Mark Eschbach II

Résumé

Mark Eschbach II

Chemist · Engineer · Developer · Founder

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Summary

Multidisciplinary, cross-functional scientist, engineer and developer — curious across chemistry, physics, software, AI, philosophy and fitness, but a builder at heart. 10+ years turning ideas into working systems: plasma reactors, a DOE-funded CO₂-capture pilot lab, and enterprise data platforms for statewide water treatment. Co-founder of Epistemion, an industrial-automation and agentic-AI company.

Research scientist with 10+ years across analytical chemistry, biochemistry and plasma chemistry. Hands-on with HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS, UV-Vis and isotope-ratio mass spectrometry — operation, method development, maintenance and repair. Three peer-reviewed papers (Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Biochemistry, JCI Insight) and a manuscript in preparation; now leading plasma-based synthesis research focused on CO₂ utilization and mentoring students.

Applied engineer who designs, builds and troubleshoots physical systems — plasma and Joule-heating reactors, pulsed power supplies, water-treatment systems across 43+ sites and pilot-scale CO₂ capture. I prototype fixtures and measurement rigs by hand, model fluid flow, heat transfer and electromagnetics in Python, and iterate until the system performs — at home too, like a closed-loop, AC-chilled cold plunge.

Developer and data scientist who builds tools for real operations: a statewide Flutter app that cut reporting time 50%+ for six field chemists, a 50-year water-treatment research database built with AI-powered OCR, and scientific simulation software. Co-founder of Epistemion, building governed agentic-AI systems and automation for clients.

Founded and ran Approachable Fitness (2019–2026, now closed), a client-centered personal training business that helped clients aged 13 to 70+ reach goals “big” or “small.” NASM-certified trainer, purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and obstacle-course racer.

10+years across research, engineering and software
2025co-founded Epistemion, an automation & agentic-AI firm
8papers, manuscripts & talks — from Biochemistry to AI for water
3 + 1peer-reviewed papers published, plus 1 manuscript in prep
5%higher CO₂→CO conversion from more efficient reactor design
C-SPARKsoftware I built to map plasma surface-chemistry reactions
DOE pilotled the team that established the testing lab, troubleshot equipment and got it up and running
43+water-treatment sites and facilities served in the field
5%conversion gain from redesigning plasma reactors
50 yrsof handwritten & legacy water records digitized into one database
Jouleheating reactor & pulsed-power circuitry built for an NETL project
50%+faster reporting with the statewide IWT-DSR app
25–50%less time per site visit for six field chemists
4apps built — WaterLog DSR live, three more coming soon
15–25%faster discovery reported by Adversaria ELN research users
13–70+client ages coached over seven years
30+ lbfat loss and 10–20 lb muscle gains for standout clients
Purplebelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Medalsat IBJJF, Fuji and American Grappling — gi & no-gi

Experience

  1. Plasma Chemistry Research Supervisor & Strategic PartnerCurrent

    Oct 2025 – Present

    Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL

    • Set strategy and technical roadmaps for plasma-based chemical synthesis — arc and glow discharges, catalysts and novel reaction pathways for CO₂ utilization and amino-acid production.
    • Helped design a more efficient plasma reactor that boosted CO₂-to-CO conversion by 5%; co-authored the resulting paper in Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing (2026).
    • Designed, built and tested multiple plasma reactors — geometry, catalyst integration and custom fixtures — with reactor-design changes raising conversion by 5%.
    • Developed the pulsed Joule-heating system for a National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) project — reactor design, timing circuits and pulsed power supplies — getting it running so the science team could measure efficiencies.
    • Developed C-SPARK, software for identifying plasma surface-chemistry reactions during exploratory analysis.
    • Mentor master’s and undergraduate students in plasma experiments, instrumentation and analysis.
    • Built and validated plasma modeling tools (Python, C#, JavaScript) covering fluid dynamics, heat transfer and electromagnetic behavior to predict reactor regimes and speed up iteration.
    • Lead hands-on experiments, systematically optimizing power, flow rates and catalysts with data-driven parameter studies.
    • Coordinate timelines and cross-functional teams of chemists and engineers; maintain rigorous safety protocols and documentation for high-energy plasma work.

