Applied DNA’s Board of Directors consists of individuals with proven leadership skills, broad management experience in established companies, and their reputation as independent thinkers.
With experience in fields ranging from Bioagriculture to Zoology, the company will continue to benefit from the Board’s diversity of experience and opinions.
Judith Murrah was appointed by the Board of Directors as Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer on June 18, 2025, and was appointed President in December 2024.
Murrah joined Applied DNA in 2013 as Chief Information Officer, and was later promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2021. In 2017, she was also appointed Secretary of the Company.
Prior to 2013, Ms. Murrah was previously the Senior Director of Information Technology at Motorola Solutions, which had acquired her former firm, Symbol Technologies. Her role at Motorola Solutions included overseeing the global IT program management office, financial and supplier operations and quality assurance. At Symbol Technologies, Ms. Murrah held leadership positions in product line management, global account sales, corporate and marketing communications and IT.
Ms. Murrah holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. She is an inventor on 14 U.S. patents.
Bob Catell joined the Board of Directors in October 2016. He has been a member of Applied DNA’s Strategic Advisory Council since February 2016.
Chairman New York State Smart Grid Consortium, Chairman, U.S., Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook, Former Chairman of National Grid U.S., and former Chairman and CEO of KeySpan Corporation.
Compensation Committee Member
Audit Committee Member
Joseph Ceccoli joined the Board of Directors in December 2014.
Mr. Ceccoli is Founder, President and CEO of Biocogent, LLC, a bioscience company, focused on the invention, development and commercialization of skin-active molecules and treatment, and consumer products sold globally in 15 countries. Prior to founding Biocogent, Joe was Global Director of Operations for BASF Corporation, the world’s largest global chemical company, where he was responsible for the integration and operations of domestic and overseas business units. Earlier, Joe was a General Manager for Engelhard Corporation, a US-based Fortune 500 company.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has received advanced professional training in various pharmaceutical sciences, emulsion chemistry, engineering and management disciplines. He is a member of numerous professional organizations.
Elizabeth Schmalz Ferguson joined the Board of Directors, effective June 1, 2017.
An innovator in the cosmetics and fragrance industry, Ms. Ferguson started her senior management career at Revlon with responsibility for new product development for companies including Borghese, Ultima II, and Prestige fragrances. Later, as Senior Vice President of Corporate Product Development at Estée Lauder, her responsibilities included overseeing product development for some of the company’s most prominent brands. Subsequently, she was Executive Vice President of Product Development at Bath and Body Works and Victoria’s Secret for The Limited. She currently serves as President of American Flavors & Fragrances, a fragrance company, and President of her own consulting firm, Betsy Schmalz Ferguson & Associates. She is an active member of Cosmetic Executive Women. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgian Court University.
Dr. Yacov Shamash has served on the Board of Directors since March 2006.
Dr. Shamash is Vice President for Economic Development at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Since 1992, he has been the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University, and Founder of the New York State Center for Excellence in Wireless Technologies (CEWIT) and The Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center (AERTC) at the University. Dr. Shamash developed and directed the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for the Design of Analog/Digital Integrated Circuits from 1989 to 1992 and also served as Chairman of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Washington State University from 1985 until 1992. Dr. Shamash also serves on the Board of Directors of Key Tronic Corporation.
Dr. Sanford R. Simon joined the Board of Directors on March 17, 2006.
Dr. Simon has been a Professor of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Pathology at Stony Brook since 1997. He joined the faculty at Stony Brook as an Assistant Professor in 1969 and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 1975. Dr. Simon was a member of the Board of Directors of The Collaborative Group from 1995 to 2004. From 1967 to 1969 Dr. Simon was a Guest Investigator at Rockefeller University.
Dr. Simon received a B.A. in Zoology and Chemistry from Columbia University in 1963, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Rockefeller University in 1967, and studied as a postdoctoral fellow with Nobel Prize winner Max Perutz in Cambridge, England. He maintains an active research laboratory studying aspects of cell invasion in cancer and inflammation and novel strategies of drug delivery; he also teaches undergraduate, graduate, medical, and dental students.