C H E M N E W S

G E O R G I A I N S T I T U T E O F T E C H N O L O G Y • S C H O O L O F C H E M I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G • VOL. 9 NO. 2 • FALL 2 0 0 1

I N S I D E :

Eric W. Kaler, Elizabeth InezKelley Professor of ChemicalEngineering and Dean of theCollege of Engineering at theUniversity of Delaware, deliv-ered the 17th Annual AshtonCary Lecture in April 2001,entitled “Colloidal Scale Engi-neering.”

Professor Kaler received hisB.S. degree in Chemical Engi-neering in 1978 from the Cali-fornia Institute of Technology.He received his Ph.D. in Chem-ical Engineering in 1982 from

the University of Minnesotaunder the guidance of Profes-sors L. E. Scriven and H. T.Davis. He began his academiccareer in Chemical Engineeringat the University of Washing-ton as Assistant Professor in1982 and Associate Professorin 1987. In 1989, he moved tothe University of Delawarewhere he became a full profes-sor in 1991, chaired the Chemi-cal Engineering Departmentfrom 1996 to 2000, received theElizabeth Inez Kelley Profes-sorship in 1998, and became

Dean of College of Engineer-ing in 2000. His research inter-ests include colloid and surfac-tant science, complex fluiddynamics, materials synthesis,and small-angle scattering. Hehas supervised numerous grad-uate students in these areas, andhas published over 150 journalarticles. He received the Amer-ican Chemical Society Award inColloid and Surface Chemistryin 1998, the American Chemi-cal Society Delaware SectionAward in 1998, and the CurtisW. McGraw Research Award of

Professor Eric W. Kaler

Alumni Profile ......................Pg. 2

Faculty News ......................Pg. 5

Alumni News ....................Pg. 11School Chair Ronald W. Rousseau Named the Cecil J. “Pete” Silas Chair

Professor Eric W. Kaler Delivers 17th Annual Ashton Cary Lecture

At the end of the springsemester, Provost Jean-LouChameau (then Dean of theCollege of Engineering) hadthe honor of announcing Dr.Ronald W. Rousseau’s appoint-ment to the Cecil J. “Pete” SilasChair in Chemical Engineering.Professor Rousseau, long-timeChair of the department, isnow an endowed facultymember as well, carrying the“Silas Chair” title.

Funding for the Cecil J. “Pete”Silas Chair in ChE is designedto provide resources for asenior, eminent chemical engi-neering scholar with a proven

record of leadership and excel-lence in his or her field.

Dr. Rousseau’s distinguishedcareer as a chemical engineercertainly qualifies him for thisgreat honor. He has been theSchool Chair for the past 14years, during which time thedepartment has almost doubledthe size of its faculty and grad-uate student class, while main-taining the size of its under-graduate class. In addition, heis co-author of Elementary Prin-ciples of Chemical Processes (Wiley,1978, 1986, 2000), an under-graduate textbook used bymore than 80% of the ChE

programs in theUnited States. Hehas had numerousresearch publica-tions and presenta-tions, and is aconsulting editor forthe AIChE Journal, amember of thePublication Boardof Chemical Engi-neering Education,and a topic editorfor Crystal Growthand Design.

Dr. Rousseau’s research focuseson the application of crystal-lization technology to the

recovery and purification ofhigh-value added chemicals,including biologically producedContinued on page 8

Continued on page 8

Professor Paul Kohl (left) congratulates RonRousseau after the announcement of hisappointment to the Cecil J. “Pete” Silas Chair.

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Annual Report Profile

Chester Roush and his family understand the value of a first-rateeducation. He graduated in Chemical Engineering in 1947 after havingspent more than three years in the Navy. He and his wife Dorothy, anactive UGA graduate and artist, live in Carrollton, Georgia. Theyhave two children, Alex Roush, Architecture, 1974, who practices inAtlanta and is presently a Tech Alumni Trustee, and Jan Roush, anAgnes Scott College graduate who is an affordable housing consul-tant. All the Roushes have been active in their communities and loyalto their alma maters, as evidenced by their 49 years of consecutivegiving to Georgia Tech Roll Call. They have worked hard to create alegacy of philanthropy and generosity.

During the Campaign for Georgia Tech, the Roush Family donatedjust over $1 million to establish the Roush Family Endowment forHearing and Communication Research within the College of Engi-neering. The motivation behind this significant gift stems from Alex’stwo children, his daughter Leigh, now 17, who was born deaf, and herbrother Matthew, who also has a hearing loss. The family, particularlyAlex and his wife Susan, a Special Education major, have spent thepast 17 years seeking ways to optimize Leigh and Matthew’s listeningcapabilities and to increase their hearing potential. They have beenactive in state and national levels of the Alexander Graham Bell Asso-ciation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell). With their helpand present audio technology, particularly the Cochlea Implant, Leighis now an honor student, active in sports and extra-curricular activitiesat St. Francis School in Alpharetta. In their efforts to aid Leigh andMatthew, they have been involved with many others who have hearingdisorders. The community of the deaf and the hearing impairedcontinues to grow. It is now the number one birth defect in theUnited States and approximately 22 million people are affected tosome degree.

The family hopes to better the lives of the hearing impaired now, andin the years to come, by using the endowed funds for programs andactivities in hearing and communication research across campus.

Some of the initiatives include scholarship, fellowship, tutoring andinstruction with preference to the hearing impaired, and research in allareas pertaining to or supporting hearing and communication, includ-ing equipment and technology. In addition, the funds may be usedfor outreach programs on and off campus, and community, corporateand educational interactions with the hearing impaired population.

An estimated 80% of school-aged children who are hearing impairedare being educated in the public school system. The Roush FamilyEndowment will have an impact not only on Georgia Tech’s hearingimpaired community, but also on Atlanta’s, the State of Georgia’s andthe nation’s. The significant contribution that the Roush family hasmade will be felt for years to come. As an Institute, we will look toincrease the funding available for this very important initiative, andwithin the College of Engineering, we will carry out this critical taskknowing the impact we can have on young lives.

The Roushes hope that their endowment, dedicated to a specificscientific and engineering area, will enable Tech to attract support forresearch in other similar areas.

Roush Family Endows Hearing and CommunicationResearch at Georgia Tech

Alex Roush, Architecture, 1974 (left) and his father, Chester Roush, ChE, 1947.

The following financial figures provide an overview of Fiscal Year2000 and the statistics summarize the Summer 2000 through Spring2001 Academic Year. We invite you to view our complete annualreport online at: www.che.gatech.edu/report.htm

Capital Campaign

Total Funds Raised: ............................................................$30,664,194

School Expenditures

Base State Funding: ..............................................................$4,630,000Direct Research Contracts and Grants:..............................$5,740,000Research Funding Through Centers*: ................................$4,880,000 CoE Distribution of Research*: ............................................$700,000Georgia Tech Foundation: ......................................................$820,000

Total Expenditures for Chemical Engineering: ..............$16,770,000(Research Expenditures equal $400,000 per faculty member.)

