Distinguished Alumni
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Scott RobertsPh.D. 1974Distinguished Alumnus2006 |
| After receiving his B.S. from the University of Arizona, Scott Roberts earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Washington under the guidance of Prof. Graham Allan. Scott joined Shell Chemicals in 1974 as a research engineer. Over the next 33 years, his career skyrocketed, and Scott is currently vice president manufacturing chemicals, Shell Chemical LP (2005). Along the way, he has been executive vice president operational excellence, London, UK (2001); vice president, PDO and Corterra Polymers (2000); and president and country chairman, Shell Mexico (1996). He has held management positions in olefins, synfuels, base chemicals, oil products, plastics and resins, business operations, and risk management (1974-1996). Throughout his career, Scott Roberts has demonstrated core strengths in people leadership, business turnarounds, innovation, and technology application in diverse roles and cultures. Scott Roberts is a board member of the University of Washington Chemical Engineering Advisory Board and of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME). He is a past board member of CNOOC, Shell Petrochemicals Co., Amigos de las Americas, and the chemical engineering advisory boards of Colorado School of Mines and Cornell University. | |
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Winslow BuxtonB.S. 1961Distinguished Alumnus2004
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| Mr. Buxton's professional experience includes operations, engineering, marketing, and senior management with Niagara Paper of Wisconsin, Boise Cascade, Willamette Industries, and Publisher's Paper. In 1992, he became CEO of Pentair Corp., moved the company's operations from paper to water treatment, electronic enclo¬sures, and power tools, and grew annual sales from $800,000 to $3 billion until his retirement in 2001. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Bemis, Toro, and Underwriters' Laboratories; the board of Minnesota Small Colleges; and chairs the board of governors for the School of Engineering of the University of St. Thomas, and the St. Paul Boy Scouts capital campaign. Mr. Buxton is an avid sailor. He and his wife, Linda, are building a house on Vashon Island. | |
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Cornelius "Neil" DuffieB.S. 1941Distinguished Alumnus2005 |
| Mr. Duffie began his career in 1941 with the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington. After serving in the U.S. Navy from 1944-46, he joined the Western Kraft Corp., rising to rank of chairman of the board and chief operating officer from 1971-76. He then became president and chief operating officer of Willamette Industries. He has a strong interest in designing cost efficient plants and is always looking for a market untapped. Mr. Duffie and his wife, Glen (now deceased), are strong supporters of Chemical Engineering. They established the Thomas G. Thompson graduate fellowship fund, named after Mr. Duffie's cousin, who was a UW professor in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and for whom the UW's ocean-going research vessel is named. | |
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Bruce GatesPh.D. 1966Distinguished Alumnus2005 |
| After receiving his B.S. degree from UC Berkeley in 1961, Bruce Gates studied kinetics and catalysis in sulfonic acid ion-exchange res¬ins at the UW under Prof. Len Johanson. With help from Dean Joe McCarthy, Dr. Gates re¬ceived a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship for study in Germany, where he met his wife, Jutta. Dr. Gates started his career as a research engi¬neer at Chevron in 1967. In 1968, he joined the faculty at the University of Delaware, where he became the H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Chemical Engineering and served as director of the Center for Catalytic Science and Technol¬ogy. In 1992, he moved to the University of California, Davis, where he is Distinguished Professor in the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. He has received numerous awards from the AIChE and ACS for his work in catalysis of metal clusters, superacids, and zeo¬lites. Dr. Gates is editor of Advances in Catalysis and is an amateur herpetologist. | |
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Charles W.H. MatthaeiB.S. 1943Distinguished Alumnus2003 |
| President of Roman Meal Company Canada, President of Roman Meal Company Japan , and Chairman of Roman Meal Company – best known for its fine bread products and commitment to family health and well-being. Dedicated to furthering the activities and principles of the Boy Scouts of America. Active in many professional and community organizations including Rotary #8 (for 55 years). | |
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Sung Taik ChungPh.D. 1971Distinguished Alumnus2002 |
| Distinguished Professor, Inha University, 1971-75, 1994-present. Korea Advanced Institute of Science , 1975-77. Director of leading industries in Korea , 1977-94. Vice President, Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers; Full Member, National Academy of Engineering of Korea; Director, Korea Engineers’ Club, 1992-99. President, UW Alumni Association–Korea, 1994-99. | |
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Ki-Jun LeePh.D. 1971Distinguished Alumnus2002 |
| Faculty, Seoul National University, 1971-present; Dean of Engineering, 1990-93; President, 1998-2002. Chair, Korea Industrial Technology Foundation; Chair, Accreditation Board of Engineering Education, Korea; Founding Member and First President, National Academy of Engineering, Korea, 1996-present; on National Economic Advisory Council. | |
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L. Gary Leal B.S. 1965 (UW)
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| Faculty, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1989-present; Chair, Chemical Engineering, UCSB, 1989-98. Chevron Distinguished Professor, Caltech, 1970-1989. Member, National Academy of Engineering . Recipient, Alan Colburn and William Walker awards, AIChE. Research: fluid mechanics, rheological and rheo-optical students of complex fluids. | |
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Steven R. Rogel B.S. 1965 (UW)
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| Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Weyerhaeuser Company, 1997-present. President and Chief Executive Officer, Willamette Industries, Inc., 1995-97. On the Boards of the American Forest & Paper Association and the World Forestry Center; Director, Kroger Company; Director, Pacific Harbors Council Boy Scouts of America; Trustee of Pacific University. | |
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Jeet S. Bindra M.S. 1970 (UW)
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| President of Global Manufacturing for Chevron Corporation. Responsible for leading the company's worldwide manufacturing operations. Served as chief negotiator for the pipeline from Tengiz oil fields to the Black Sea in 1995, opening up the production of oil in Kazakstan. Served as head of the Visiting Committee of the UW College of Engineering; Provided leadership in Chevron’s support of the Undergraduate Computing Laboratory. | |
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Herbert S. Isbin B.S. 1940
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| Faculty, University of Minnesota , 33 years. Initiated Nuclear Engineering Program there. Research in Two-phase Flow and Heat Transfer. Author of seminal book: Introductory Nuclear Reactor Theory. | |
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Thomas B. Owen B.S. 1940
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| Rear Admiral , U.S. Navy; Chief of Naval Research; Assistant Administrator, NOAA; Vice President, Fairchild Space Company. Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Bronze Star. | |
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Linda KoffenbergerB.S. 1969Distinguished Alumnus1995 |
| President of Amerchol Corporation – makes ingredients for cosmetics and personal care products. Company is customer-focused and develops environmentally benign products, such as low-VOC hair sprays. | |
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David HimmelblauM.S. 1956, Ph.D. 1957Distinguished Alumnus1995 |
| Educator for over 37 years. Has published 11 books, including an introductory chemical engineering book in its sixth edition. Promotes the use of computers in chemical engineering education. | |
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Joseph L. McCarthy B.S. 1934 (UW)
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| Developed processes to turn potential pollutants from pulp processes into salable products. Faculty, UW, 43 years; Dean, Graduate School , 16 years. | |
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W. Ronald BensonB.S. 1936Distinguished Alumnus 1994 |
| Owned and developed Benson Chemicals as a distributor of chemicals throughout the West. Served as Bardahl’s chief chemist for automobile oil additives. | |
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Ollie E.S. HedbringB.S. 1936Distinguished Alumnus1994 |
| Owner and Chairman of Fort Miller Company. Developed it as major supplier of large pre-stressed concrete bridges and beams. | |
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James H. JensenB.S. 1937, M.S. 1939Distinguished Alumnus1994 |
| Operated the only heavy water plant in the United States at the start of World War II (for Stuart Oxygen). Developed innovative design methods. | |
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R. Wells MoultonB.S. 1932, M.S. 1934Ph.D. 1937Distinguished Faculty Alumnus 1994 |
| Faculty, UW for 37 years. Chairman of Chemical Engineering, 1953-1977. Associated with the Department for 62 years. | |
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Ernie GoodnerB.S. 1920Distinguished Alumnus1993 |
| Distinguished career with Chevron. President, Ortho Division, Chevron, General Manager, Pacific Carbide and Alloys, San Francisco , Portland , and Tacoma. | |
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Victor MillsB.S. 1926Distinguished Alumnus1993 |
| Inventions applied continuous processing to make soap and shortening. Improved consumer products like Duncan Hines cake mix and Jif peanut butter. Invented Pampers disposable diapers. | |
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Waldo SemonB.S. 1920, Ph.D. 1924Distinguished Alumnus1993 |
| Invented Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Developed Synthetic Rubber. Invented Bubble Gum. | |
