Our Consultants and Advisors
Dr. Siva Sivananthan
President, EPIR Technologies
Dr. Sivananthan is President of EPIR Technologies, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at UIC, and Director of the Microphysics Laboratory at UIC. Dr. Sivananthan has pioneered the MBE growth and characterization of II-VI narrow and wide gap semiconductors, hetero- and homo-structures, and multiple quantum well structures on CdZnTe, GaAs and Si. Continue Reading »
Dr. Siva has more than 25 years experience in MBE growth kinematics, giving him a clear understanding of transport and structural properties, encapsulation, interface formation and of quantum well structures. He is also an organizer of several national and international conferences. He is the author of more than 200 refereed journal articles and numerous presentations, including several invited papers. As the founder of EPIR Technologies, he has established business relations and related specific defense requirements into business opportunities, leveraged partnerships between industry and government laboratories, and formulated processes to transfer R&D into a profitable product model.
Ken Juster
Consultant
Juster has over 27 years of experience in government, law, business, and international affairs. He currently serves on the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. He previously served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce from 2001-2005, in charge of the Bureau of Industry and Security. In that capacity, Juster oversaw issues at the intersection of business and national security, including strategic trade controls, imports and foreign investments that affect U.S. security, enforcement of antiboycott laws, and industry compliance with international arms control agreements. He also founded and served as the U.S. Chair of the U.S.-India High Technology Cooperation Group, and was one of the key architects of the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership initiative between the United States and India. In addition, he was responsible for negotiating and signing the End-Use Visit Understanding between the United States and China that facilitated increased exports of U.S. high technology to China. Upon completion of his term at the Commerce Department, Juster received the Secretary of Commerce’s William C. Redfield Award and Medal, the Commerce Department’s highest honor. Continue Reading »
Juster also served as the Counselor (Acting) of the U.S. Department of State from 1992-1993, and as the Deputy and Senior Adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger from 1989-1992. He was one of the key U.S. government officials involved in establishing and managing U.S. assistance programs to Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He also was actively involved in policy matters relating to China, Japan, Latin America, Israel, and the Persian Gulf. Upon completion of his tenure at the State Department, Juster received the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award and Medal, the State Department’s highest honor.
From 1981-1989 and 1993-2001, Juster practiced law at the firm of Arnold & Porter, where he became a senior partner and his work involved international arbitration and litigation, corporate counseling, regulatory matters, and international trade and transactions. Juster also served as a law clerk in 1980-1981 to Judge James L. Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and worked at the National Security Council in 1978.
Among the awards that Juster has received are the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit in 2006 from the President of the Federal Republic of Germany (for contributions to U.S.-German relations); the Vasco Núñez de Balboa en el Grado de Gran Cruz Decoration and Medal in 2004 from the President of Panama (for contributions to U.S.-Panama relations); the 2004 Blackwill Award from the U.S.-India Business Council (for contributions to U.S.-India relations); and the 2002 and 2004 Friendship Awards from the U.S.-Panama Business Council (for contributions to U.S.-Panama relations). Juster also has published extensively on international economic and legal issues, including Making Economic Policy: An Assessment of the National Economic Council (Brookings Institution, 1997) and “The Myth of Iraqgate” in Foreign Policy magazine (Spring 1994).
Juster holds a law degree from the Harvard Law School, a Master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in government (Phi Beta Kappa) from Harvard College. He is a graduate of Scarsdale High School, where he was named in 2007 as one of its Distinguished Alumni. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, where he was a Visiting Fellow in 1993. He is a former AFS Exchange Student to Thailand (1971).
Don Sipes
Consultant
Don Sipes joined Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. in December of 2006 as a lead consultant for the evaluation, development, and deployment of renewable energy strategies with a focus on solar energy, primarily in the area of photovoltaic systems. Sipes was appointed to the Board of Directors in February of 2007 where he accepted the role of Director of Research and Development. Sipes is instrumental in identifying key requirements within the solar industry that must be addressed to capitalize on the growing market potential, then orchestrating the appropriate research and development efforts necessary to meet those requirements. Currently, Sipes plays a key role on the technology development board that guides the SETI/EPIR partnership to advance the state-of-the-art in photovoltaic technology and associated systems. Continue Reading »
Since 2005, Sipes has served as President and CEO of Optical Engines Inc, a startup company providing laser system consulting and the development of high-powered, fiber-coupled laser diodes and fiber laser systems, primarily for the Department of Defense. Sipes also served as vice president, research and development of Amoco Laser for 10 years where his inventions in the area of highly efficient lasers formed the foundation of the company and its business. After Scientific-Atlanta Inc. purchased Amoco Laser, Sipes assumed the role of vice president, technology and remained in that position for more than 10 years. In this role he had numerous executive responsibilities including the oversight of more than 200 engineers and budgets of more than $50 million annually. Sipes’ technical leadership led to securing the development of the Verizon FIOS network by his company.
Sipes attended the University of California-Berkeley where he completed a bachelor’s degree in physics and applied mathematics. After attending graduate courses in electrical engineering at the University of Southern California, Sipes moved to the University of Illinois-Chicago where he completed a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on finance and quality systems. He is married with 4 children.
R. Craig Hall
Business Advisor
As a business advisor, Hall provides valuable support in several areas such as investor relations and communication, corporate fund raising, and business development that includes planning, proposals and marketing strategies.
Prior to working with Sunovia, Hall was co-founder and president of Research Capital Partners, a Florida-based venture capital firm that specialized in funding early-stage biotechnology companies. Research Capital Partners helped to build several life science companies which are developing new products and treatments that continue to serve the medical and forensic markets.
Hall served as the head of bond-trading at RBC Centura, and as the head of mortgage-backed bond trading at Wachovia Securities while marketing to a retail sales force of over 500 financial advisors. While working in fixed income, Hall focused in the area of security valuation and financial analysis.
Hall is a certified financial planner, and has shared his knowledge by working as a part-time instructor at local community colleges in the areas of economics, entrepreneurship and finance. He has also completed Part 1 of his Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Hall graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1992.
Fernando Cuza
Consultant
Fernando Cuza began his career as a sports agent in 1984 and played an integral part in the negotiations of some of the largest contracts in Major League Baseball history. He has worked and traveled in Latin America for 20 years representing some of the highest profile baseball players from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama and Venezuela. His extensive experience and language fluency with the numerous cultures has resulted in the establishment of a network which has had a measurable benefit to players. His work with some of the largest Latin corporations and advertising agencies has resulted in the establishment of significant promotional income opportunities for players in their native countries. Cuza attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. He lives in Sarasota with his wife and four children.