ALUMNI NEWS

In Memoriam: Robert Gore

Robert “Bob” Gore was born an entrepreneur. Raised in Newark, Delaware, he helped his parents kick start their now multinational manufacturing company W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. as a college sophomore. Gore earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and both his master’s and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1963. He died on Sept. 17 at his home in Maryland. He was 83.

Gore’s scientific discoveries spawned the groundbreaking GORE-TEX® Fabrics, the world’s first waterproof breathable outerwear, and paved the way for advancements in industries as varied as performance fabrics, medical devices, space exploration, and filtration. During his career, he received nine patents for his work with fluoropolymers. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1995 and inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.

“Bob’s innovative spirit shaped our enterprise from the very beginning,” said Bret Snyder, his nephew and company board chair. “We will continue to build on his legacy with a commitment toward breaking new ground and developing solutions that make the world a better place.”

The Gore Annex in Amundson Hall, which includes research and teaching labs, was funded in part by a $10 million gift from Bob and his wife, Jane.

Watch a film on Gore’s work: z.umn.edu/scientistsyoumustknow

There is no reason we can’t manufacture all the materials “ ”Quotable we use today using the trees, grasses, and agricultural products around us.

—Paul Dauenhauer (ChE Ph.D. ’08) in his MacArthur Fellows video after receiving the $625,000 “genius • Developed more content for our website and social media

grant.” The Lanny Schmidt Honorary Professor is on-demand. Check out what we’ve been up to at

known for turning organic materials into chemical compounds used in everyday products. Watch the video at z.umn.edu/2020CSEgenius.

Learn about his work in 14 minutes:

International alumni survey

If you completed our international survey earlier this year, thank you! Based on your feedback, we have:

• Updated contact information to reach you in the ways you prefer.

• Created a web page that’s regularly updated with creative ways you can engage with the college and larger University from wherever you are: cse.umn.edu/college/virtual-engagement-opportunities channels in the areas you are most interested in—college news, faculty research, and images of our beautiful campus.

• Offered many virtual events, and recorded the events and posted them to the college’s YouTube channel so alumni across the world can watch these programs, lectures, and presentations z.umn.edu/CSElecturepd2019

www.youtube.com/user/umnCSE.

Giving back

with time and expertise

The CSE Mentor Program hit record highs despite the pandemic. “This year, due to an incredible outpouring of support, we were able to match all students who wanted to be paired with a mentor,” said Joelle

Larson, CSE director of alumni relations. The annual program pairs sophomores, juniors, and seniors in one-on-one mentoring relationships that last from

October through April. 317 Total number of people who applied to be mentors 157 Number of first time applicants

126 107

Number of 2016-2020 grads who applied to be mentors

Number of women who applied

Employers with the most mentor applicants:

3M

Medtronic

Boston Scientific

2020

And the winner is…

Gopher contributions are legion—and it’s hard to recognize them all. But each year, the University of Minnesota does its best. Among its 2020-21 honorees are four distinguished CSE alumni.

Outstanding Achievement Award

for leadership and distinction in their chosen fields

Franklin “Lynn” Orr (ChE, Ph.D. ’76) is the Keleen and Carlton Beal Professor of Petroleum Engineering Emeritus at Stanford University. In 2009, he created the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy, which he has led since its founding. Before that, he served as dean of the Stanford School of Earth Sciences and later started the 10-year Global Climate and Energy Project to research options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy use. Orr was named Under Secretary for Science and Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy in 2014. Angela Wilson (Chemical Physics, Ph.D. ’95), president-elect of the American Chemical Society, is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Michigan State University, associate dean for strategic initiatives in its College of Natural Sciences, and director of Center for Quantum Computing, Science, and Engineering. She is renowned for her work in computational/ theoretical chemistry. Her primary research focuses on the development and application of quantum mechanical methods. From 2016 to 2018, she served as division director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Chemistry.

Alumni Service Award

for impact on the University, its colleges, or the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Mary Kurth (Physics ’72, Accounting ‘74, MBA ‘76), vice chair of the CSE Alumni Society Board, was vice president of finance at Cargill for 22 years. She volunteers on the University Senate’s Social Concerns Committee and student mentoring programs at Carlson, CSE, and the UMN Society of Women Engineers chapter. She has also served on Carlson School’s Alumni Advisory Board and Undergraduate Advisory Board. Her endowments to support UMN students include the Douglas B. Kurth Scholarship Fund and Jeffrey P. Kurth Scholarship Fund.

U40 Alumni Leader Award

for a graduate who has excelled in a career and is 40 years of age or younger Nick Halla (ChE ’05) was the first employee of the California startup Impossible Foods. His creative vision helped forward its goal of developing plant-based meat alternatives that feed the world’s growing population in a way that is healthy for both people and the planet. Today, in his current position as senior vice president for international operations, Halla leads the company’s global market expansion.

Read more about him in “The Impossible made Possible” at z.umn.edu/CSEmagsum2019.