Meet Our Team
Raja S. Tannous (rtannous@berkeleyanalytical.com)
Co-Founder & Laboratory Director
Since co-founding Berkeley Analytical in 1989, Raja has overseen daily operations in the laboratory, as well as technical, financial, and strategic management.
With a background in biochemistry, Raja’s research interests include synthesis and purification of organic chemicals, measuring emissions and inhalation exposures from biomedical devices, and chemical testing of all types of building and consumer products—e.g., textiles, composite woods, insulation, paint, cleaning products, and cosmetics. He is an active participant on numerous product materials and emissions working groups. He served as a member, and then chair, of the USGBC LEED Indoor Environmental Quality Technical Advisory Group.
Prior to founding BkA, Raja worked as an analytical and synthetic chemist in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and in the organometallic chemistry group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). It was at LBNL where Raja met Al Hodgson.
Raja holds a degree in biochemistry from UCB, and has made the San Francisco Bay Area his home for over 30 years.
Alfred T. Hodgson (ahodgson@berkeleyanalytical.com)
Co-Founder & Research Director
Al Hodgson co-manages day-to-day operations and planning with Raja, while also directing test method development, implementation, and validation within the laboratory and leading its participation in consensus standard activities.
Al founded BkA with Raja in 1989. In 2007, he retired from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) where he was a staff scientist in the Indoor Environment Department, one of the first academic indoor air quality research groups. During his tenure at LBNL, Al was a group leader and principal investigator on projects for the U.S. Department of Energy, CA Air Resources Board, CA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and others. His projects included evaluation of UVPCO (ultra-violet photocatalytic oxidation) air cleaners, ozone-initiated air chemistry of cleaning products, children’s exposure to traffic-related emissions, and VOC source reduction techniques for homes and schools. Al is the past chairman of ASTM Subcommittee D22.05 on Indoor Air.
Al has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications related to VOC source characterization and dynamics in indoor environments. Al grew up in Central California and attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, earning a degree in Zoology. His CV can be downloaded here.
Farid Masri (fmasri@berkeleyanalytical.com)
Supervisor, Product Testing Services & IT Manager
Farid joined Berkeley Analytical in 1999. His education is in electrical and computer engineering and business administration. Farid is the lead engineer and supervisor of the chamber testing section. He designs and manages the construction of the laboratory's environmental chamber, data acquisition & control systems. His daily responsibilities include maintaining and validating all test equipment and instruments and overseeing all chamber testing. Farid has over 20 years of IT experience and multiple IT certifications. He serves as the IT manager and is responsible for all of the laboratory's computer and communication systems.
Julie W. Jennings (jjennings@berkeleyanalytical.com)
Quality Manager
Julie Jennings holds a degree in Chemistry from Mills College and an MBA from Portland State University. Julie has a background in systems analysis and earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt streamlining a test laboratory for a carbon fiber manufacturing facility. At Berkeley Analytical, her interests include root cause analysis and continuous improvement. Julie is San Francisco Bay Area native and, when not working, can often be found kayaking and sailing her 35-foot sailboat on the Bay.