Faculty News

Charles G. Hill, Jr. presented the July commencement address titled, "El Futuro de la Ingenieria Quimica" in Spanish to graduating chemical engineering students at the University of Oviedo in Spain&151;the first class of Oviedo graduates from a curriculum bearing the label of chemical engineering, rather than industrial chemistry.

Charlie is currently on sabbatical leave with a senior Fulbright Award for collaborative research with Dr. Cristina Otero of the Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC. Charlie writes from Madrid: "We are collaborating on research involving the applications of immobilized lipases to the synthesis of nutraceuticals and emulsifying agents for use in the food industry. During this period, I am also working on a book describing lab experiments for chemical engineers with Professors Jose Coca-Prados and Fernando V. Diez of the University of Oviedo. The book is entitled `Experiments in Chemical Engineering&151;a Laboratory Course.' Our intent is to publish Spanish and English versions simultaneously."

W. Harmon Ray delivered the Hilldale Award Lecture this fall titled, "What's Fun About Making Polymers?" He described the intellectual challenges of producing polymers commercially, from finding the desired molecular architecture, to devising production processes that provide carefully-controlled, reproducible polymer architecture at very low cost, to assuring that the process is safe, and that it does not pollute the environment. Harmon illustrated his talk with examples indicating how it is possible to work on research problems related to a quarter trillion dollar per year industry (someone cares about your results!) and have fun at the same time.

"R. Byron Bird is arguably the best-known chemical engineer, living or dead," or so says the announcement for the recent R. Byron Bird Polymers Symposium, an event hosted in Bob's honor by Texas A&M's Department of Chemical Engineering. The statement may not generate much argument among readers of this newsletter, even if it tends to obscure the unarguable fact that Bob resides enthusiastically among the former! An inveterate punster, Bob delivered the keynote address titled, "Polymer Kinetic Theory: Is it Worth the Stress and Strain?" in which he reviewed the techniques, successes and frustrations encountered in efforts to describe polymer transport phenomena from a molecular viewpoint.