Student Demographics

Freshmen Class ProfileTotal Number of Freshmen: 166 Men: 57%Women: 43%

Incoming Graduate ClassProfile Total Number of Students: 30Men: 63%Women: 37%

Fall Student BodyMen: 467 (64%) Women: 263 (36%)

Total Degrees Awarded 2000-01BChE: 126 MS: 13PhD: 18

Enrollment Total Undergraduate Students: 606 Freshmen: 166Sophomores: 126Juniors: 113Seniors: 201

Total Graduate Students: 123Master’s: 28 Doctoral: 92Special: 3

*Estimated from FY 2000 Expenditures

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Alumni, Faculty and FriendsDr. A. S. AbhiramanMr. and Mrs. Stephen C. AdamsDr. Pradeep K. AgrawalMr. Richard AntoineMr. Jack Baldwin, 1946Mr. James C. Barber, 1938Mr. Clinton Bastin, 1950Dr. Sue Ann Bidstrup AllenDr. Jimmy C. Bonner, 1989Dr. Jeffrey L. Brinen, 1985Mr. John F. Brock III, 1970Mr. Rudolph H. Bunzl, 1943Mrs. Janet BurdetteDr. John H. Burson, III, 1956Ms. Anne J. Bushyhead, CE 1976Dr. Freeman Cary, 1947Mr. and Mrs. Kent M. CerroneMr. Cleveland W. Cochran, 1944Ms. Vickie L. Cowart, 1977Dr. Arthur R. Cox, 1961Mr. William S. Cox, III, 1940Mr. William C. Cromer, 1940Dr. Barry CrouseMr. and Mrs. Michael P. DaileyMr. Thomas C. Deloach, Jr., 1969Mr. Frank S. Dennis, Jr., 1943Col. C. B. Drennon, Jr., 1931Mr. Shearl D. Dummitt, Jr., ME 1992Mr. Ray A. Dunleavy, III, 1973Mrs. Carol L. EbyDr. Charles A. EckertMr. Julian D. Edge, Jr., 1964Ms. Irene J. EdwardsMr. John R. ElliottMr. Ernest P. Epps, 1956Dr. William R. ErnstMs. Kelsey EvansMrs. Yvonne EvansDr. James R. Fair, 1942Mr. Hal W. Field, Jr., 1951Mr. and Mrs. John B. FillionMr. and Mrs. Gerald H. FogleDr. Harold B. FriedmanDr. & Mrs. Richard E. FuchsMr. Robert R. FunkDr. Takeshi FuruyaMr. and Mrs. Paul M. GarrettMs. Martha S. GaskinsMr. Harris J. Giannella, 1959Mr. Christopher D. Gilbert, 1996Mr. and Mrs. Sherman J. Glass, Jr., 1971Mr. Thomas L. Gossage, 1956Mr. and Mrs. Ronald L. GuardMr. Steven K. Hall, 1988Mr. Rickford J. Hanner, 1943Mr. and Mrs. Roger T. HansenMr. James P. Harris, 1970Mr. Robert C. Hart, 1961Mr. and Mrs. David R. HatchMr. W. Richard Hauenstein, 1957Dr. Dennis W. HessMr. and Mrs. H. Wallace HornDr. Jeffery S. HsiehDr. John E. HustedMrs. Carol H. Jackson, 1979Mr. and Mrs. Robert JobsonMrs. Ann JohnsonMs. Cheryl R. Johnson, 1985Mr. and Mrs. Dale E. JohnsonMr. William L. Johnson, Jr., 1943Mr. Alan R. JonesMr. and Mrs. Jacques KaganMr. Patrick R. KennedyMr. John L. and Mrs. Karen Kiappes, 1970

Mr. James R. Knight, 1966Dr. Paul KohlMr. I. L. Kunian, 1934Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. KutcherDr. Kristina M. Kwalik, 1985Mr. Witt I. Langstaff, 1950Mrs. Johnnie Lou LaRocheMr. W. Walter LaRoche III, 1973Mr. David R. Larrimore, 1975Mrs. Clarence R. LeCroy, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Donald LehmanDr. Heather P. Lesutis, 2000Dr. C. Turner Lewis, Jr., 1959Dr. Henry R. Linden, 1944Dr. Thomas J. Malone, 1963Dr. William J. Martin, 1961Mr. Jesse W. MasonMr. Douglas F. Mayfield, 1942Mr. W. Penland Mayson, Jr., 1951Mr. and Mrs. Jack R. McArdleMr. Marvin R. McClatchey, 1937Mr. Claude A. McGinnis III, 1951Dr. Dennis J. McHenry, Jr., 1992Ms. Jeanne McKownMr. Archibald J. McNeill, Jr., 1952Dr. James D. MeindlDr. Duncan A. Mellichamp, 1959Dr. Allen C. Merritt, 1967Ms. Dora MetzlerMr. Ray W. Miller, 1972Mr. Robert G. Miller, 1959Dr. Robert J. Millikan, ME 1959Mrs. Lucienne C. MixMr. Robert C. Moeller, 1976Mr. Tyrus L. Moore, Jr., 1968Mr. L. Allen Morris, 1936Mr. Daniel B. Mowrey, 1965Mr. Leland C. Murphree, Jr., 1957Mr. Antonio L. Navarro, 1943Mrs. Alice S. NewtonMr. Dennis R. NordemanMs. Merry Jo OrrMr. Randall F. PerinoMr. and Mrs. Barry PhillipsMr. W. Norman and Mrs. Janice

Phillips, Jr., 1977Mr. Thomas J. Pierce, Jr., 1961Dr. J. Carl Pirkle, Jr., 1961Dr. Gary W. PoehleinMr. James T. Porter, 1943Mr. William B. PressleyMr. John D. PurcellMr. Clifford W. Rackley, 1949Mr. Toy F. Reid, 1949Mr. Douglas L. Reinke, 1978Mr. Raymond H. Reynolds Jr., IE 1988Ms. Betty Ann RhodesMr. Jerry B. Roach, 1958Dr. Ronnie S. RobertsMrs. Sue RobichaudMs. Janet W. RobisonMr. Richard G. Rosselot, 1956Mrs. Dorothy A. and Mr. Chester A.

Roush, 1947Dr. Ronald W. RousseauMr. H. Pierce Rumph, 1977Ms. Billie Jo Zirger RungeMr. James A. Russell, Jr., 1947Mr. Richard C. Russell, 1955Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. SaylorMr. John F. Scarborough, III, 1964Dr. Francis J. SchorkMs. Joan M. Schork, 1979Mr. and Mrs. Roy C. Sheffield, 1961Mr. and Mrs. Russell Shelden

Mr. C. J. “Pete” Silas, 1953Mr. and Mrs. James F. Simmons, TEXT 1966Mr. and Mrs. Ralph L. SmithMr. George S. Spindler, 1961Mr. George N. Spring, Jr., 1938Dr. Arnold F. StancellMr. Rolin W. Stevens, 1964Ms. Ruth StilwellMr. Henry A. Strickland, Jr., 1956Mrs. Dorothy Poole TannerMr. Kenneth G. TaylorDr. Daniel W. Tedder, 1972Dr. Amyn S. TejaMr. Newton W. Thomas, 1935Mr. Benjamin A. ThorpMr. Kevin M. TorresDr. Donald L. Towns, 1957Mr. T. Hamilton Traylor, 1954Mr. Michael T. Trotter, 1992Mr. William T. Underwood, 1950Mr. Meeks B. Vaughan, Jr., 1979Mr. Robert E. Vaughn, 1951Mr. and Mrs. James E. VermillionMr. Hugh B. Walker, Jr., 1968Dr. David I. J. Wang, ME 1953Ms. Kathleen B. WardMrs. Shawn R. Weller, IAC 1979Dr. Mark G. WhiteMr. Laurie D. Wicks, 1968Mr. James K. Williams, 1956Mr. Paul H. Williams, 1960Mr. W. Carlton Wood, 1963Mr. D. Richard Worsham, J.D., 1968Mr. Ronald A. Young, 1975Ms. Gloria ZieglerMrs. Jean H. ZieglerMs. Pansy M. ZieglerDr. Waldemar T. Ziegler, 1932

Corporate and FoundationSupporters3MABB Inc.AES CorporationAGRA Simons, Inc.Ahlstrom Machinery, Inc.Ahlstrom Recovery, Inc.Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Air Products FoundationAjinomoto Company, Inc.Albany International CorporationAlbemarle CorporationAlcan International LimitedAlcoa FoundationAlfa Laval Celleco, Inc.AlliedSignal FoundationAluminum Company of AmericaAmerican Chemical SocietyAmerican Diabetes AssociationAmerican Heart AssociationAmoco Chemical CompanyAmoco FabricsAmoco Foundation, Inc.Applied Paper TechnologyAsahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.Asea Brown Boveri, Inc.AstenJohnsonAtlanta Wire WorksATS Medical, Inc.Ayco Charitable FoundationBASF CorporationBaxter Edwards CVS DivisionBBA Nonwovens, Inc.Beloit CorporationBetz PaperChem

BetzDearborn, Inc.BF GoodrichBio-Lab, Inc.Bowater NewsprintBowater Southern DivisionBP Amoco CorporationBrown & Root, U.S.A., Inc.Buckman Laboratories, Inc.Callaway Chemical CompanyCaraustar IndustriesCarboMedics, Inc.Celanese AcetateCelanese CorporationChampion InternationalChemFirst CorporationChevron Chemical CompanyChevron Oil CompanyChevron U.S.A., Inc.ChevronTexaco CorporationCIBA Specialty ChemicalsCiba-GeigyThe Clorox CompanyThe Coca-Cola CompanyColumbian Chemicals CompanyCondea Vista CompanyControl Southern, Inc.Cryolife, Inc.Cryovac Division, Sealed Air Corp.Cytec Industries, Inc.CytRx CorporationDegussa CorporationDevon-Aire, Inc.Dial CorporationDow Chemical Company FoundationDow Chemical CompanyDow Corning CorporationDr. Pepper/Cadbury North AmericaDu Pont de Nemours CompanyDuPont Dow ElastomersDynatek Laboratories, Inc.Eastman Chemical CompanyEastman FoundationEKC Technology, Inc.Emory University School of MedicineEngelhard CorporationEnrevEquistar Chemicals, LPEquiva Services, LLCEthicon, Inc.Exxon Company, USAExxon Education FoundationExxonMobil CorporationFluent, Inc.Fluid Properties Research, Inc.Fluor DanielThe Fluor Foundation Ford Motor CompanyFort Howard Paper CorporationFort James FoundationGenCorp FoundationGeorgia-Pacific CorporationGeorgia-Pacific FoundationGeorgia Power CompanyGilman Paper CompanyThe Goizueta FoundationGoodson & Associates, Inc.Grace Foundation, Inc.Halliburton Foundation, Inc.Hercules, Inc.Hoechst Celanese CorporationHoechst Celanese FoundationHoll Technologies CompanyHoneywell FoundationHoneywell International, Inc.

ChE Capital Campaign Donor List

Continued

Travel DiaryBy John Tsavalas

My trip to Holland, as a visitingscientist in Eindhoven TechnicalUniversity Polymer ChemistryLaboratory, was designed to be alearning experience for bothparties. I brought “miniemul-sions” to the table, while Eind-hoven Technical University(TUE) offered a wonderful envi-ronment for learning “living poly-merization.” The combination ofthe two subjects was projected tolead us to new possibilities forpolymerization; as there were nopublications to that date regard-ing that combination, it wasconsidered frontier research.

My objective was to apply “livingpolymerization” techniques to mywork to form a basis for a betterunderstanding of my polymeriza-tions back home in Atlanta. Asoften happens with frontier work,some unexpected phenomenaappeared. These unexpectedobservations led us into an excit-ing field and we produced twopublications in the field preceed-

ing those of several otherreputable authors. It was trulyexciting. We then added a thirdpublication once back home inAtlanta based on data and theoryfrom the first two publications.Considering that the data fromHolland was collected in onlyseven months, three publicationswere far more than we expectedand a great accomplishment.

The Holland research trip was ahuge benefit to both my ChE andTech experiences. As far as mychemical engineering educationgoes, it was great to see thingsfrom two different angles. Eind-hoven is structured much morelike an industrial research facilitywhere Tech is structured moreacademically, encouraging itsstudents to utilize their creativityand available resources to reachtheir goal.

The efficiency of the Eindhovenenvironment, along with theresourcefulness of Tech,provided a well-rounded researcheducation. I feel lucky to havehad this opportunity.

The trip also taught me a greatdeal outside of the research,things which I brought back andused to better my Tech experi-ence. For that alone, I wouldsurely recommend a similar tripto others. It’s also a nice way tofind out what you really knowwhen away from home!

John Tsavalas completed his Ph.D. inChemical Engineering this fall and hasaccepted a position with Dow ChemicalCompany as a Senior Research Engi-neer in Emulsion Polymers. His advi-sor at Tech was Joe Schork and histhesis title was “A Molecular LevelInvestigation of Hybrid MiniemulsionPolymerization.”

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Huntsman CorporationInco LimitedIndustra, Inc.Inland Container CorporationInland FoundationInstitute of Paper Science & TechnologyInternational Paper Company FoundationInternational Paper CompanyIrving Tissue, Inc.James River CorporationJefferson Smurfit CorporationKellogg Brown & RootKilpatrick StocktonKimberly-Clark CorporationKoSa FibersKvaerner Pulping, Inc.LaRoche Industries, Inc.Loma Linda Vet Association for ResearchThe Lubrizol FoundationLucent Technologies MacMillan Bloedel, Inc.The Mead CorporationThe Mead Corporation FoundationMeasurex CorporationMedical Carbon Research InstituteMedtronic, Inc.

Merck & Company, Inc.The Merck Company FoundationMicrocoating TechnologiesMilliken & Company, Inc.Milliken Research CorporationMobil CorporationMobil Foundation, Inc.Molten Metal Technology, Inc.Monsanto CompanyNabisco FoundationNalco Chemical CompanyNational Semiconductor CorporationNational Starch & Chemical FoundationORAU-Oak Ridge Associated UniversityOrion CEM, Inc.OSI Software, Inc.Patrick Family FoundationPhelps Dodge CorporationPhillips Petroleum Foundation, Inc.Phoenix Engineering, Inc.Polyfibron Technologies, Inc.Potlatch CorporationPPG Industries FoundationThe Procter & Gamble CompanyQuaker Chemical CorporationR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

R.E.B. FoundationRayonier CorporationRayonier FoundationRaytheon Engineers & ConstructorsRiverwood International USA, Inc.Roche CarolinaRock-Tenn CompanyRohm and Haas CompanyRust Engineering Co.Sandwell, Inc.Semiconductor Research Corp.Sensa by WillatSGL Carbon CorporationShell Oil Company FoundationSipcam Agro USA, Inc.Smurtfit Stone Container Corp.Sonoco Products CompanySoutheast Paper ManufacturingSoutheastern TAPPISouthern CompanySt. Jude Medical, Inc.Stebbins Engineering and ManufacturingStressbustersSulzerMedicaSulzermedica USA, Inc.Sunds Defibrator, Inc.

