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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY • SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING • VOL. 10 NO. 1 • SPRING/SUMMER 2002
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Professor William Koros Joins the School as the Roberto C. Goizueta Chair
Professor William J. Koros
In fall 2001, Professor William Koros joined the faculty of Chemical Engineering as the Roberto C. Goizueta Chair in
Chemical Engineering. He brings considerable industrial and academic experience to the School. Dr. Koros received all of his degrees in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas. He worked in the Engineering Department of the E. I. DuPont Company for four years and joined the faculty of the Chemical Engineering Department at North Carolina State University in 1977. At North Carolina State, he primarily focused on barrier packaging and diffusion fundamentals, but also began to investigate membrane-based
separations. Synthetic membranes are thin man-made barriers capable of separating mixtures by selective passage of molecules that have different characteristics. In other words, they are molecular scale filters. Bill returned to the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in 1984 to help lead an effort related to membrane-based separations. Since that time, his research group has focused on all aspects of these molecular scale filters. The goal is to
Global Awareness ..............Pg. 4 Faculty/Staff News ..............Pg. 5 Alumni News ....................Pg. 10 create the next generation of membrane materials and structures with the potential to minimize energy, and environmental and economic costs associated with performing important separations needed by society. The special focus of Dr. Koros’s group is on separation of gas mixtures. An important application of the membrane work is to produce nitrogen enriched air for economical storage of foods and to blanket fuels in transport for greater safety. The group also produces memContinued on page 3
Professor Arnold Stancell Named the First Turner Chair By David Terraso Institute Communications and Public Affairs Arnold Stancell’s enthusiasm for teaching is infectious. A bundle of potential and kinetic energy, the chemical engineering professor’s eyes twinkle as he delves into a subject he’s excited about, and he has the ability to convince you that you’re just as excited as he is. He’s charismatic, bright and creative, all qualities that should serve him well in his appointment to Tech’s newly
created Turner Chair in Servant Leadership. As chair, Stancell will help develop Tech’s student leadership initiative, designed to teach leadership skills to undergraduates. The Turner Chair figured prominently in this year’s State of the Institute Address, part of President Wayne Clough’s ongoing plan to create a more studentfocused education. The initiative has been under development for the past two years by Vice Provost for Undergradu-
ate Studies and Academic Affairs Robert McMath and by Lee Wilcox, Vice President of Student Affairs. “The thing that really distinguishes Georgia Tech’s attitude about leadership from [that of] other schools is our notion that leadership skills should be taught to everyone, not just a select few,” explained Wilcox. Stancell’s appointment comes after an illustrious career in the private sector. Before joining Continued on page 8
Professor Arnold F. Stancell