Fall 2004 - CEMS - University of Minnesota

CEMS NEWSChemical Engineering
& Materials Science
A Newsletter for Alumni, Students and Friends of the Department • Fall Semester 2004
Message from the Department Head
Frank S. Bates
Guest Writer: Jeffrey J. Derby
I
f you received a degree from the Department, no
doubt you remember Bev, Connie, Dottie, Jane, Jim,
John, Julie (both M. and P.), “Sarge” (a.k.a Joyce),
Shirley, Sue, Mary (H. and N.), Ted Z., Teresa, … These are
but a few names from our legendary and exemplary departmental
staff. Who was your favorite staff member when you were here?
As the Executive Officer (EO) of the Department, my role
is to keep our staff and infrastructure running in top form. This
is a relatively new position that Frank Bates set up upon
becoming Head of the department. Wei-Shou Hu ably served
as the first EO for Frank’s first year as Head.
While our faculty are routinely featured and highlighted, our staff works very
hard behind the scenes to keep the department moving ahead. Typical of this department,
our staff is exceptional with respect to those of other University departments. For
example, we have an extremely low turnover rate. Several of our staff members have
spent over 20 years with the department. We also have a fantastic esprit de corps and
can-do attitude not so typical in large bureaucratic organizations like public Universities.
Indeed, I believe that we have the best-functioning departmental staff at the University,
befitting the nature of the Department.
Recognizing the important role of our staff and the limitations on rewards that
are imposed by strict University labor contracts, we recently established the Phyllis
Branin Excellence in Service Award, made possible by a generous gift by alumna
Phyllis Branin (BChE, 1947). This endowment, unique at the University to benefit
staff rather than faculty or students, provides a yearly pool of bonus funds to award to
top-performing staff members.
In addition to fantastic people, our Department also strives to provide superb
support through one of the best-developed computer infrastructures at the University.
Again, CEMS was a leader in this area, establishing research and teaching computer
facilities to both graduate and undergraduate students far before the University stepped
up its efforts in these areas. (Some of the younger alums will fondly remember those
long hours at the Departmental computers in 132 AmH, working on CEMS 5001
problems…) Our information technology staff continues to deliver remarkable service
in a resource-constrained environment. Finally, our Departmental shop continues to
provide stellar support to experimentalists and our fabled unit ops laboratory.
It is no surprise that the Department Neal Amundson built continues to thrive
by following his spirit of uncompromising quality for all aspects of its mission. You’ll
see this quality in nearly everyone associated with the department — students, faculty,
staff, and alumni alike!
Inside... Stay Connected, p. 2 • Interview with Doraiswami Ramkrishna, p. 3 • Interview
with Hans Fauske • Interview with Theofanis Theofanous, p. 4 • Cutting Edge
Research in Molecular Self-Assembly, Single Molecule Biophysics and Protein-Protein
Interactions , p. 5 • Omer W. Blodgett, A Life Long Love of Welding, p. 6 •
Development Corner, p. 7 • Crystal Growth and Design, p. 8 • Class Notes, p. 10

DEPARTMENT UPDATE
STAY CONNECTED!
C E M S R E C E P T I O N O N T U E S D A Y N O V E M B E R 9, 2004
A T T H E A N N U A L A I C h E M E E T I N G I N A U S T I N, T X
7:00 to 9:00 P.M. HILTON HOTEL, AUSTIN SALON D (4th Floor)
FACULTY HONORS AND DEPARTMENT EVENTS
MACOSKO WINS BINGHAM MEDAL
Chris Macosko will be the 2004 recipient of the
E.C. Bingham Medal awarded by the Society of
Rheology (SoR). The Bingham Medal is given to one
who has made outstanding contributions to the field of
rheology. Chris will receive the Bingham Medal at the
Socitye of Rheology meeting in Lubbock,TX on
February 14-16, 2005. Congratulations, Chris!
RAMKRISHNA PRESENTS FREDRICKSON
LECTURE, RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTOR
OF SCIENCE DEGREE DEGREE
Doraiswami Ramkrishna (Ph.D., ChEn, 1965)
gave the Third Annual Fredrickson lecture on Friday,
September 10, 2004. His talk was entitled “Blotting
Out the Bad Bugs. Fredrickson’s Models for Killing
Cell Populations, and Their Descendants”. Professor
Ramkrishna is currently the Harry Creighton Peffer
Distinguished Professor at Purdue University in the
School of Chemical Engineering.