Technology Park AtlantaTenneco PackagingTexaco FoundationTexaco IncorporatedThoratec LaboratoriesUCAR Emulsion SystemsUnion Camp CorporationUnion Carbide Chemicals & PlasticsUnion Carbide Foundation, IncUnion Carbide CorporationUnion Pacific ResourcesUOP LLCValmet, Inc. Charlotte DivisionWarwick International LimitedWellman, Inc.Westinghouse FoundationWestvaco Corporation-Chemical DivisionWestvaco FoundationWeyerhaeuser CompanyWeyerhaeuser Company FoundationThe Whitaker FoundationWhite Electrical Construction CompanyYokogawa Corporation of America

The participants in the 2001 Study abroad program at University CollegeLondon. Seventeen undergraduates, joined by Professor Pete Ludovice andhis family, were part of the largest group in the history of the annual UCLsummer program. A total of 115 students and faculty from six universitiesparticipated in the five week unit operations course. The middle week ofthe five week program consisted of a tour of industrial and historic sites inWales. The tour sites included chemical plants, a nuclear power plant, anda methane gas plant, as well as various castles and Roman ruins.

DONOR LIST contd. from page 3

Global AwarenessChE Students Study Abroad in Holland and London

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A. S. Abhiraman is currently on a one-year leave of absence toserve in the position of Director of Research for Hindustan Lever Limited in Bombay, India.

Charles Eckert presented an invited address entitled “Engineer-ing Solvents for Sustainable Technology” during a national ACSmeeting, and he presented invited seminars to numerous othergroups including the Chemical Engineering Department at Stan-ford University and Dow-Agrisciences Lab in San Diego. In addi-tion, Dr. Eckert and several co-authors were issued U.S. Patent6,204,386 for work completed in partnership with Hoechst.

Paul Kohl received the Electrochemical Society’s Carl WagnerMemorial Award at the Society’s national meeting in September.This prestigious award is given every other year in recognition ofresearch and other scholarly activities in areas that are central tothe interests of the Society.

William J. Koros joined the School as the Roberto C. GoizuetaChair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Koros spentthe last 17 years in the Department of Chemical Engineering andthe Separations Research Program at The University of Texas atAustin. The successful membrane research program that Dr.Koros established at UT will continue as part of his researchfocus at Georgia Tech. (Be sure to look for a full-length feature on Dr.Koros in the next issue of ChE News.)

Jay Lee was elected as a Director of the Computing and SystemsTechnology Division of AIChE.

Chris Jones was selected to receive a prestigious 2001 Ralph E.Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, which is sponsored bythe Oak Ridge Associated Universities. Dr. Jones was chosenthrough a peer-review evaluation and selection process thatinvolves outstanding scientists from across the country.

Mark Prausnitz was the invited lecturer at the 40th Meeting ofthe Acoustical Society of America in Newport Beach, Ca. and atthe Second International Symposium on Sonodynamic Therapy inYokohama, Japan.

Robert Samuels was recently named a Fellow of the Society ofPlastics Engineers.

F. Joseph Schork, Associate Chair of ChE, now has another roleat Georgia Tech: proud father! His son, Michael, entered Tech asa computer engineering major this year. Michael is also the recip-ient of one of four merit-based scholarships designed specificallyfor children of Georgia Tech faculty and staff. The scholarshipsare funded by Atlanta Area GT Clubs, the Alexander-TharpeFund and local businesses.

Dan Tedder, along with Chemistry Professor Gene Ashby, was instrumental in designing the process of manufacturingsodium tetraphenyl borate at Optimal Chemicals located inDouglas, Ga. The professors, along with graduate and under-graduate students, also led the development of the chemicalthrough pilot plant testing. Optimal Chemicals produces sodiumtetraphenyl borate for the U.S. Department of Energy’s SavannahRiver Plant in South Carolina.

Faculty News

ChE Professor Develops Gel to AidSoldiers Wounded in BattleChemical engineering professor F. Joseph Schork (shownabove) and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) scientistJan W. Gooch are developing a gel to treat combat soldiers inthe field suffering from infected wounds, such as burns orabrasions. The new technology addresses the critical needs ofsoldiers fighting in isolated areas without the availability ofnearby medical equipment.

The gel is a liquid emulsion that when applied to the wound,acts as a second skin, forming a protective layer that is perme-able to air and water, but guards against microorganisms. Theemulsion contains control-released antimicrobial agents totreat the wound. Either sprayed-on or rolled-on, the emulsionlayer is translucent, so the wound can be monitored or exam-ined during the healing process without having to remove theemulsion. The layer can be removed safely with alcohol. Inaddition, the layer is able to endure rain, mud and otherelements for up to two weeks. Civilian disaster victims or burnvictims could also benefit from this technology.

The gel–called bicompatible skin barriers–is now being testedunder the guidance of Gooch at the U.S. Army Institute ofSurgical Research at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.“It is imperative that the most advanced, life-saving innova-tions accompany the troops,” Gooch said. “We must recog-nize the unique needs of our armed forces for as manyadvances as possible in the area of trauma medicine and treat-ment delivery.”

The gel is still in the clinical-trials phase, but the recent attacksand deployment of the U.S. military have changed theresearchers’ original timetable for completion, Gooch said.He expects that human clinical trials could begin within twomonths. He expects FDA approval could come within a yearor less, meaning biocompatible skin barriers could be used bythe nation’s military at that time.

Dr. AndreasBommarius

BackgroundProfessor Andy Bommarius joinedthe School of Chemical Engineer-ing as a Professor in fall 2000. Hereceived his Diploma in Chemistryat the Technical University ofMunich/Germany and his Ph.D. inChemical Engineering from MIT.

Afterwards, Dr. Bommarius spenteleven years in industry headingthe Enzyme Catalysis Lab and apilot plant at the Degussacompany in Wolfgang, east ofFrankfurt, Germany. He workedmostly on reaction engineering,development of biocatalyticprocesses and biocatalyst stabiliza-tion, but also was involved in taskssuch as finding an enzymaticprocess for bleaching in laundrydetergents or an environmentallyfriendly biocatalytic process forthe delignification of wood for thepulp and paper industry. He laterworked mainly as R&D projectleader and organized several acad-emic/industrial collaborationswhile in industry. For nine yearsduring that time, Dr. Bommariusalso served as a lecturer onBiocatalysis and Biochemical Engi-neering.

Research ProfileBiocatalysis, bioprocessing andbiochemical engineering are the

main research interests of Dr.Bommarius. His researchaddresses three of the criticalshortcomings of biocatalysistoday: i) while featuring superbselectivity, many biocatalysts stillsuffer from inadequate stability,especially during catalysis, ii) thereare not enough biocatalysts tocatalyze all the desired reactions,and iii) the development cycles forbiocatalysts and the correspondingprocesses are too long for manyhigh-level applications.

Many novel therapies againstdiseases such as high blood pres-sure, AIDS, or Alzheimers involvetreatment with complex low mole-cular-weight molecules oftencontaining one or more chiralcenters. Such molecules increas-ingly also find use as nutraceuti-cals, food with added health bene-fits, which are becoming morepopular as health consciousness ison the rise. The synthesis andmanufacturing of such moleculesoften is best achieved by biologicalcatalysis, either with isolatedenzymes or by engineered wholecells. Such catalysts show unparal-leled selectivity, often even atambient conditions of temperatureand pH value. As the manufactur-ing process to a drug or a drug

component is part of an FDAapplication, product and processbecome ever less separable.

