Kathryn Ely is a structural biologist with more than 25 years experience
working in academia. Her laboratory determined the three-dimensional
structures of many key proteins including immunoglobulins, transcription
factors, and signaling molecules, using crystallography, nuclear magnetic
resonance and homology modeling. The basic discovery science that
came from these studies has set the framework to understand key
biochemical processes and basic mechanisms in human health, including
immunity, cancer and neurodegeneration. Her work has been published
in more than 95 papers in first-tier scientific journals, and was presented at
international conferences all over the world.

During her career, Kathryn has been a consultant for biotechnology
companies, and has served on numerous review panels for the National
Cancer Institute, as well as on the External Advisory boards of several
academic centers. She mentored the next generation of scientists, since
more than 30 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from U.S.,
Europe and Asia trained in her lab.

Her international interactions with scientists and students made her aware
of the disparities in the quality of life in different countries, and especially
in developing nations. Recognizing that the lack of clean water is a major
impediment to good health, and that illiteracy and lack of technology
hampers the standard of living, she began to see the need for an
international program to provide water, health, and education to schools in
developing nations like Uganda. In 2010, Kathryn turned her professional
energy toward volunteer humanitarian outreach and established Quench
and Connect to focus on these intertwined problems.

Colonel Stephen F. Keane, USMC 

Colonel Keane was raised in the Bronx, New York and Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in June 1989.  In January 1990, following Boot Camp and MOS school, he was assigned to 6th Engineer Support Battalion in Tucson, Arizona.  He graduated from the University of Arizona and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in May 1994. 

     Following The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course, Colonel Keane was assigned as an Infantry Officer with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.  During this tour, he served as a Rifle Platoon Commander for his first Unit Deployment to the Western Pacific and as Echo Company Commander for a second Western Pacific Deployment. 

     In May 1998, Colonel Keane was assigned as a Nuclear Weapons Surety Inspector for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and conducted global nuclear surety inspections.  In 1999, Colonel Keane was selected for the Funded Legal Education Program and began study at the College of William & Mary Law School in Virginia.  He served as a prosecutor at Marine Corps Base Quantico during summer 2000 and at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina during summer 2001. Upon graduation from law school and Naval Justice School in October 2002, he was assigned to Legal Services Support Section, 2nd Force Service Support Group, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, again as a prosecutor.

     Colonel Keane deployed to Iraq in October 2003 with the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Task Force, an interagency counter-terrorism task force.  Upon returning from deployment in 2004, Colonel Keane assumed the duties of Senior Prosecutor and Military Justice Officer at the Legal Services Support Section, 2nd Force Service Support Group, Camp Lejeune, NC.

     Colonel Keane reported to the Graduate Course at The Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Virginia in July 2005 where he was awarded a Master of Law (L.L.M.) degree with a specialty in Administrative (Labor and Employment) Law.  The following year, 2006, he was assigned to Seoul, Korea as the Deputy Chief of Operational Law for U.S. Forces Korea, Combined Forces Command, and the United Nations Command. During this tour, he served concurrently as the Staff Judge Advocate of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea and legal advisor to the United Nations Military Armistice Commission.

     In May 2009, Colonel Keane assumed duties as a Military Judge for the Western Judicial Circuit, Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary.  From 2012-2013, he completed Top Level School as the Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to the U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division, Counter-Terrorism Section.  From 2013-2015, Colonel Keane was the Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Bangor, Washington.  Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Keane was the Regional Trial Counsel (Senior Supervisory Prosecutor) for Marine Corps Installations West.

     Colonel Keane’s personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal and other unit and service awards.