The Fredrickson lecture was created in honor of
Professor Arnold G. Fredrickson upon his retirement.
The lecture is for broadening the academic experience
of the department’s undergraduate students.
An Honorary Doctor of Science Degree was
conferred upon Dr. Ramkrishna at a ceremony before
the Fredrickson Lecture. Dr. Ramkrishna received this
honor because of his research on modeling of particulate
processes, cybernetic modeling of metabolic and growth
processes, and continuous models of heat and mass
transfer. This degree is the highest honor bestowed by
the University of Minnesota.
See the interview with Professor Doraiswami
Ramkrishna on page 3 of this newsletter.
2nd ANNUAL HOMECOMING AND CEMS
ALL-CLASS GATHERING INVITATION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2004
You are cordially invited for lively conversation and
refreshments at the second annual Homecoming All-Class
Gathering in the Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science.
Date: Friday, October 22, 2004
Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Place: 182 Amundson Hall.
Beer, wine and snacks will be served. Alumni, spouses,
significant others and guests are welcome. Please join
us!
RSVP by Monday, October 11, 2004:
or
Julie Murphy
Phone: 612-625-4356
Email: jjmurphy@umn.edu
Jennifer Payne-Pogatchnik
Phone: 612-626-9501
Email: jpogatchnik@it.umn.edu
DONORS AND FELLOWSHIP RECIPENTS HONORED
Bev and Tom Harren support graduate students in
the department with their generous gifts to the graduate
fellowship. They attended the “Promise of Tomorrow”
event on April 29, 2004 for fellowship recipients and
donors at the Gateway Center.
FAUSKE AND THEOFANOUS TO RECEIVE
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
We are proud to announce that Outstanding
Achievement Awards were presented to Hans K. Fauske
(MS, ChE, 1959) and Theofanis G. Theofanous (Ph.D.,
ChEn, 1969) on Friday, September 10, 2004 prior to
the Fredrickson Lecture. Outstanding Achievement
Awards are given to alumni from the University of
Minnesota who have “attained unusual distinction in their
chosen fields or professions or in public service, and who
have demonstrated outstanding achievement and
leadership on a community, state, national, or international
level”.
Please read more about our remarkable award winners
on page 4 of this newsletter.
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
Photo back l to r: Miao Yu, Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos, Allison
Langham, Anne Kantardjieff and Christopher McChalicher. Front
l to r: Tom Harren and Bev Harren.
CEMS News (Vol. 5, No. 1) is published two times per year by the Department of Chemical
Engineering and Materials Science for alumni, students and friends of the department.
Circulation is 6,324. Fall 2004 edition editor: Julie Murphy; Special thanks to Class Notes
contributors, CEMS Alumni, and alumni from the 1940’s, Frank Bates, Omer Blodgett, Ed
Cussler, Jeff Derby, Hans Fauske, Dan Frisbie, Bev Harren, Chris Macosko, Richard McClurg,
David Norris, Chris Palmstrom, Jennifer Pogatchnik, Julie Prince, Doraiswami Ramkrishna,
Robert Sundahl, Theofanis Theofanous, Michael Ward, Chris Yip, Jann Jarvis and Faye
Bodenhamer.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. ©2004 by the
Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. This publication is available in
alternative formats upon request. Printed by University of Minnesota Printing Services.
Contains a minimum of 10% post-consumer waste.
2

DEPARTMENT UPDATE
I heard of the University of
Minnesota through my uncle,
Dr. Venki as he was popularly
called, who was a post-doctoral
research associate with Professor
Wayland Noland in the
Department of Chemistry at the
University of Minnesota. It was
through the recommendation of
Dr. Venki and Professor Noland
that I was admitted to the department in 1960.
When I received Professor Neal Amundson’s letter
of admission and a teaching assistantship (in June
1960, a late admission!) little did I know of the
department’s meteoric rise towards being the best
in the country.
I have viewed the entire period of my being at
the University of Minnesota as one euphoric stretch
of my life! The late evening classes of Professor
Amundson on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Fall
of 1960 were as inspiring as they were enlightening.
I have remained ever conscious of the excitement that
Gus Aris, John Dahler, Arnie Fredrickson, Bill Ranz,
and Skip Scriven provided in early course work, as
well as through the rest of graduate work. The
mathematics faculty, Hans Weinberger, George Sell,
Walter Littman, Willard Miller, Don Aronson,
Norman Meyers and Alfred Aeppli added
substantially to my excitement. My colleagues,
George Gavalas (MS, ChE, 1962; PhD, ChE,
1964), Ron Zeman (PhD, ChE, 1964), Lee
Raymond (PhD, ChE, 1963), Ken Valentas (PhD,
ChE, 1964), and subsequently, Mort Denn (PhD,
ChE, 1964) Dan Luss (PhD, ChE, 1966) Harmon
Ray (PhD, ChE, 1966), and others provided such
an uplifting competitive academic environment that
I was in a perpetual state of excitement. Arnie
Fredrickson and Henry Tsuchiya, my advisers, were
good friends besides being excellent advisers. When
Ted Davis arrived, we became instant friends,
although the local noise level distinctly went up
because we had so many arguments. Years later, when
I returned for a visit, and we resumed our dialogue
it was so peaceful that Ted wondered that there was
something wrong! Our families became close
friends.
Neal Amundson provided me with the earliest
academic opportunity by appointing me as an
instructor in 1964, and as a temporary Assistant
Professor in 1965. During this time, the
undergraduate teaching and recitation made such a
profound impression on me that I advise guarding
Interview with Doraiswami Ramkrishna
this culture with one’s life because it does not exist
elsewhere.
I returned as a Visiting Professor to Minnesota
in 1975, and taught Neal Amundson’s mathematics
course in the winter quarter. This was such an
elevating and unforgettable experience that it has
been part of my bragsheet for many years now. I had
many of the outstanding academics in chemical
engineering today in that class. Even at the risk of
missing some, I would like to recall names. For
starters, Manfred Morari (PhD, ChE, 1977) was
my teaching assistant. Gregory Stephanopoulos
(PhD, ChE, 1978) and Miretta Flytzani-
Stephanopoulos (PhD, ChE, 1978), Doug
Lauffenburger (PhD, ChE, 1979), Kyriacos
Zygourakis (PhD, ChE, 1981), Ishi Talmon (PhD,
ChE, 1979), Brian Higgins (PhD, ChE, 1980) and
others. I also recmember visitors such as Hugo
Caram. If that does not make up an exciting class, I
do not know what does.
I have since made so many visits to Minnesota
that I have never felt like an outsider. Each time I
visit it is like I had never left. Gus Aris has provided
me with inexhaustible inspiration. Neal and Shirley
Amundson, Gus and Claire Aris, and indeed others
too have been such long standing friends, Minnesota
has remained our “home”.
On the personal side, my wife is Geetha
Ramkrishna. We have two sons. Sriram
Ramkrishna, a Purdue computer scientist. who is
currently working for Intel at Portland, OR. Sriram’s
wife, Banu, is studying to be a dentist. My second
son, Arvind Ramkrishna has a double degree in
engineering and design from Purdue and is working
for Johnson Control in Novi, MI. His wife, Usha is
an electrical engineer turned software engineer who
is now looking for a Master’s degree. Grandchildren?
My wife and I are currently content with having a
kitten for a grandchild and wait longer.
The department also influenced my choice of
hobbies. Gus Aris has been such a source of
inspiration that calligraphy and writing poetry have
been favorite pastimes for me.
I have a special memory of the department.
When I visited the department as the George T.
Piercy Professor in the Fall of 1988, Ted Davis and
company arranged for a send-off dinner that will
remain forever in our memory. A special Indian
music group had been summoned to make an
evening program of Indian music. This is sensitivity
at its highest, and the impact of this had been much
more than possibly ever imagined!
CEMS News • Fall 2004
3

CEMS ALUMNI
Interview with Hans Fauske
I grew up in Bergen, Norway, and
received a Technical Degree in
Industrial Chemistry in 1957 from the
Bergen Technic School in Norway. I
came to the University of Minnesota
because of its national reputation and
completed the Master of Science in
Chemical Engineering in 1959. My
experience at the University was
heightened by getting to meet
Professors Neal Amundson and L. E. “Skip” Scriven, with
whom I occasionally played handball. I was especially lucky
for the opportunity to work with Professor Herb Isbin, for
whom I have the greatest admiration. He is truly a great
man. I went on to finish my Doctor of Science degree in
1963 from the Norwegian Institute of Technology.