  2. Co-FounderCurrent

    Sep 2025 – Present

    Epistemion LLC · Champaign, IL

    • Co-founded an industrial-automation and agentic-AI firm delivering control-system software, dashboards, custom web/mobile apps and technical consulting to clients nationwide.
    • Built four apps — WaterLog DSR (field-service platform for water treatment, live in a client pilot); Adversaria ELN (lab notebook; early users report 15–25% faster discovery), Cozy Prose (writing) and Frostfire (contrast-therapy tracking), all coming soon — and contributed to other Epistemion products.
    • Architect production AI-integrated systems — multi-agent architectures, governed build/validation pipelines and automation tools for research and enterprise clients.
    • Run DevOps and infrastructure, including a distributed Mac mini compute cluster, Git-based CI/CD and local AI compute environments.
    • Acting lead developer — set technical direction, architecture and code standards across client and internal products.
    • Acting CFO — financial operations, capital structure and financial modeling; lead business development and strategic partnerships, including a joint-venture AI-agent product.

  3. Consulting Specialist, Analytical Chemistry & EngineeringCurrent

    Feb 2025 – Present

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Springfield, IL

    • Commissioned and optimized a pilot-scale test laboratory under DOE grant DE-FE0031581, evaluating Linde-BASF post-combustion CO₂-capture technology at a coal-fired power plant.
    • Led the team that diagnosed an instrument failure that had stalled the entire project, then repaired equipment and validated analytical methods to get data flowing again.
    • Led a cross-functional team to steady-state operations, building custom software for data analysis and reporting aligned with real-time plant conditions.
    • Delivered technical reports and consulted plant engineers on data interpretation, process optimization and troubleshooting.

  4. Scientific SpecialistCurrent

    Aug 2022 – Present

    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, Prairie Research Institute · Urbana-Champaign, IL

    • Built and deployed IWT-DSR, a statewide multi-platform app (Flutter/Dart, Python, ML) used by six field chemists for several hundred reports a year — cutting time per site visit 25–50% and reporting time 50%+.
    • Led a data-modernization initiative digitizing 50+ years of records (1970s–present) from handwritten, Word, Excel and PDF sources using AI-powered OCR and Python pipelines into a searchable research database.
    • Engineered field solutions alongside mechanical and industrial engineers — custom sampling tools, sensor mounts, flow-control fixtures and automated data-logging rigs for high-pressure, high-flow systems.
    • Conduct field chemistry — sampling, on-site testing and treatment optimization — across 43+ water-treatment sites and facilities, including prisons, data centers and IDOT sites; hold Illinois DOC security clearance.
    • Lead project manager for an operations overhaul; initiated and lead an internal R&D team for data tools, automation and applied chemistry.

  5. Founder & Personal Trainer

    Feb 2019 – Mar 2026

    Approachable Fitness (closed 2026) · Urbana-Champaign, IL

    • Founded and ran a personal training business centered on each client’s goals, “big” or “small.”
    • Coached clients aged 13 to 70+ with individualized programming — standout results include 30+ lb fat loss and 10–20 lb gains in muscle mass.
    • Built my own Python workout-planning app to design client programs — my first software project.

  6. Research Specialist

    Oct 2019 – Aug 2022

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Urbana-Champaign, IL

    • Expressed, purified and characterized mammalian cytochrome P450 enzymes and ran metabolism studies; synthesized and characterized sensitive lipid molecules.
    • Developed a chiral separation method for lipid enantiomers.
    • Analyzed biochemical data in Python and built automated workflows for synthesis characterization.
    • Managed lab operations — instrument repair, student training and project management of the lab’s relocation from UIUC to Georgia Tech.
    • Repaired and rebuilt scientific instruments, from HPLC setups to mass spectrometers.
    • Co-authored peer-reviewed publications in Biochemistry and JCI Insight.

  7. Chemistry Technician

    Mar 2017 – Sep 2019

    Aardsma Research & Publishing · Loda, IL

    • Performed chemical synthesis and HPLC/MS analysis; maintained instruments and optimized analytical workflows.
    • Managed inventory and lab organization; analyzed and reported research data.

  8. Analytical Chemist

    Jun 2016 – Mar 2017

    Isotech Laboratories, Inc. · Champaign, IL

    • Isolated hydrocarbons and measured isotope ratios by mass spectrometry; developed and edited GC methods.
    • Tracked samples through the analytical workflow and kept instruments calibrated.

Publications & talks