Our People

Blake Branson, PhD – General Manager

Blake leads our engineering team to design and implement new test methods and test instruments, especially focused on lubricants, polymers and elastomers. He is an active participant in SAE E-34 and several ASTM D02 subcommittees that write test methods for the global lubricants industry. Blake received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Vanderbilt University, where he wrote his dissertation on nanoscale lubricant additives.  He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Baylor University.

Kara Ruckriegle – Quality Director

Kara leads our technical team in both labs to perform high-quality testing for our customers.  She is responsible for training and developing our chemists and lab technicians.  Kara also leads our overall quality management program.  She joined Alcor Petrolab with more than 20 years of experience in petroleum and environmental testing.  Kara is a member of ASTM, where she votes on several fuel standards committees.  She received her BS in Natural Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is an ASQ-Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence.