Harvey Palmer (PhD ’71), recipient of the R.W. Moulton 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award in Academia, wasn’t always interested in working in higher education. “My career goal when I joined the UW was to become qualified to lead an engineering development team in some company and have a positive impact on the company’s profitability. I hadn’t given any thought to the idea of going into academia,” said Palmer. But with 40 years working in higher education, Palmer has forged a different path than his intended career in industry. “I enjoyed the research and teaching environment very much, so much so that I didn’t want to leave it. Thus, upon graduating with my Ph.D., I wanted to recreate that environment somewhere else…Teaching students, inspiring them to learn and develop a passion for engineering, was all that I aspired to,” he said.
After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Rochester in New York state in 1967, Palmer migrated to the other side of the country to attend the UW and was pleased by the new environment. “Simply moving from the east coast to the west coast was a life-changing experience in itself! The natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest was transformational. It resonated with my active childhood and interest in the outdoors and dramatically expanded my commitment to fundamental values relating to nature, society, and giving back.”
He was also pleased by the atmosphere at the University. “The nurturing environment within the Department of Chemical Engineering at UW was critical. Enrolling at UW was a new beginning, a chance to discover what I really wanted to do with my life. I very much appreciate the many role models among the faculty who indelibly shaped my perspectives, inspired me to learn and become an independent thinker, and ultimately influenced me to choose a career path in academia. No one was more critical in that evolutionary process than John Berg, who is the ultimate role model for academic excellence, integrity, and compassion.”
After earning his Ph.D. in 1971, Palmer returned to his undergraduate alma mater as an assistant professor of chemical engineering. Working his way up the academic ladder to become full professor, Palmer also served as associate dean for graduate studies in the college of engineering and applied science from 1983-89 and as chair of the chemical engineering department from 1990-1996 and 1997-2000.
In 2000, Palmer moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), to become dean of the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. His leadership has transformed RIT through the development of new programs and inventing new curricula. “In my first two years, I led the development of a novel, interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree program in microsystems engineering that brought together individuals from chemistry and physics, as well as all of the engineering programs, to grow applied research at the nano-scale.” The program was the second Ph.D. program established at RIT, which before Palmer’s tenure, focused on undergraduate education.
Other achievements Palmer has made at the Institute include the launching of undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering (2009) and biomedical engineering (2010), a M.S. in sustainable engineering, and a new curriculum option that focuses on product innovation within a global economy. Palmer is also proud of his leadership with “WE@RIT”--Women in Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology. “This organization brings together faculty, staff and students with a comprehensive focus on outreach, community building, recruitment and retention to increase the number of women who pursue careers in engineering and technology.” In the past five years, the number of women enrolled in the college has doubled, said Palmer.
Even after his many accomplishments, Palmer is humbled by the receiving the award. “I am truly honored, particular considering the outstanding group of prior recipients of the award, and their many accomplishments,” said Palmer. “I received an excellent education, which provided me with the foundation for my entire professional career. Being recognized by the ChemE Faculty affirms that I have lived up to the promise, reflecting well on a program, department and university that I hold dear.”
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Bill Pope ((MS ’49, PhD ’58) joins Palmer as a R.W. Moulton 2011 Distinguished Alumnus, receiving the award in the field of Industry posthumously. Pope passed away in November of 2010. More on Pope’s accomplishments can be found on his Alumni profile.