I joined the scientific staff of Argonne National
Laboratory (ANL) in 1962. I held various research and
management positions and gained an international reputation
on the safety of light water and liquid metal cooled nuclear
power reactors. From 1978-1980, I was the first Director
of the Fast Reactor Technology Management Center at
Argonne responsible for the planning and management of
the U.S. DOE program.
In 1980, I founded Fauske & Associates, Inc. (FAI).
FAI is a scientific engineering firm specializing in the
resolution of technical problems in the power and chemical
processing industries. The principals and staff of FAI are
recognized worldwide for their prevention and
accommodation of chemical and nuclear plant accidents. In
1986, Fauske & Associates, Inc. became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric Company.
I have published more than 200 scientific articles and
hold numerous patents in the areas of nuclear and chemical
process safety. My outstanding accomplishments include:
Senior Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory (1972);
University of Chicago Medal for Distinguished Performance
at Argonne National Laboratory (1975) (First recipient in
the field of reactor technology); Fellow, American Nuclear
Society (1979); “Tommy” Thompson Award -the highest
honor from the American Nuclear Society in the field of
reactor safety (1982); Fellow, American Institute of
Chemical Engineers (1985); BASF Renowned Scientist
Lecturer (1989-90); American Nuclear Society Thermal
Hydraulics Division Technical Achievement Award (1991);
the AIChE Donald Q. Kern Award for nuclear and chemical
process safety (1991); the AIChE Robert E. Wilson Award
in Nuclear Chemical Engineering for developing methods
to help assure safety in the nuclear power and chemical
process industries (1996).
I met my wife, Judith Fauske, while working at Argonne
National Laboratory. We have two children, Hans Kristian
(Kris) and Kirk Ivar Fauske, and one grandchild Jake Kristian
Fauske. My hobbies include skiing, golf, tennis and running.
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
Interview with Theofanis Theofanous
Where did you grow up?
I was born and spent my early years in Athens.
My school years were in Komotini (a small town in
the north-east). I returned to Athens for my college
years.
What made you decide to come to the University
of Minnesota?
I had learned about Herb Isbin’s nuclear program,
and that was the area I wanted to pursue. I applied
to many schools for support, and received a few
offers. One Professor in Greece told me that University of Minnesota
was the best, and that I was lucky, very lucky, to have this opportunity.
I could not even begin to imagine how lucky I was at that time. When I
go back and see this Professor (now he is at the University in
Thessaloniki) we always recall that conversation.
What were some of your memorable moments at the University of
Minnesota?
. . .When I first met my wife-to-be at Professor Mantis’ house.
....When we were married, in a simple ceremony, Herb Isbin was my
best man. . .
. . .With the first snow, I fell from my bike and broke my hand. Then I
bought a $60 car, which I drove with one hand, including shifting gears
(four on the floor!). . .
. . ..I had lunch and dinner every day at McDonalds until I got my first
paycheck. . .
. . .I went early to Chief’s class (Amundson), and tried to keep up with
an amazing amount of writing on the blackboard. It was amazing in
that all impeccably presented equations came out from his head without
any notes whatsoever. I have never seen anything like this before or
since. . .
. . .I got an A in Scriven’s class. He seemed to be so tough for us
beginners...
. . .I remember the warm and welcome atmosphere in the Department,
squash games with Ted Davis and Herb Isbin, weekly meetings with
Ramki, Davis, and other students to discuss Hilbert spaces, working
very late into the night and feeling I was not alone, as Ted Davis and his
graduate student Ching Cheng Wei (PhD, ChEn 1967) were there
too every night , and often even after I left. . .
. . .one late night a police car followed me all the way home (7th St. just
beyond Dinkytown) where I was informed that they were trying to
catch up with me with their lights flashing. I had not see anything! They
gave me a ticket for not having a U.S. license! I did have an International
license, however. When I appeared to the court I said “I am not guilty”,
not knowing that I needed to post bail. I had no money on me so they
put in the slammer. The Foreign Student Office came and “rescued”
me. When I appeared to the court for trial I had received my Minnesota
license, and I was found not guilty. The judge must have felt really
sorry for me. . .
