Explained flavor and other sensory differences between various liqueurs based on
Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, simplifying the process of new product development.
• Identified the origin of a high-density impurity in chocolate, resulting in a simple change
to manufacturing procedures, thereby saving a significant amount of scrapped product.
• Led a project team assisting a beer manufacturer in identification of a processing
problem which contributed to premature clogging of solids filters.
• Identified the cause of off-spec densities in cheesecake fillings, and specified analytical
systems for properly assuring such problems would not recur.
• Combined novel sampling techniques and SEM detection methods for the
characterization of micrometer-thick paper coatings, reducing the amount of trial and
error needed to select the best base stock and process settings to produce a desired paper.
• Filed a complete proposal for a novel means of ethyl acetate production at low cost.
Data Systems Experience: Interfacing to a wide variety of instrumentation, OSI Pi,
SQL*LIMS, AspenTech InfoPlus.21, LabVantage LIMS, and other LIMS and data
historians based on Oracle 8i, SQL Server, and Microsoft Access. Advanced VBA for
Excel.
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