Dr. Ayoub is a distinguished academic and business leader bridging materials science, physical chemistry, and agri/forestry-business innovation. With a foundational expertise in materials chemistry, he serves as Adjunct Faculty at North Carolina State University and concurrently, as a refinery strategist in biotechnology business development, he leverages sharp acumen to commercialize dozens of products, optimizing engineering processes for eco-friendly, cost-effective, and high-performance commercial solutions. Author of over 100 publications and patents in materials science, forestry, and agribusiness, Dr. Ayoub passionately shares knowledge to foster sustainable living, prosperity, and positivity across global communities.

Dr. Lucian A. Lucia is Professor in the Departments of Forest Biomaterials and Chemistry at North Carolina State University, where he also contributes to programs in Fiber & Polymer Science and Environmental Sciences. He directs The Laboratory of Soft Materials & Green Chemistry, which investigates the chemistry of renewable polymers. Dr. Lucia holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Florida and began his academic career at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research spans from the photochemical modeling of charge separation states to the biomedical modification of cellulosics. He teaches courses in forest biomaterials and green chemistry. Internationally, he lectures at Qilu University of Technology in China. He is also co-founder and co-editor of BioResources, a leading open-access journal in lignocellulosic materials research.