. . . when I left with my $200 car (the third one already) and my justmarried
wife, and a couple of suitcases to go out face the world
(Purdue with a summer stop at Argonne). . .
. . . there is so much more and all so pleasant! The whole time looks to
me now as a “moment”, or a “dream”, marked by the novelty of it all,
and by the extraordinarily hard work and the exhilaration of learning.
What about the major thrusts in your career?
Academic life peppered constantly with reality checks in practice:
consulting with industry, government, and national laboratories. Only
one change around midway… Purdue (1969-85) and UC Santa Barbara
(1985-), where I also built the Center for Risk Studies and Safety. The
work (including the educational component) is at the science-application
interface towards managing rare, high consequence hazards (of
societal significance). We developed the paradigm by solving complex
and important problems in the fields of Chemical Plant and Nuclear
Power Reactor Safety, and we are now extending it in areas of National
Defense and Homeland Security. In all these areas the questions we
address involve technological systems and hazards that cannot be
approached empirically or by trial-and error approaches. Actual
experiences brought me to recognize a major mismatch between the
challenge involved and the weaknesses in our governmental institutions
entrusted with managing such risks (energy, environment, defense),
which has led me recently to begin asking related questions on policymaking
as well as policy-supporting R&D.
Personal: Wife: Danae Children: George and Lydia, Grandchildren :
Not Yet
Hobbies: All forms (almost) of exercise: swimming (I can virtually live
in the water), walking and running, yoga, Pilates, weights. Driving my
Porsche. Heavy duty work on my yard (now I am making a walking
path cris-crossing our ravine). Reading philosophy and history.
4

CEMS ALUMNI
Cutting Edge Research in Molecular Self-Assembly, , Single Molecule Biophysics
and Protein-Protein Interactions
Christopher M. Yip (PhD, ChEn, 1996)
I was born and raised in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I
had a great high school
chemistry teacher who
influenced my decision to
study engineering. I also liked
to build things (big Lego fan),
so chemical engineering
seemed like a good fit. I went
to the University of Toronto
for my undergraduate degree
in chemical engineering.
I joined Dupont Canada
as a research scientist in 1988,
where I was working on polymer blends and composites
for structural applications – car bumpers, pump housings,
snow shovel handles, and lawn mower decks, among other
things. I decided to go to graduate school because there
were a lot of very fundamental things that I could not
investigate while I was at Dupont. There were too many
“business” pressures and short timelines. You never really
had a chance to follow up in-depth on projects that while
scientifically interesting were of only passing economic
interest. My officemate at Dupont suggested the University
of Minnesota as a good graduate school for chemical
engineering. There wasn’t a lot of information on US
graduate schools provided to Canadian students so the U
was a bit of an unknown to me.
I came to the University of Minnesota in 1991. I was
intrigued by the idea of controlling and directing how
organic molecules could form into structures. It was a
much more elegant thing than what I was doing at Dupont.
I had a number of favorite professors at the University of
Minnesota. I have to include my advisor (seriously), Mike
Ward, as one of my favorite professors. Dan Frisbie, Bob
Tranquillo, Henry White were also favorites. Despite the
heavy course load, I really enjoyed pretty much all of my
graduate courses. The ones I enjoyed the most tended to
be the electives like Inorganic Chemistry, Physical
Chemistry, Mike’s Organic Solid State course. Skip’s Fluids
course was, of course, challenging, and in retrospect, fun.
My graduate school experience was a real eye-opener. It
was very challenging, and yet fun. I rarely had a bad day
while I was there. There was a real sense of camaraderie
among the grad students. Even the dreaded dossier process,
when I look back on it, was not that bad. I think that what
I came away with from my experience in the department
was a real sense of how the department really was redefining
chemical engineering at the time. The projects that people
were working on, the techniques and tools that we had at
our disposal, the resources were just so far ahead of what
graduate chemical engineering was doing at Toronto. The
level of rigor is also something that I try to hold my students
to now.