The use of biocatalysis, however,is not limited to use in the lifesciences. Just witness the impend-ing introduction of a novelprocess to propanediol by Dupontfor use as a fiber component intextiles and carpets (SoronaTM), orthe manufacturing of acrylamide,both of which are now accom-plished with biocatalytic processes.

Stability of a (bio)catalyst duringcatalysis can be measured by thetotal turnover number (TTN =moles of product per mole ofcatalyst). One of Dr. Bommarius’projects seeks to determine bothTTN and optimum temperature ofa biocatalytic system throughunsteady-state temperature ramp-ing in a CSTR. Similar to studiesin corrosion science, one learnsabout long-term stability by short-term experiments at harsherconditions than normallyemployed during a process.

Finding new biocatalysts, thesecond challenge, is tackled bymimicking Nature through evolu-tion of enzymes in vitro. This

approach, called directed evolu-tion, mutates the gene of atargeted enzyme in a combinatorialfashion. The library of mutantsgenerated is then either subjectedto a selection scheme, checking forsurvivors, or screened with anassay. The resulting best mutantsare then employed in the nextround of evolution. Exploitingmechanistic similarities betweenenzymes catalyzing, on the surface,very different reactions, novelactivities can be generated. Like-wise, starting with a slow or unsta-ble enzyme, an improved versionof the same enzyme can beprepared.

The third objective, a faster turn-around for biocatalyst develop-ment, is attempted by developing anew generation of faster and moresensitive high-throughputpolarimeter instruments withwhich a much larger number ofsamples can be processed in ashorter time, while distinguishingmuch better between a ‘hit’ or a‘miss’ than was possible before.

Dr. Bommarius’ teaching interestsin part reflect his research areas:he is involved in teachingBioprocess Engineering, which is

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Chemical Engineering Welcomes Four New Faculty

Dr. Andreas Bommarius Dr. Chris Jones

he School is proud to announce the addition of four newfaculty members: Assistant Professors Christopher Jonesand Carson Meredith and Professors Jay Lee and

Andreas Bommarius. Drs. Jones and Bommarius are featured inthis issue with in-depth articles on their backgrounds, researchinterests and future plans. Articles spotlighting Drs. Meredith andLee appeared in the last issue of the newsletter.

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focusing on broadening its appealto include more undergraduates,and also develop a new course inBiocatalysis. Additionally, heteaches Kinetics and ReactorDesign, and is part of the teachingteam for the senior Process Designcourse. Currently, Dr. Bommariusis writing a textbook on “Biocatal-ysis: Fundamentals and Applica-tions” which is scheduled to bepublished by VCH-Wiley nextyear. He also serves on the Edito-rial Board of the “Journal ofMolecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic.”

Personal InterestsDr. Bommarius and his wifeBettina, a Postdoctoral Fellow inthe Department of Biochemistryat Emory University, enjoy travel,scuba diving and attending thesymphony. She is getting him toenjoy bird watching more andmore, which is one of her favoritehobbies. He also likes to readhistory and biographies and enjoysa round of golf. They enjoyAtlanta with all its big-city ameni-ties and welcome the warm climate(If you are not sure about thelatter, just move to a cold climateand consider again).

Dr. Chris Jones

BackgroundChris Jones joined the School infall 2000 as an Assistant Professor.Dr. Jones spent the previous fiveyears at Caltech in Pasadena, Cali-fornia, where he obtained M.S.(1997) and Ph.D. (1999) degrees inchemical engineering and carriedout post-doctoral research in thechemistry department. Prior toCaltech, Dr. Jones studied at theUniversity of Michigan, where hegraduated summa cum laude witha bachelor’s degree in chemicalengineering in 1995.Dr. Jones taught ChE 2100,

Chemical Process Principles thisspring, and he will teach ChE4300, Kinetics and Reactor Designthis fall. In the future, he plans toteach the graduate course in Kinet-ics and Reactor Design, ChE 6300,as well as a graduate elective inCatalysis and Advanced ChemicalKinetics. Dr. Jones is a strongadvocate of stressing creativethinking and problem solving inthe chemical engineering curricu-lum. He does this by includinginformation on strategies forcreative problem solving in hislectures and via the assignment ofopen-ended problems, which aregroup projects where the “prob-lem” is only loosely defined.

Since his early days at Michigan,Dr. Jones has always been enam-ored with chemistry and chemicaltransformations, and his researchreflects this. As an undergraduate,Dr. Jones began his initial forayinto the world of catalysis, study-ing hydrocarbon isomerizationreactions (of importance in petro-leum refining) over transitionmetal carbide catalysts. With hisinterest in catalysis piqued, hechose to continue his education incatalysis at Caltech. In his thesisresearch, Dr. Jones focused on thedesign and synthesis of new solidcatalytic materials, with his workculminating in the invention of anew class of catalysts calledorganic-functionalized molecularsieves. These new catalysts aremicroporous materials related tozeolites that may be especiallyimportant for production ofspecialty chemicals. Dr. Jones wasrecognized for this work by UnionCarbide in the 1999 InnovationRecognition Program.

Research ProfileDr. Jones’ research interests are inthe broad areas of materials chem-istry and catalysis. More specifi-

cally, his group focuses on themolecular design of new solidcatalysts, endeavoring to createnovel catalytic materials by rationaldesign. In conjunction with thesestudies, the Jones group workstowards an understanding ofstructure-property relationships inthese new catalysts as well as othercatalytic systems. Insights fromthese structure-function studies arethen applied in the moleculardesign of the next generation ofcatalysts. The Jones group focusesits efforts in two key areas: 1)synthesis and characterization ofnovel immobilized organometalliccatalysts for the synthesis of poly-mers and 2) application of zeolitecatalysts to the production of finechemicals and pharmaceuticals.

In the area of polymerizationcatalysis, many important break-throughs have recently beenreported. In particular, significantadvances have occurred over thelast two decades that have facili-tated the discovery of newhomogenous, single-site polymer-ization catalysts (i.e. early transitionmetal metallocenes) with unprece-dented activity and selectivity.Because these catalysts have asingle type of well-defined site,they are able to polymerize olefinswith consistent control of polymermicrostructure allowing for thesynthesis of polymers with uniqueproperties (e.g. new forms ofpolypropylene or polyethylenewith improved mechanical proper-ties). However, industrial imple-mentation of many of these newtechnologies requires use of asolid catalyst. Supporting thehomogenous catalyst using stan-dard techniques transforms thesingle-site homogenous catalystinto a multi-site solid catalyst withsignificantly lower activity andselectivity. Hence, new methodsof synthesizing single-site,

supported olefin polymerizationcatalysts as well as understandingthe fundamentals of theorganometallic-support interac-tions are important goals.

The Jones group is also applyingzeolite catalysts to the synthesis offine chemicals and pharmaceuticalintermediates, such as thoseinvolved in the multi-step synthesisof ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.Zeolites are very selective, environ-mentally-benign solid acid catalyststhat have been routinely used inthe chemical and petrochemicalindustries for decades in hydrocar-bon processing. However, the useof zeolites in the synthesis of finechemicals, particularly in thepreparation of compoundscontaining heteroatoms (e.g., N, P,S), has received limited attentionto date. Dr. Jones is examining theuse of zeolites as safe, environ-mentally-benign replacements forhomogeneous acids (such asaluminum trichloride and sulfuricacid) that generate large quantitiesof unwanted, potentially toxicwaste.

