Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors allows us to revolutionize technology

Dr. Shelby Thames - Dr. Shelby Thames served as the eighth president of The University of Southern Mississippi from 2002 - 2007. His previous administrative positions at Southern Miss were chair of the Department of Polymer Science, dean of the College of Science and Technology, vice president for Administration and Regional Campuses, and Executive Vice President. In 1970, he founded the Department of Polymer Science, and in 1973, started the Waterborne and High-Solids Coatings Symposium, an event that has expanded to become the annual International Waterborne, High-Solids, and Powder Coatings Symposium. He sought and gained approval for the enhancement of the College of Science to the College of Science and Technology by creating several new technology programs. He was instrumental in creating entities to improve statewide economics such as the Mississippi Polymer Institute, Southern Diversified Products, LLC (a Mississippi University Research Authority company), and the Innovation and Commercialization Park (The Garden).

Among his numerous honors and awards are the designation as Distinguished University Research Professor of the Department of Polymer Science; recipient of the first Distinguished Professorship by the Southern Society of Coatings Technology; the 1996 USM Alumni Association Continuous Service Award; the 1998 NUC Wheeler McMillan Award for his work with agricultural products; inductee in 1998 to the USM's Alumni Hall of Fame; the 1999 AAIC Anson Ellis Thompson Career Achievement Award for his career in promoting the use of agricultural-based materials as industrial raw materials; and the 2002 recipient of the Special Recognition for Energy Innovation and Technology Transfer by the Mississippi Development Authority, Energy Division. In 1998, USM's $29 million Polymer Science Research Center was named in honor of Dr. Thames and is now known as the Shelby Freland Thames Polymer Science Research Center. Upon the end of his tenure as University President, he returned to his leadership role of the Thames-Rawlins Research Group.

Dr. Thames earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi in chemistry and organic chemistry and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tennessee in organic chemistry.

Frank Montgomery - Frank Montgomery has been an investment professional since 1968.  In 1982, he founded Moss Forest Venture, as General Partner, a Mississippi Venture Capital specializing in healthcare and life sciences.  To date, Moss Forest Venture has made 26 investments.  In addition to Montgomery’s venture capitalist enterprises, he co-founded Mississippi companies Cypress Pharmaceuticals and CTEX Pharmaceuticals, as well as San Diego company ArtisOptimus.  He has severed as a Portfolio Manager/ Equity Analyst at various financial institutions and money management firm and is an Equity Analyst for his family-owned investment company.

Montgomery graduated from Mississippi State in 1964, with a B.S. Degree in Business and Finance.

Jack Hanbury - Jack Hanbury began his legal career with the firm of VanAntwerp, Monge, Jones & Edwards in Ashland, Kentucky. He became a partner in the firm in 1986 and became a managing partner in 1990.  In 1993, Mr. Hanbury started his own law firm in Ashland, Kentucky with two other partners.  Over the next ten years, the firm more than doubled in size to six attorneys, two paralegals, and seven support staff.  Most recently, Mr. Hanbury served as Director of Resources and Risk Management for the University of Southern Mississippi, where he advised the President and senior university administrators on a wide variety of business matters, including employment issues, contracts, corporate start-ups and intellectual property matters.

Throughout his legal career, Hanbury has represented businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, banks, insurance companies, and small businesses on a wide variety of complex commercial transactions, employment matters, and litigation.

Hanbury graduated from Centre College of Kentucky in 1978, with double majors in Economics and Political Science.  Before attending law school, he worked as a business analyst with Dun & Bradstreet.  Hanbury is a 1982 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law. 

Ken Malone - Dr. Ken Malone is CEO and CFO of Ablitech, Inc. Prior to this position, Malone has founded or been an officer of five biotechnology or advanced materials companies. He has led M&A activities valued at more than $200 million dollars, secured more than $30 million in federal funding and successfully patented and commercialized dozens of new products. His broad based private sector experiences include manufacturing, product development, finance, marketing and business management for global corporations. In the public sector, Malone was the founding Director of the Trent Lott National Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship and was a Chief Operating Officer of the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Malone has a PhD in Polymer Science from The University of Southern Mississippi and a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Miami.

Dr. Nick Hammond - Dr. Nick Hammond co-founded Ablitech in 2006 as its initial CEO and currently serves as its Chief Technology Officer. Hammond has experience working with both small animal cancer models and basic cell research involving neovascularization pathways. Hammond also has experience in the discovery of novel pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of disease and has extensive work experience in analytical techniques, small molecule synthesis and the development of analytical protocols. Hammond has authored a number of scientific papers and presentations.

Hammond holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from The University of Mississippi and a BS in Biology and Chemistry from Butler University.