Kristen Riley is currently a project engineer with the BioProcess Institute.

A graduate of the URI’s International Engineering Program (IEP), she has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in German, and an MBA. Kristen currently holds the role of vice chair of the IEP’s advisory board.

For 14 years, Kristen was a test engineer and coordinator for The BioProcess Institute, designing and conducting third-party testing services for clients in the biopharmaceutical industry with the goal to help client make better biopharmaceutical drugs. Kristen also led BPI’s analytical team for clients seeking ISO, USP, extractables, and FDA compliance for components/materials used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. With years of experience in the chemical industry, she is a results-oriented professional with a proven track record in business and operations management, marketing, and process safety engineering. Kristen came to URI between 2022 and 2024 as the education and training coordinator for the Pharmaceutical Development Institute (PDI). She returned to the BioProcess Institute in 2024 in her new role.

Before joining The BioProcess Institute, Kristen was the vice president and laboratory director of Ceimic Corporation and consulted as a marketing director for the startup of the company’s Brazilian subsidiary in São Paulo. Kristen also led the OSHA 1910.119 process safety management (PSM) program for Clariant Corporation. As the utilities supervisor, Kristen was a lead process and process safety engineer for new-facility projects that optimized powerhouse operations and managed the site’s two-million-dollar energy budget.