CEMS News • Fall 2004
After completing my Ph.D. in 1996, I joined Eli Lilly
in Indianapolis as a postdoc. It was a great experience for
me. The industrial post-doctoral research provided me
with an excellent opportunity to see how fundamental
science can impact industry. It has helped to set up several
key collaborations between our lab and my colleagues there.
I made some great friends while there. It also helped me
to work an industrial perspective into some of our projects
now. My experience there influenced how I teach and
present material to our students - many of whom really
want to work in the pharmaceutical field.
In 1997, I joined the Department of Chemical
Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of
Toronto, with cross appointments to the Institute of
Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, and the
Department of Biochemistry. My research interests are still
in the field of molecular self-assembly, but have diverged
into the field of single molecule biophysics and looking at
protein-protein interactions. Our efforts fall into looking
at how proteins assemble at both rigid interfaces and
membrane surfaces, and we are applying a number of novel
correlated single molecule imaging tools, including AFM
and evanescent field microscopies to this area. We have
branched out to include an instrument development group
that focuses on building and integrating a lot of our tools
into integrated platforms, as well as a new effort in
molecular dynamics of protein assembly and organization.
The molecular dynamics of protein assembly and
organization has proven to be a really good area for us as it
helps us to formulate computational models of our
experimental data. Currently, I have seven grad students
and one post-doc.
In my free time, I still cycle as much as I can – still
commuting by bike to work. While I’ve sort of given up
road racing (too heavy a time commitment and Toronto
isn’t the easiest place to go for long rides), I’ve been
participating in 24 hr mountain bike races and an annual
360 km round trip ride from Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario.
I’m also going to be running in the Toronto marathon this
coming September. The other big news is that I am getting
married next June, so I may have to change my workaholic
ways.
I am currently the co-chair of a Policy and Planning
committee on Integrating the Physical and Chemical
Sciences into Health Research for the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research (NIH-equivalent). I am also on the
Executive Committee for the University of Toronto’s new
Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research. I was
awarded a Canada Research Chair in 2001, and currently
hold grants from both NSERC and CIHR (which are
equivalents to NSF and NIH). So life is very busy, as you
can imagine. Oh - and I am teaching, of all things, Mass
Transfer, and Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, to our
third-year engineering students.
5

CEMS ALUMNI
I was raised in the crucible of the great depression. It was great training. My
grandfather owned 23 wooden steamboats and barges on the Great Lakes. These
ships carried salt and limestone up the lakes, and pulp wood down the lakes to the
paper mills. The steam boats had scotch marine boilers. In the early 1900’s, a welder
came down the Saginaw river on a scow to Bay City, MI, where our ships were tied
up for repairs during the winter. He had a transformer welder, used bare electrodes,
and charged $10.00 a cubic inch of weld metal to weld on the boilers. In 1917, the
year I was born, my grandfather purchased a 200 amp Lincoln welder. Ten years
later, I learned to weld with that welder. Our last ship burned in 1931, and put us out
of business. The depression was on, so we brought our welding machine up to
Duluth, MN where we lived, and started a welding shop. Along with my father, my
brother and I welded in the shop. My mother kept the books. We all worked.
After graduating from high school in 1935, I attended Duluth Junior College,
which was operated by the University of Minnesota (now the University of Minnesota
-- Duluth campus). I had two years of engineering there. I read every thing on
welding that I could get my hands on. I read the “Welders Digest” until I wore it out.
I joined the American Welding Society in 1937, paying only $2.50 a year as a student
member.
While I was out of school for two years, I still took night classes in Duluth. I had
a class in “Theory of Numbers”, “Differential Equations”, “Rock Study”, and a class
in “Structural Analysis”. The class on “Structural Analysis was taught each week in
Duluth by Professor Joseph Wise of the University of Minnesota. He would take the
train from Minneapolis, teach the class in the evening, then take the eleven o’clock
train (called the milk train because of its many stops) back to Minneapolis, and arrive
the next morning to teach classes at the University.
I became a structural ironwork welder. I learned that nothing can replace handson
experience. Our work in the shop varied from pipe welding, boiler welding, etc.
I was soon welding on steel structures, and became an iron worker welder. I joined
Local No. 563, the International Association of Bridge Structure and Ornamental Iron
Workers in Duluth, MN. In 1937, I welded a six-inch pipe line over the Aerial Bridge
in Duluth. Fortunately, we started on the ground, and worked our way up the bridge.
