The Founders’ Lectureship was established in 1986 to bring distinguished speakers to the UW Department of Chemical Engineering to broaden our perspective and suggest new opportunities and areas of responsibility in the profession. Continuing traditions dating from the founding of the department in 1905, such assessment and evaluation helps to keep our curriculum and research programs vigorous and responsive to a changing world. The Marshall Fund supports this annual lectureship in honor of the founders of the department.

Rakesh Agrawal (large image)

RAKESH AGRAWAL

Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor
School of Chemical Engineering
Purdue University

Rakesh Agrawal is Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University. Until 2004, he was Air Products Fellow at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

A major thrust of his research is related to energy issues and includes novel processes for fabrication of low-cost solar cells, biomass and coal-to-liquid fuel conversion, and energy systems analysis. His research further includes synthesis of multicomponent separation configurations including distillation, membrane and adsorption based processes, basic and applied research in gas separations, process development, gas liquefaction processes and cryogenics. He has authored 67 technical papers and holds 116 U.S. and more than 500 foreign patents. These patents are used in over one hundred chemical plants with total capital expenditure in multibillion dollars.

He is currently serving on the Renewables to Electricity subpanel of the National Academies study on America’s Energy Future. Dr. Agrawal is a member of the AIChE’s Board of Directors and also its Energy Commission. He is also a member of the NRC Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES). He has received several awards, including J & E Hall Gold Medal from the Institute of Refrigeration (UK), Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Delaware, Industrial Research Institute (IRI) Achievement Award, and from AIChE: the Gerhold, Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology, Institute Lecture, Chemical Engineering Practice, and Fuels and Petrochemicals Division awards. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Agrawal received a B. Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, in Kanpur, India, an M.Ch.E. from the University of Delaware, and an Sc.D. in chemical engineering from MIT.

Founders' Lecture, 2008-2009

ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A FOSSIL-FUEL-DEPRIVED FUTURE
Tuesday, September 23, at 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.)
Room 1610 Engineering Hall

The recent rise in oil prices again reminds us that the world’s supply of fossil fuels is finite. Roughly 85% of current energy use is being met by fossil fuels. Furthermore, rapid increase in energy demand by the developing nations is leading to ever increasing use of coal, oil and natural gas. Therefore, alternate primary energy sources are being identified and developed to permit the continued functioning of the future world economy.

The presentation will first paint the current landscape of these alternative, sustainable, primary energy sources: solar, wind, nuclear, and biomass. It will also review the particular challenges and solutions needed for various end uses of energy.

In a future fossil-fuel-deprived world, it will be particularly challenging to satisfy the need of the transportation sector due to its requirement of high energy density fuel and associated ease of handling. Novel solutions to meet this challenge and sustain the current transportation sector will be presented. These solutions provide a feasible framework for a sustainable solar economy. They also provide exciting possibilities for chemical engineers to apply their expertise and contribute to the grand challenge of energy.

W. Robert Marshall, 1916–1988

W. Robert Marshall (large image)

Bob Marshall’s career spanned more than 40 years of outstanding service to the University of Wisconsin and to the national and international community of scholars.

W. Robert Marshall received his B.S. from Illinois Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1941, studying under Olaf A. Hougen. After six years at DuPont he returned to UW as associate professor of chemical engineering, where his research focussed on atomization and spray drying.

In 1953 Bob was named director of the Engineering Experiment Station, and in 1971 was appointed dean of the College of Engineering. As dean, he led the college in strengthening its international ties and developed programs to help women and minorities enter the field of engineering. In 1981 he became director of University Industry Research, a program dedicated to the encouragement of cooperative efforts between the university and industry.

Bob’s service to the profession was further demonstrated through his commitment to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as a director and later as its president. He believed in the value of the exchange of information and the cross-fertilization of ideas that professional societies can provide.

But most of all, Bob Marshall was mentor, advisor and friend to the many who knew him.

Previous Founders' Lectures

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