Personal InterestsIn his spare time, Dr. Jones enjoysall things athletic. An avid DetroitRed Wings fan, Dr. Jones tries totake every opportunity to watchand play ice hockey and hefrequently attends Atlanta Thrash-ers games. Aside from hockey, Dr.Jones enjoys watching and playingbaseball, football and golf. In thenon-athletic world, he enjoys clas-sical music, theatre, and traveling.Dr. Jones and his wife, ShaneyLokken, currently reside in CobbCounty. Ms. Lokken is an attorneyin the midtown firm Sutherland,Asbill and Brennan, LLP.

8

the American Society of Engi-neering Education in 1995.He has been on the editorialboards of several technicaljournals, including Langmuir,Colloids and Surfaces, Journal ofColloid and Interface Science,AIChE Journal (as co-editor-in-chief of Current Opinion inColloid and Interface Science),and European Physical Journal E.(as Associate editor). He hasserved on the advisory boardsof departments of ChemicalEngineering at Johns HopkinsUniversity, Lehigh University,and University of Pittsburgh,and on the advisory board ofthe Surfactant Science Series,Marcel Dekker, Inc.

The following is a briefsummary of his lecture:

“Colloidal Scale Engineering”

A balance of repulsive andattractive molecular forcesdrives natural assembly ofmolecules into complexorganic and inorganic assem-blies with dimensions fromnanometers to microns. Ourcurrent nascent efforts tomimic nature involve harness-ing these same forces toproduce synthetic assembliesof the same colloidal-scaledimensions. Such materials canbe used passively as catalysts,filters, or photonic elements,or actively as sensors inconnection with the appropri-ate electronics. Perhaps thesimplest and most commonexample of this phenomenonis the self-assembly of surfac-tant molecules in water to

form a rich variety ofmicrostructures. These self-assembled structures can serveas either direct templates formaterials synthesis, or as“nanofactories” for theproduction of novel polymers.The range of possibilities forengineering of these materialscan be illustrated with threeexamples. The first case illus-trates the rapid production ofultra-high molecular weightpolymers contained in smallpolymer beads. The secondexample shows the assemblyof similar beads (but nowfunctionalized with receptorsfor human immunoglobulin)into a sensor integrated into amicron-scale electronic circuit.The final example illustratesthe assembly of latex beadsinto colloidal crystals, whichare then used as templates forthe production of nanoporousgold with both microscopicand mesoscopic structure.This novel metal has interest-ing optical properties. Takentogether, these examples illus-trate both the promises andchallenges of the next genera-tion of materials assembly.

In conjunction with theAshton Cary Lecture, Dr.Kaler also presented a researchseminar entitled “MolecularInteractions and Synthesis inSurfactant Mixtures.”

The following is a briefsummary:

Surfactant self-assembly isexploited in many usefulprocesses. Specific syntheses of

surfactant molecules for agiven application is expensiveand time-consuming, so practi-cal uses often take advantageof surfactant blends ormixtures. We have found thatthe electrostatic interactions ofanionic and cationic surfac-tants make available a rich vari-ety of microstructures. Inparticular, unilamellar vesiclesform spontaneously in anumber of anionic/cationicsurfactant mixtures. The mostimportant variables settingstructure are the chain lengthasymmetry and the type ofanionic head group. Especially

interesting examples arise inmixtures of fluorocarbon andhydrocarbon surfactants. Theresults are organized andunderstood in terms of a ther-modynamic cell model of theGibbs free energy of variousphases. Small angle neutronscattering measurementsconfirm a variety of predic-tions about aggregate size andcomposition. Finally, an exam-ple of polymerization in thesestructures shows how shapecan be fixed in place.

LECTURE contd. from page 1

SILAS contd. from page 1

The Cary Lectureship in ChemicalEngineering

The Cary Lecture Series in the School of Chemical Engineer-ing was established in 1984 as a memorial to Ashton Hall Cary,a chemical engineering graduate of Georgia Tech, class of1943. Mr. Cary served in the U.S. Army after graduation andlater built a career in Georgia’s textile industry. He was a nativeof LaGrange, Georgia, where he was prominent in local poli-tics and business and active in many charitable and civic orga-nizations. At the time of his death, Mr. Cary was a productionconsultant for Kleen-Tex Industries.

The Cary Lecture Series was initiated with a gift from Dr. Free-man Cary, who also studied chemical engineering at Tech. Dr.Cary received his M.D. from Emory University in 1950 andlater became the attending physician for the U.S. Congress.

The Cary Lectureship Fund is used to sponsor a lecture seriesby distinguished scholars in fields of significance to chemicalengineering. The visiting lecturers, in addition to presentingseminars on recent engineering advances, participate in infor-mal discussions with Georgia Tech faculty and students.

materials. He received his B.S.,M.S, and Ph.D. from LouisianaState University and waselected to the LSU EngineeringHall of Distinction in 1991.

The namesake of the Chair,Mr. Cecil J. “Pete” Silas, is a1953 ChE graduate. He is the

retired Chairman and ChiefExecutive Officer of PhillipsPetroleum Company and, as anactive Tech alumnus, served asChairman of the Campaign forGeorgia Tech from 1995-2000.Mr. Silas has demonstrated hisgenerosity through this incredi-ble financial commitment to

the School of Chemical Engi-neering. He says candidly thatthe program, the facilities, thefaculty and the students are“like night and day” whencompared to his time as a ChEin the 1950s. Always the loyalalumnus, Mr. Silas stated, “TheSchool of Chemical Engineer-

ing is on the path to being atop ten program…. We havenever been in a better positionto achieve excellence than rightnow.”

Thanks to him, he’s right!

9

A Message from the ChairA Message from the Chair

I was in Spain on September 11, and late that nightscanned the CNN images for the famous twintowers of the World Trade Center. I had expectedto see smoke pouring from both, but they werecompletely absent from the most recognizableskyline in the world. Because of the incidents ofthat day, I want to begin this traditional letter toalumni and friends of the School with an expres-sion of sympathy to all who lost relatives or lovedones in the attacks on New York, the Pentagon,and in Pennsylvania. Through the efforts ofmillions of decent people of all ethnicities, nation-alities, and religions, we must overcome thedestructive actions of treacherous fanatics whocannot understand the beauty of our imperfect, butconstantly striving, world.

And now we must go on.

During 2000-2001, the School awarded 126 B.S.,13 M.S. and 18 Ph.D. degrees. We began fallsemester 2001 with 606 undergraduates and 123graduate students. Our undergraduate degrees andenrollment are down slightly from previous years,but graduate degrees and enrollment are upsubstantially.

I think you may find it interesting to consider somecomparisons between the Georgia Tech oftoday and that of 1990-91. During the 10-yearperiod, undergraduate enrollments on campus haveincreased 16% to 10,750; graduate enrollments areup 38% to 4,100. Degrees granted at all levels haveincreased, but the increase to 255 PhDs is adramatic 65%. SAT scores of entering freshmenhave increased from an average of 1240 to 1332,while the acceptance rate has decreased to 54% andthe retention rate increased to 90%. Perhaps onefactor that has most changed the character of ourcampus is that the number of students living oncampus has increased 183% to 8,500. Endow-ments for scholarships are up 384% to $92 million.On the faculty front, the number of endowedchairs and fellowships is up 353% to 68, and thoseelected to membership in one of the national acad-emies is up 127% to 25. In research, annual expen-ditures have increased 82% to $322 million, andthere are now 11 nationally supported centers oncampus. The Institute Operating Budget hasincreased from around $316 million to around$676 million, with less than 30% coming from stateappropriations.

