The Awesome Women of Whip Mix's Product Development Team

Whip Mix has a lot to be proud of. It’s going strong after 100 years of family leadership, it develops and sells some of the industry’s most iconic and dependable products, and it’s proud to feature the finest customer and technical support available. These things can only happen with the finest people. Help us celebrate the Awesome Women of Whip Mix, without whom, none of it would have been possible.

Meet the women of Whip Mix’s Product Development Team!

Abeer Alzahrani, PhD: Research and Development Manager

Abeer helped Whip Mix establish a 3D print resin laboratory, and has led a team that developed all of the company’s print resins, one of which was the first FDA approved 3D Splint in the USA. “Our team has enabled Whip Mix to be at the leading edge of digital dental technology by designing and developing top-quality 3D dental resin products,” said Abeer.

Abeer’s main job is to lead her team to develop outstanding and safe resin formulas, ensure their compatibility with various 3D printing technologies, examine the safety and biocompatibility of products, and work closely with the regulatory team to ensure that the product is meeting all local and international regulations and guidelines. Also, she works with other departments throughout the organization, such as marketing, technical support, and production to assist in the manufacture and introduction of the products to our customers.

Outside of work, Abeer is a mother of two young boys. She enjoys yoga, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her kids and her friends.

Karen Shipley: Research Associate

The work Karen does on a daily basis is as a Product Scientist in the Chemical Division. She enjoys working in the lab to come up with a solution for a problem mix or for a customer that wants a product with specific properties that we don’t currently make. She also enjoys updating procedures.

Karen is not from Louisville originally. She graduated from Purdue University in Agriculture Science. She has worked for large corporations including a local Whiskey manufacturer, but she found Whip Mix to be a company that she could depend on for stability to raise her 4 children. Karen has worked at Whip Mix for 32 years.

What she likes to do in her spare time is watch old Star Trek episodes - especially the originals -, spy movies, science fiction shows and she loves to work outside in her yard.

Phyllis Clark Allen: Senior Chemical Quality Control Lab Technician

Phyllis works in the Gypsum Area of the Quality Control Department. Job #1 for her is to ensure that all Whip Mix Materials our customers receive are of the highest quality possible.

She tests the various stages of all of our Gypsum Materials and the Liquids that are used with them so that when the material reaches the dental laboratory or the dental office, they’ll know it has passed inspection under the discerning and watchful eye of Ms. Phyllis.

Phyllis has worked at Whip Mix Corporation for 33years. Her hobbies include playing golf, teaching swimming, horseback riding, and hiking. Outside of all her other activities, Phyllis is a giver. She always participates in Whip Mix’s Repair Affair program, where every year, volunteers help the less fortunate in our communities by repair their homes, painting a fence, fixing some steps, etc.

If that isn’t enough, Phyllis also volunteers for The Habitat for Humanity Program and is very active at her church. Whip Mix is fortunate to have people like Phyllis working for the company.

Randa_Shawahin-1 Randa Shawahin, B.S.: Product Manager

Randa Shawahin feels that she is very lucky to have joined Whip Mix in 2017 as Product Manager, and she is looking for many more successful years. Randa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, is PMP certified since 2001 and has an MBA degree with a concentration in Marketing.

Randa’s role at Whip Mix is to bring new products to our customers that fit and exceed their needs by managing the product development process with the help of the company’s great cross functional teams at Whip Mix.

Outside her work, she enjoys growing and taking care of her indoor plants, loves home decoration, and spending time with her two daughters and husband.

Lorena Lighthart: Product Manager, Clinical Products

Lorena Lighthart is the Product Manager for the Clinical products division at Whip Mix. She has worked in the dental industry for over 40 years. Lorena works with myriad experts in the field to bring new products to market that support functional occlusion, esthetics, and oral / systemic health. Moving forward, Whip Mix will continue to take advantage of digital techniques that allow us to enhance what we have practiced in the analog environment. Lorena can be reached at llighthart@whipmix.com.