Katherine Ayers is Vice President of Research and Development at Proton OnSite overseeing Proton’s cell stack and R&D groups, with responsibility for development and execution of Proton's research and advanced technology strategy. Dr. Ayers joined Proton OnSite in 2007 as Manager of Electrochemical Research and has a strong history of executing programs funded by U.S. federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, USDA, Department of Energy, and ARPA-E. She also manages many of Proton's external research collaborations with universities and national labs, and often serves as a technical expert for government review panels and workshops. Dr. Ayers currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards for two major DOE-funded consortiums: the JCAP Energy Innovation Hub and Center for Molecular Catalysis EFRC.

Prior to joining Proton OnSite, Dr. Ayers worked as a Staff Engineer and team leader at Energizer Battery Company for 10 years, with responsibility for strategic materials direction in batteries and fundamental investigation of production issues. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry/Chemical Physics at University of California, San Diego, and her Ph.D. in Chemistry with Professor Nathan Lewis at the California Institute of Technology.