Since the last newsletter, there have been importantadministrative changes at Georgia Tech. Dr.Michael Thomas stepped out of the position ofProvost. Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, who was Deanof Engineering, became the Georgia Tech Provost

on June 1. Dr. J. Narl Davidson, formerly Asso-ciate Dean of the College, is now Interim Dean ofEngineering. We are fortunate to have the institu-tional leadership in the hands of these individualsand President G. Wayne Clough.

We are proud to welcome our newest facultycolleague, Professor William J. Koros, who nowholds the Roberto C. Goizueta Chair. The endow-ment for that chair comes from the Roberto C.Goizueta Foundation and the Georgia ResearchAlliance. A full-length article showcasing his back-ground and research interests will appear in thenext issue of ChE News.

Various aspects of facilities development havealso been very much on our minds. We are watch-ing intently as the Ford Motor Co. EnvironmentalScience and Technology (ES&T) Building emergesfrom the red clay next to the Institute of Bioengi-neering and Biosciences. Our planning relative tothe move of administrative and faculty offices,undergraduate laboratories and classrooms, andpart of our research activities is intense, with muchof the discussion centering on which parts of ourresearch program will remain temporarily in theBunger-Henry building. The second news itemrelative to facilities is that planning has begun forthe third building in what is called the BEM (Bio-Enviro-Molecular) Complex. It is my goal to havethat building, the so-called M Building, house thoseelements of our program that do not move to theES&T Building. Naturally, I will keep you postedon developments related to these buildings, andlook forward to the day when I am able to showyou around these wonderful facilities.

We have been joined this fall by Jenny Daley asthe new director of development for the School ofChemical Engineering. Jenny joins us after holdingsimilar positions at Literacy Action, Inc. and theCarter Center. She replaces Kelsey Evans wholeft Georgia Tech when her husband Scottaccepted a graduate appointment at the Universityof Texas. We will miss Kelsey and wish her well.

The External Advisory Board did not meet inthe Spring, but will gather in November. Newmembers will include Dr. Mark Davis, ExecutiveOfficer for Chemical Engineering, and the Warrenand Katharine Schlinger Professor of ChemicalEngineering at the California Institute of Technol-ogy, and Dr. Sangtae Kim, Vice-President andInformation Officer for the Lilly Research Labs inIndianapolis. Dr. Joseph A. Miller, formerlySenior Vice President of Research and Develop-ment and Chief Technology Officer for DuPont,has rotated off the Board, as has Dr. William J.

Koros, who, as described above, will be changingthe nature of his connection with Georgia Tech.

In the spring, our students organized and hostedthe 13th Annual Graduate Student Symposium.This is a major undertaking by our graduatestudents, and I am very proud of their accomplish-ments. The students brought 32 corporate repre-sentatives to campus, and over 40 graduatestudents made presentations on their research (14oral presentations and 29 posters). Industrial atten-dees named Kendra McCoy as the best speaker,and Shawn Davis was selected as having the bestposter. If you have not had the opportunity toattend the symposium, I strongly urge you to do soas our students are already planning the 14thSymposium for April 2002.

As you may have noted from our Strategic Plan,http://www.che.gatech.edu/information-plan.htm,we strive to produce the most capable chemicalengineers in the world. As an element of thatvision, we believe it is important to introducestudents to the full range of opportunities offeredby our discipline early in their time at GeorgiaTech. To that end, we have initiated two new activ-ities. The first is a set of colloquia for freshmenand undecided engineering students in which weintend to provide an overview of our discipline,our view of its future and career opportunities, andthe opportunities provided by the School in prepar-ing for that future. A second initiative began twoyears ago. In it, Chuck Eckert has taught and ledthe development of a freshman honors seminar.The course objective is for a senior professor inchemical engineering to have interactive discussionsabout our discipline as both a college major and asa lifelong profession. It includes coverage ofsimple material-and-energy-balance and designconcepts, and has a technical focus on sustainabletechnology for chemical engineering. A variety ofspeakers come in to talk about special opportuni-ties in engineering, especially those in frontier areasthat range from biotechnology to microelectronics.There are also discussions of many other aspectsof the profession, including engineering judgment,communications skills, engineering ethics, leader-ship, and teamwork.

We will continue to be guided by our Strategic Plan,and encourage you to view it and related materialon our web site. As in the past, I urge you to letme know if you have questions or comments onany aspect of the School’s programs…Let us hearfrom you!

10

Undergraduates in the Research Lab

Jerry W. Jenkins was selected to receive an outstanding Ph.D.Thesis Award from the Georgia Tech Chapter of Sigma Xi. Jerry’sthesis was “Novel Efficient Simulation Techniques for Use in Mole-cular Modeling.” His advisor was Pete Ludovice.

Hollie Reed was selected to receive a 2001-2002 Intel FoundationGraduate Fellowship Award. Hollie was selected for this greathonor by the Institute upon the recommendation of Intel’s mosthonored technical experts, the Intel Fellows.

Jessica Ryan, who conducts undergraduate research with Dr.Charles Eckert’s group, won 2nd prize for the talk she gave at theSoutheast Regional Student Chapter AIChE meeting.

The 13th Annual Graduate Student Symposium was held this springwith 32 corporate representatives in attendance. More than 40 gradu-ate students made presentations on their research. Kendra McCoywas named by industrial attendees as the best speaker, and ShawnDavis was chosen as having the best poster.

Undergraduate students have noticed the rapidly increasing pace ofresearch activity on campus and are taking to the labs. During anysemester, close to 50 students perform independent research inChemical Engineering laboratories by joining with faculty and gradu-ate students and becoming members of their research team. About aquarter of all Chemical Engineering undergraduates spend at leastone semester doing research before they graduate.

Students typically work about ten hours per week during the semesterand as many as 40+ hours per week during the summer. The menuof research topics available to undergraduate researchers is as broadas the field of Chemical Engineer-ing has become, ranging fromtraditional areas of separations,reaction engineering and fluidmechanics to newer areas, such asbioengineering, microelectronicsand polymers.

Undergraduate students areattracted to the research lab for anumber of different reasons. “Myoriginal intentions were to help mychances of getting into graduateschool and earn some extramoney,” says Jim Pfaendtner, aChemical Engineering senior who has worked in Prof. John Muzzy’slab for the past two years. “As time progressed, my work with Dr.Muzzy became more challenging and I began to enjoy it very much.”

Many students appreciate the opportunity to apply their classroomlearning to generate new knowledge, rather than re-create knownsolutions to homework problems. Students interested in graduateschool get a taste for what it takes to work on an M.S. or Ph.D. thesis.Some students earn course credit, which can count as a ChemicalEngineering elective, but most students are paid, which provides arelatively small stipend of spending money.

