About TELLUS
Founded in 2017 as Tetrad Sensor Network Solutions, LLC, we began with a National Science Foundation grant to create an affordable sensor network for monitoring air quality in Salt Lake City. Tetrad focused on improving measurement accuracy and making sensor data easy to understand.
TELLUS bridges the gap between low-cost but often inaccurate air quality networks and expensive, high-precision EPA-compliant systems. Our solution offers reliable, affordable air quality monitoring without compromising on accuracy.
Mission Statement
Provide the highest-resolution air quality metrics to thriving communities through cost-effective sensor networks that leverage statistical methods and machine learning to enable understanding of air quality micro-climates.
Vision Statement
Empower all community members with simple and accurate air quality metrics to better understand air quality where we live, learn, work, and play.
Kerry Kelly, Ph.D.
Director & Chief Science Officer
Kerry is a professional engineer and an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah. She has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Her work with TELLUS focuses on ensuring sensor performance. Kerry is committed to the translation of science to smart community and policy decisions. She served 8 years on Utah’s Air Quality Board and currently serves on the State’s Air Quality Policy Board together with state legislators.
In 2018, the governor awarded her the UCAIR air quality person of the year for her service to the State of Utah. Her academic research focuses on using cost-effective, air-quality sensors to understand local-scale, air quality challenges, as well as to empower communities to address their air quality challenges.
Doug W. Later, Ph.D.
Director & Chief Executive Officer
Doug holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Brigham Young University. He serves as the President and CEO of TELLUS Networked Sensor Solutions, Inc. He has over 35 years of experience developing analytical instrumentation with an emphasis on environmental testing and monitoring. Doug has led several successful start-up companies, including Mountain States Analytical (environmental testing laboratory), Torion Technologies (hand-portable GC-MS), and Vaporsens (organic nanofiber sensors).
Doug has served as a Principal Investigator on awards to these start-up companies from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Carl Luft, MBA
President
Carl earned his B.S. from the University of Utah in the field of Materials Science & Engineering and has experience in venture capital and entrepreneurship. He completed an Executive MBA program at the University of Utah in 2023. Through various business development roles, Carl has worked with early-stage companies to increase market share and develop new innovative products. He most recently worked with medical devices used in the respiratory healthcare industry combating respiratory illnesses such as COPD, Asthma, and COVID-19.
Carl was awarded the President’s “E” Award by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in 2019 for his efforts in helping Utah companies expand into foreign markets.
Pierre-E. Gaillardon, Ph.D.
Director & Chief Technology Officer
Pierre-Emmanuel is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah. He also is an adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Computing at the University of Utah where he leads the Laboratory for Nano-Integrated Systems (LNIS). He has a Ph.D. degree in Computer Engineering (CEA-LETI, Grenoble, France and the University of Lyon, France) and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering (CPE-Lyon, France and INSA Lyon, France).
His work with TELLUS focuses on developing the sensors and network technologies. Pierre-Emmanuel’s academic research work is focused on novel sensors and computing technologies and he has been awarded the NSF CAREER award, the DARPA Young Faculty Award, as well as IEEE CEDA and ACM SIGDA Outstanding New Faculty awards.
Tom Becnel, Ph.D.
Director of Product Development
Tom holds a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah. His academic work has focused on novel machine learning applications at the edge of low-power sensor networks. His passions led him to the air quality research space in 2017, where he headed the design and deployment of the first AirU Air Quality Network. Tom has since focused his endeavors on expanding the network, improving quality and reliability, and raising awareness of air quality to help local communities become more informed.
Tom was awarded 1st place for his presentation at the 2019 IM FLASH TechTalk Conference and is the recipient of ASEE’s William H. Corcoran Award For Most Outstanding Article for his work published in the ASEE Journal of Chemical Engineering Education.
Rich Wilson
Chief Operating Officer
Rich earned his B.S. in Management and further enhanced his expertise by completing a Master of Business Administration through the University of Utah’s Executive program. With over 20 years of experience in operational leadership, Rich has been instrumental in building and leading high-performing teams, managing assets, and overseeing budgets within global organizations. His strategic approach to optimizing efficiency and driving business growth has consistently led to enhanced organizational success. Rich’s passion for innovative problem-solving and his global perspective make him a dynamic leader in his field.
Parker Mann
Director of Customer Experience
Parker is an experienced Sales and Marketing executive with nearly 20 years of proven, results-oriented leadership in healthcare technologies. Earning numerous top sales awards throughout his career, Parker has developed a strategic mindset with an emphasis on revenue generation, strategic growth, and partnerships.
In his prior role, Parker spearheaded strategic integration initiatives and successfully developed a partner growth program that resulted in double-digit growth and a CAGR greater than 20%. His ability to evaluate current product positioning and future customer and business needs led to the execution of strategic partner agreements that added value for patients, clients, and the bottom line.
A continuous improvement advocate and avid lifelong learner, Parker finished top of his class in an Executive MBA program in 2023 with a focus on corporate strategy. His analytical acumen, negotiation skills, and deep understanding of the healthcare technology industry make him an invaluable asset to any organization.
By utilizing EPA-compliant air quality monitors, TELLUS is able to create calibration factors and produce highly accurate air quality measurements at a hyperlocal resolution.
This method expands the reach of local EPA-compliant monitors. It offers engaging visualizations that accurately capture air pollution measurements across the entire region of interest in near real-time.
The more air quality sensors that are deployed, the more accurate the pollution concentration estimates and the farther the geographical reach.