Our Mission: Destroy PFAS Forever
Aclarity's proprietary technology and commercialized solution break the current PFAS cycle. Until now, the current way to "remediate" PFAS has been a dangerous cycle of removal and disposal, either by putting the PFAS back into landfills after removal or by burning the removed PFAS and releasing toxic aerosols into the air. Aclarity's technology utilizes electricity to break the carbon and fluorine bonds that make PFAS compounds so robust.
Our Team
-
Julie Bliss Mullen
Julie Bliss Mullen serves as Aclarity's CEO and invented Aclarity's primary technology as a PhD Candidate at UMass Amherst where she studied innovative water treatment technologies. Previously, she worked at the US EPA's Drinking Water Unit in Region 1 in engineering and policy development. Julie holds degrees in Environmental Engineering and Environmental & Sustainability Studies from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She has been recognized as a 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient in Science, 2019 Lemelson-MIT Award recipient, and 2018 Innovator of the Year by NEWIN/NEWEA.
-
Orren Schneider, Chief Science Officer
Dr. Orren Schneider, P.E., is Aclarity's Chief Science Officer. Orren previously worked for American Water as Manager of Water Technology in the Research & Development team where he was involved with research leading to optimization of water treatment and distribution system operations. He holds a BS in chemical engineering from Cornell University, and an MS and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a member of AWWA, IWA, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science as well as an author of numerous papers and conference presentations on a variety of technologies in the water industry.
-
Sallee Murphy
Sallee holds a BS in Management, MBA from Belhaven University and a Masters of Legal Studies and a certificate in Regulatory Compliance from Washington University in St Louis along with a certification in Negotiation Mastery from the Harvard Business school. She has been a Supply Chain Management and Contracts Administration professional for over 10 years. Most recently Sallee was the Director of Contract Management at 3DEGREES INC, Contracts and Compliance Manager and Global Commodity Manager at TPI Composites, Category Manager in Environmental and Chemical at Entergy Services, INC. and other experience prior to that. Her approach to Contracting and Supply Chain Management is to be a business partner providing guidance and risk mitigation in support of the organization’s overall goals. She and her husband Eric are the proud parents of four young adults and proud supporters of their respective HBCU’s.
-
Leanne Hersey
Leanne Hersey serves as Vice President of Marketing at Aclarity and has more than a decade of success in shaping go-to-market and demand generation strategies for organizations at various stages of growth and investment. Digitally savvy and adept at delivering scalable, predictable performance marketing strategies, she uses evidence to drive marketing results. Prior to joining Aclarity in 2022, Leanne worked in industries such as carbon nanotube manufacturing, industrial water treatment and residential construction. Leanne holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications and in her spare time, she is a competitive equestrian and animal lover.
-
John Tracy
John Tracy is Global Vice President of Business Development at Aclarity. He has a combined 20 years of experience in the water industry, leading sales and marketing with Gradiant, Fluid Technology Solutions, and Oasys Water, and in engineering and sales roles with Osmonics, Betz Labs, and ABB. Projects he has developed have been in ultrapure water, advanced oxidation, water reuse, zero liquid discharge, and direct lithium extraction. He has a Chemical Engineering BS degree from Clarkson University and an MBA degree from Northeastern University. Outside of work, John and his wife enjoy the lake life in New Hampshire, hiking, golf, skiing, and travel.
-
Michael Shaw
Mike has over 17 years of experience in the water industry with various roles including Product Management, Application Engineering, Process Engineering, and Project Management. Prior to joining Aclarity, Mike spent the last five years at Nanostone Water, most recently as Vice President, Product. At Nanostone, Mike led Product Management and global Application Engineering while supporting the regional Business Development teams as well as guiding innovation strategy. Prior to Nanostone, Mike spent twelve years at Evoqua Water Technologies where he held a variety of roles in R&D, and engineering. His last role at Evoqua was Director, Process and Technology, where he drove new technology development and integration into Evoqua’s portfolio through teams in US and Asia. Mike has a strong background in the implementation of advanced technology in the water treatment market globally. Mike has a chemical engineering degree from U Mass, Lowell.
-
Jordan Poffenberger
Jordan Poffenberger, E.I.T. serves as a Engineering Manager at Aclarity. Jordan holds a B.S. in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering from George Mason University. Utilizing his background in water engineering and hydraulics, Jordan assists in developing Aclarity’s full scale skid and operations of pilot projects. Jordan’s commitment to water and excellence has been developed over 20+ years as a competitive whitewater kayaker, including 14 years on the United States Freestyle Kayak Team and 3 World Championship Titles.
-
Sophie Waterhouse
Sophie Waterhouse joined Aclarity in 2023 as a Research and Development Water Engineer. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering and minor Environmental Science and Policy. Sophie has prior experience in cellular agriculture as well as nanobubble technology. Her passion for the environment stems from growing up surrounded by nature on an old farm in rural Massachusetts. Outside of working, Sophie enjoys hiking, foraging, cooking, and kickboxing.
-
Aaron Clarke
In 2023, Aaron assumed the role of senior product engineer at Aclarity. Holding a BSc (Hons) in product design from Bournemouth University (UK), he brings a wealth of experience in mechanical engineering, particularly in green technology, robotics, and mechatronic systems. Aaron is passionate about improving people's quality of life and the environment through meticulous design. Outside of his professional pursuits, he enjoys martial arts, fly fishing, and engaging in creative "maker" projects during his leisure time.
-
George Wheeler
George (Buddy) Wheeler serves as Field Operations Manager at Aclarity. In this role, he installs and maintains our proprietary PFAS removal systems for both pilot and permanent remediation projects. A veteran of the United States Navy nuclear program (submarine), Buddy has worked in field service for 30 years. He brings extensive experience implementing solutions for waste management and water treatment at Veolia Water Systems, Safety-Kleen and Rez-Tek International. He has a wife and two adult daughters.
-
David Wohlwerth
David Wohlwerth is a design engineer at Aclarity. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California Riverside, and has extensive work experience in mechanical design, electrical design, and automation. His work at Aclarity includes reactor and flow-through system design, fabrication, electronic controls design, and sensor implementation. He enjoys developing new skills in automation, and spends his off-time making and selling designs for FDM and SLA 3D printing.
-
Laura Wilcox
Laura Wilcox joined Aclarity in 2024 as a Catalyst Engineer. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. Laura previously worked at Aramco as a researcher and project lead on sustainability topics including production of hydrogen, utilization of carbonaceous materials, and recycling of plastic through mechanochemistry. Her research interests include catalyst synthesis and characterization, and elucidating reaction mechanisms imperative for sustainability-driven research. Outside of work, Laura enjoys playing soccer and pickleball, walking her dog, and watching sports.
-
Rachel Margulies
Rachel joined Aclarity in 2024 as Field Service Specialist. In this role, she operates and maintains our proprietary PFAS removal systems on-site. Her background is in Physics from Case Western Reserve University, and she has previously led a sustainable water project in rural Costa Rica through the Humanitarian Design Corps. Outside of the office, Rachel enjoys reading, painting, and spending time outdoors.
-
Hannah Duncan
Hannah Duncan joined the Aclarity team in 2023 in the role of Lab Technician. She works in a support role to the Engineering and R&I teams, performing tests in the lab to enhance product development. Hannah graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2023, and will have achieved an MS in Biochemistry also from WPI as of December 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, going to concerts, and spending time with her cat, Mac.