Undergraduate researchers are supported by a variety of mechanismsprovided by the School of Chemical Engineering, campus-wideprograms and individual research grants. President Clough recentlystarted a $250,000 campus-wide initiative to promote undergraduateresearch by providing funds to support laboratory expenses. Othermore focused programs on campus, such as the UndergraduateResearch Scholarships, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Internships,and Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/ScienceProgram, provide undergraduate research opportunities coupled withlectures, plant trips, communications training, and other activities.

In the School of Chemical Engineering,undergraduate research is promoted andsupported through the Dow MinorityResearch Program, ExxonMobil Mentor-ing Program, National Science Founda-tion Research Experience for Undergrad-uates, and individual research grants. Inaddition, the School has an active initia-tive to fund a newly named undergraduateresearch program. All of these programsprovide student stipends as well as fundsfor laboratory supplies. Their commongoal is to serve as an introduction andtransition into research in industry orthrough graduate education.

“I have expanded my possibilities for the future, increased my valueas a future employee, and made fantastic contacts,” says ChemicalEngineering senior Andrew McNamara. After working under theguidance of graduate student Hector Guzman and Prof. Mark Praus-nitz for the past year, “Mac” is spending his summer performingresearch at Unilever, Inc. in New Jersey. “There is something trulyamazing about conducting research. When you consider that you areperforming experiments and doing things that no one on this planethas ever done or seen before, there’s something special about that.”

ChE Freshman Class Profile–Fall 2001

• Average High School GPA: 3.76/4.00

• Average SAT: 1334

• 41% are from out-of-state

There are 101 new freshmen and 30 new transfer students in the School.

Students News

“There is something truly amazing about

conducting research. When you consider that

you are performing experiments and doing things

that no one on this planet has ever done or seen

before, there’s something special about that.”

11

1971David W Moore, BChE‘71/MChE ‘72 has chosen toretire after 28 years withARCO. He was Director ofInternational Health/Safety/Environmental Risk Manage-ment in Plano, Texas andworked for several of ARCO’skey operations throughout hiscareer. Instead of taking lifeeasy as a retiree, he has chosenthe route of an independentconsultant. His current projectis as an HSE and QualityAssurance Advisor for designof a world class LNG plant inIrian Jaya, Indonesia. He canbe contacted atdmoore.che71@gtalumni.org

1973 David P. Burford has beenselected for promotion todeputy commanding general,U.S. Army Special ForcesCommand (Airborne), at FortBragg, N.C. Burford hasserved in the National Guardfor 20 years and is also themanager of business develop-ment for Southern Co.

1979 Christopher Hobson waspromoted to Vice President ofEnvironmental Affairs atGeorgia Power. He has beenwith Georgia Power since1973, and has held numerouspositions, including manager ofthe company’s environmentallaboratory and compliancecoordinator of agency affairs.

1980 Melba Mack Hardy serves asproject director within theManufacturing and LifeSciences strategic business unitfor Fluor Daniel. She hashelped to create Diversity inProject Management, a forumdesigned to provide manage-ment professionals with a way

to exchange current ideas andtechniques in the hope offorming valuable networks.She and her family reside inGlendale, Ohio and she may bereached at melba.hardy@fluor.com

1984 Anthony Jackson recentlyjoined NetShape Corporationas Vice President of Sales.NetShape is an automotivesystems developer and injec-tion molder and a new affiliateof Shape Corporation, thecompany that produces 60% ofU.S. automotive bumpers. Hecan be reached at Anthony.Jackson@netshapecorp.com

1985 Thomas Rollbuhler has beenpromoted to technical engi-neering manager–North Amer-ica for AKZO Nobel Technol-ogy Licensing in Marietta, Ga.He will oversee all large-scalechlorine dioxide plants inCanada, the U.S. and Mexico.Rollbuhler and his wife, KimVarndell, and their son Colton(age 8), live in Woodstock, Ga.

Rich Steele has been electedto an at-large seat on theAmerican College UnionsInternational Board of trusteesfor 2001-2002. Steele iscurrently the director of Geor-gia Tech’s Student Center andhas been on staff since 1986.

1988 Greg Parker, ChE ‘88, Mgt‘89, was recently promoted toU.S. segment leader of theDuPont KEVLAR ProtectiveApparel Business. He isresponsible for all marketingand sales activities related toKEVLAR fiber sales in theU.S. Parker and his wife, TracyFatzinger, and their sonWilliam, have relocated toRichmond, Va.

1989 Lyle Henson recentlypurchased the Cardio CallAerobic Fitness Franchise forchildren in South Carolina. Inaddition, Lyle works full-timeas a water treatment consultant.

1991 Gretchen Tannert Douglasand Ric Douglas announce thearrival of Kevin Matthew onJune 7, 2001. He joins bigbrother Corey (age 2). Thefamily live in Marietta, Ga.

1994 Laura Hodges Taylor and herhusband William “Bill” Taylor,EE ‘93, announce the birth ofKathleen Elizabeth on August4, 2000. Bill is a senior MEMSengineer for IntelliSense inMassachusetts.

1995 Steven Richter married BethBrannon on March 24 inSavannah, Ga. They nowreside in Columbus, Ohio.

1997Grace Yu and Scott Freeman,ME ‘98, were married onMarch 3, 2001, in Houston,Tex. Grace is a process engi-neer with Equistar Chemicalsand also heads up the GTrecruiting team for LyondellChemical Company/EquistarChemical LP.

1998Henry Hipps, MChE ‘98, wasawarded a 2001-2002 Fulbrightgraduate fellowship. He will bestudying in the MERCOSURcountries of Argentina, Braziland Uruguay. Since receivinghis graduate degree fromGeorgia Tech, Henry hasworked for IBM and hasserved on the Georgia TechAlumni Association MinorityAffairs Executive Board.

O B I T U A R I E S

1932 Mr. Leonard H. Coleman ofAtlanta, Ga. passed away onApril 5, 2001.

1935 Mr. Julius A. Parker ofRoswell, Ga. passed away onMarch 23, 2001. Mr. Parkerretired from Indigo Corp.

1938 Mr. Edward C. Fiss of Char-lotte, N.C. passed away thisyear. Mr. Fiss retired fromDuke Energy Company.

1940 Mr. William S. Cox, III ofDecatur, Ga. passed away onJune 15, 2001. Mr. Cox was aretired executive of the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency and is survived by hisloving wife, Peggy Cox, andthe families of his three chil-dren. Mr. Cox was a specialfriend to the School of Chemi-cal Engineering.

1943 Mr. R. D. Caldwell, Jr. ofAiken, S.C. passed away onJanuary 28, 2001. Mr. Caldwellwas a retired Executive withDuPont.

1952 Mr. Daniel G. Subtelny ofCincinnatti, Ohio passed awayon March 13, 2000. Mr.Subtelny retired fromMonsanto.

1965 Mr. James R. Tate of SaintLeonard, Md. passed away thisyear. He was Partner with Tate& Bywater.

Alumni News

We Welcome Your Questions, Comments or News:

ChE Newsletter:Josie Giles (404) 385-2299Email: josie.giles@che.gatech.edu

ChE Alumni News:Jenny Daley (404) 894-0987Email: jenny.daley@che.gatech.edu

ChE Program Information:ChE Main Office (404) 894-2867

ChE Development:Jenny Daley (404) 894-0987Email: jenny.daley@che.gatech.edu

School of Chemical EngineeringGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA 30332-0100www.che.gatech.edu

Alumni/ae: What Are You Doing?You may mail your news, fax it to 404-894-2866

or e-mail it to jenny.daley@che.gatech.edu

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