Luana Zagami
Lab And Quality Manager
Westminster,CA
Summary
Quality and Laboratory Operations Leader with a Ph.D. in Chemistry and extensive experience supporting regulated manufacturing environments, including aerospace surface treatments and battery chemistry. Skilled in developing and executing advanced quality control protocols aligned with APQP principles, conducting process validations, and managing multi-stakeholder compliance documentation. Microsoft-certified in project management and data analysis. Strong record in cross-functional coordination, environmental compliance, and data-driven continuous improvement systems.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Lab and Quality Manager
Tiodzine
09.2024 - Current
- Monitored deionized (DI) water quality with daily conductivity measurements and coordinated with NALCO for efficient dual-bed DI tank exchanges, ensuring a consistent ultra-pure water supply for Tiodzine's surface treatment processes
- Executed a robust quality control program for aerospace coatings, applying rigorous testing protocols such as salt spray testing and adhesion testing to uphold compliance and customer specifications
- Developed quality monitoring systems for real-time tracking of critical parameters (pH, conductivity, temperature), established calibration verification procedures, and produced thorough technical documentation to maintain product quality
- Managed wastewater treatment operations by monitoring pH and chemical concentrations, implementing process improvements for environmental compliance and optimizing treatment efficiency
- Conducted systematic plant inspections to ensure adherence to safety and environmental regulations, maintaining detailed documentation of water quality and treatment processes while collaborating with regulatory agencies
- Created comprehensive chemical management protocols, including inventory tracking, SDS maintenance, and emergency response procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and operational efficiency
Research Assistant
Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California (USC)
08.2019 - 08.2024
- Developed and evaluated organometallic tetrahedral complexes with carbon, silicon, and osmium to enhance charge transfer mechanisms for miniaturizing electronic devices and improving performance. Utilized air-free and non-conventional synthesis techniques to optimize reaction yields
- Characterized novel molecules using NMR, UV-Vis, IR, Electrochemistry, STM-BJ, MS-ESI, MALDI-TOF, X-ray Single Crystal Analysis
- Conducted research under Prof. Sri Narayan at USC's Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, focusing on membrane optimization for aqueous battery systems to improve efficiency and longevity
- Operated and maintained Sartorius Arium Mini Ultrapure Water System to provide ASTM Type 1 ultrapure water (conductivity
- Power user of key laboratory equipment, including flash chromatography, microwave reactors, and analytical balances, providing training, maintenance, and troubleshooting support for optimal laboratory operations. Maintained the Optical Transparent Thin-Layer Electrochemical Cell (OTTLE cell) for spectroelectrochemistry
Education
Ph.D. - Chemistry
University of Southern California
12.2024
Bachelor of Science - reactivity
University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro
07.2016
Skills
Advanced Quality Planning: Design and implement quality monitoring systems using control plans
Process Validation & Operational Excellence: Monitor high-purity water and chemical systems for aerospace treatments, execute corrective actions, and oversee real-time parameter tracking (pH, conductivity, temperature)
Regulatory Documentation & Compliance: Maintain SDS systems, support Cal/OSHA and EPA inspections, and manage audit-ready documentation workflows aligned with environmental regulations
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Project Leadership: Lead testing protocol development, lab team training, and stakeholder engagement to support product verification and continuous improvement
Software & Statistical Tools: Proficient in Microsoft Office, MNova, ChemDraw, Igor, QChem, and Copilot; certified in Microsoft Project Management and Data Analysis with foundational familiarity in ERP, MES, and PLM-adjacent systems
Software: MestReNova (MNova): analytical chemistry software solutions; Igor: scientific data analysis software, numerical computing environment and programming language; QChem: ab initio quantum chemistry software package for fast and accurate simulations of molecular systems; ChemDraw: molecular editor software; Copilot: AI software; Mercury: crystal structure visualization; MagpiePlot: software for nonlinear fitting, plotting and data analysis
Analytical: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Spectroscopy (UV-Vis, IR), Electrochemistry (Cyclic Voltammetry, Differential Pulse Voltammetry, Spectroelectrochemistry), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Based-Break Junction (STM-BJ), Mass Spectrometry (MS-ESI, MALDI-TOF) X-ray Single Crystal Analysis, Chromatography (Gas Chromatography GC, Liquid Chromatography LC, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC)
Certification
"Career Essentials in Generative AI" certification from Microsoft and LinkedIn (2024), Los Angeles, CA: key skills included computer ethics, artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI
Awards
Travel Award from the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Division of Inorganic Chemistry (DIC) (2024), Los Angeles, CA: funded partially travel to the Spring 2024 ACS Meeting in New Orleans based on academic achievements, WiSE Travel Grant (2024), Los Angeles, CA: received partial travel funding to attend the Spring 2024 ACS Meeting in New Orleans based on academic excellence and as a woman in science representative, Dornsife Fellowship (2019), Los Angeles, CA: awarded fellowship allowed to teach for two semesters during PhD studies and concentrate on research activities for academic achievements during bachelor's degree
Publications
- Zagami, L., Saal, T., Avedian, C. and Inkpen, M. S.
- “Intervalence Charge Transfer in Osmium(IV)Tetra(ferrocenylaryl) Complexes” Inorganic Chemistry 2025 64 (5), 2312-2320 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c04481
- Zagami, L., Avedian, C., Sharma, M., Olivar, C., Hernámgómez-Pérez, D. and Inkpen, M. S.
- “Isotropically Conducting Tetraaryl Osmium(IV), Silane, and Methane Wires” (submitted)
- Olivar, C., Parr, J. M., Saal, T., Zagami, L., Haiges, R., Sharma, M., Inkpen, M. S.
- “Osmium(IV) tetraaryl complexes formed from pre-functionalized ligands” (submitted)
- Oral: Exploring Charge Transfer/Transport in Tetraaryl Osmium Complexes (2024) ACS Meeting, New Orleans, LA
- Oral: Mixed-Valence Tetraaryl Osmium Complexes (2023) SoCal Organometallic Meeting, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
Leadership
- Activity Leader for SERGE (2023): organized by Brent Melot, associate professor of chemistry at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, SERGE is an immersive, four-day science camp for Native American middle school students aiming to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers
- Leader of Chemistry Classes for Children (4-7 years old) from Low-Income Families: created a syllabus with ten unique classes for children (4-7 years old) to introduce complex chemistry topics
Timeline
Lab and Quality Manager
Tiodzine
09.2024 - Current
Research Assistant
Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California (USC)
08.2019 - 08.2024
Ph.D. - Chemistry
University of Southern California
Bachelor of Science - reactivity
University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro