William Henry Merrill Society Honors New Inductees for 2026

Key Points

• The William Henry Merrill Society has named its 2026 inductees, recognizing exceptional leaders in safety science who work at UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement or UL Solutions.
• Five leaders were honored as Corporate Fellows, one of the highest internal recognitions, for advancing global safety innovation.
• The 2026 class also includes Distinguished Members of Technical Staff - leaders who have demonstrated mentorship and technical excellence in efforts to advance the field of safety science.

Leadership qualities are immensely important in the field of safety science. The William Henry Merrill Society (WHMS) - an organization that recognizes safety science leaders who work at UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions - recently inducted its Class of 2026. WHMS inductees are technical professionals who have earned recognition both inside and outside the three UL organizations as leading authorities in their fields.

Membership in the WHMS is a recognition of exceptional leadership in engineering, science, technical knowledge and other areas that advance safety science.

WHMS members "pay it forward" by appropriately sharing their knowledge with colleagues and by mentoring other professionals who are committed to safety science.

Employees at the three UL organizations can submit nominations for the WHMS. Inductees are selected through a detailed review of job experience, technical achievements, publications, patents, professional affiliations and overall contributions to the three UL organizations' shared mission of working for a safer world.

The two categories of WHMS membership are Corporate Fellows and Distinguished Members of Technical Staff (DMTS). Since its founding in 2006, the society has inducted 52 leaders as Corporate Fellows.

Being named a Corporate Fellow is considered one of the highest internal accolades for an employee at any of the three UL organizations. Corporate Fellows receive a medallion during an induction ceremony, they hold the esteemed honor for life, and they typically are professionals who previously had been named a DMTS.

The WHMS Class of 2026 was recognized in a May 6 ceremony. The group includes five Corporate Fellows, which raises the current number of active Corporate Fellows to 29 across the three UL organizations.

Dr. Kelly Keena, vice president and executive director of the Institute for Research Experiences & Education (IREE) at UL Research Institutes, brings 30 years of expertise in STEM and environmental education. Keena is nationally recognized as an authority on education and is a champion for inclusive, positive youth development and for educators around the world.

Keena co-created Xplorlabs, an innovative global STEM platform that translates complex safety science research into accessible, interactive learning to increase student interest in STEM careers. She has expanded the institute's educational mission to include an Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship program, as well as a Student Engagement Program for students serving summer internships with UL Research Institutes.

Colleen O'Brien, principal engineer in UL Solutions' Energy and Industrial Automation business, specializes in photovoltaic (PV) technology. O'Brien has worked as a research, manufacturing and testing engineer in the PV industry for over 30 years. Since joining UL Solutions, she has provided technical leadership across standards development, safety research, regulatory engagement and industry collaboration, with a focus on advancing PV system reliability and safety.

O'Brien is an active leader in the global standards community, serving as co-convener of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC 82 Working Group 2 (PV modules) and co-convener of IEC CTL ETF9. She maintains liaison roles within U.S. Technical Advisory Groups, and she serves on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Electrical Code (NEC) Code-Making Panel 4.

Susan Stene, principal engineer in UL Solutions' Engineered Materials business, focuses on numerous areas, including Appliance Wiring Material (AWM), building wire and flexible cords. In addition to her core expertise, Stene has worked across a broad range of industries, including forklift trucks, flammable liquid tanks and office furnishings.

She is an active member of several national and international technical committees, including IEC TC 20 Working Groups 17 and 19; the Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standards of the Nations in the Americas (CANENA) harmonization committees for building wire, flexible cords, PV wire and test methods; the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Integrated Committees on Wire and Cable (ICWC) 01, 02 and 06; and NEC Code-Making Panel 6, where she serves as a principal member. Stene is an invited guest to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Section 7 committees focused on high-performance wire, building wire and flexible cords.

Timothy Zgonena, principal engineer in UL Solutions' Energy and Industrial Automation business, is responsible for the development, maintenance and application of certification requirements and the delivery of conformity assessment services. He focuses on utility grid interconnection system equipment (ISE); inverters and converters; power generation; electric vehicle (EV), vehicle to grid (V2G) and vehicle to everything (V2X) technologies; PV balance of systems equipment, PV rapid shutdown, PV hazard control; and large and small wind turbines.

Zgonena serves on multiple distributed generation technical committees, representing UL Solutions, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the IEC. He is also a member of NFPA 70® NEC Code-Making Panel 4 and NFPA 37, and he is a recipient of the IEC 1906 Award.

Dr. Kai Zhou, director of global product management, Engineered Materials at UL Solutions, leads the company's global product/technical strategy across advanced electrical materials, wire and cable, plastics and emerging energy applications. He has helped foster the segment's fast growth from testing and certification services in power, renewables and high-voltage systems while collaborating closely with customers, internal teams and global stakeholders.

Zhou is actively involved in international technical organizations, serving in leadership positions on IEEE and International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) committees that shape global standards for power cables, materials and electrical infrastructure. He has served as an AdCom member for the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society, an AdCom member for the IEEE Insulated Conductor Committee, and the U.S. technical representative for the CIGRE high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system standard.

The WHMS also welcomed several DMTS inductees, including these UL Solutions employees: John Carlin, Theresa "Tess" Espejo, Timothy Evans, Benjamin Gaudet, Kevin Holly Jr., Johnny Jensen, Daniel Michael, Michael Nicasio, Mona Nielsen, John Resing, Fred Retter, Joseph Rodriguez and Sean Yang.

The DMTS inductees also include Dr. George Borlase, Wilbert Fletcher and Megan Van Heirseele of UL Standards & Engagement and Dr. Migo Szeman Ng of the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at UL Research Institutes.

The society now includes 164 DMTS members from more than a dozen countries.

The society is named after William Henry Merrill (1868-1923), the electrical engineer who founded the safety company that evolved into the three current UL organizations.

More information about the William Henry Merrill Society's activities is available on the WHMS page at UL.com.

Photo caption: The William Henry Merrill Society inducted five Corporate Fellows in its Class of 2026: Dr. Kai Zhou (left), Dr. Kelly Keena, Timothy Zgonena, Colleen O'Brien and Susan Stene.