I was also certified to weld on high pressure boilers under ASME U69.
The real change in my life occurred in 1939 when the Center for Continuation
Study of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis conducted a three-day seminar
on Welding Engineering. Leon C. Bibber, welding engineer of U.S. Steel Co., and
E.W.P. Smith of Lincoln Electric Co. were two of the instructors, along with two
professors from the University. I was floating on air. I was determined I would get
back into the University if it killed me. I entered the University in 1939 with no money.
I ate in a co-op for $5.00 a week. A lady who ran the boarding house fed about two
dozen boys. We also worked a few hours in the kitchen. My first year at the
University cost me a little under $500.00 for everything. I did not spend a nickel for
anything extra. I was not sure how long I could stay at the University before my
money ran out, and I would have to return to my father’s welding shop. I signed up
for all the courses I could get, including graduate courses. I do not know how many
credits the average engineering student took per quarter, perhaps 15 to 17. During the
two years I was at Minnesota I averaged 22 credits per quarter, and in my last quarter
I carried 27 credits. I had to get permission from the Dean of the school. I did three
years work during the two years I was at the University in Minneapolis. Based upon
a grade of A being equivalent to 4.0, my grade point average was 3.27. I was elected
into Tau Beta Pi, and graduated “with distinction” in 1941.
In the spring of 1941, the war in Europe had already started. I was hired as
welding superintendent for one of the new shipyards in Duluth and Superior called
Globe Shipbuilding Co. From 1941 to 1945, I was the Welding Superintendent with
the Globe Shipbulding Company in Superior, WI. In World War I, ships were riveted.
In World War II, all ships were welded. Because of the tremendous need for ships just
before and during World War II, a special commission, the Maritime Commission,
headed by Admiral Vickers, was set up by President Franklin Roosevelt. Hundreds
of new shipyards were set up to meet this need. The head of the Great Lakes, Duluth,
and Superior had six ship yards. In normal times, this area had perhaps a dozen or
two dozen welders. During the war, this number swelled to over 2000. Where did
they come from? Almost all were trained in the National Defense Training Schools in
Duluth and Superior. Soon the yards were taking all of the welders produced by these
schools. Some yards started their own schools. After passing the welding test, the
new welders were put on as a tack welder assigned to a fitter. As they progressed in
skill, they were put on more important welding, eventually welding on shell plate, and
a very few became pipe welders. Their training and practice took place on real live
welding on the ship. Our big job was to keep them out of trouble. There was a
tremendous turnover of welders. On the average we had them for six months to a
year, and then the Armed Services usually got them.
The decision to weld ships during World War II was based upon four facts:
1. A welded ship saved about 20% of its weight in steel.
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
A LIFE LONG LOVE OF WELDING
by Omer W. Blodgett (BS, Metallurgical Engineering, 1941)
2. It took less time to train a good welder than it did a good riveter.
3. It took less new equipment to weld a ship than to rivet it.
4. A welded joint did not need to be caulked to make it tight.
Building ships during World War II was in no way the normal operation that we
experienced in peace time. People were doing jobs they had never done before,
and they had to be trained. Much of our steel was not up to standard. We had to
make use of what we were given. Welding electrodes were on six months delivery.
We had to borrow and loan between ship yards in order to keep going. In our
shipyard of about 2200 workers perhaps 100 had any previous experience. This
was especially true with welding. As an example, our Principal Maritime Inspector
wanted us to make all well passes from fore to aft of the ship hull because he believed
it would offer less resistance to the ship while traveling through the water. We were
constantly improvising, and making use of what was available. For example, the
high pressure steam piping of our Destroyer Escorts required radio-graphic inspection
of all piping, but there was no equipment like this a the Head of the Lakes. We had
to weld armor plate on the wheel house of these ships and…quickly found that we
broke the chisel when we tried to back chip the root of the weld. The welds were
very hard, and air carbon arc gouging had not been invented yet. We found solutions
to all of these problems.
Gradually, I was able to use the information I received at the University of
Minnesota and apply it to real problems in welding. For example, we did not cover
the distortion resulting from welding, yet I was able to develop formulas so that I
could predict the amount of distortion resulting from any given welding procedure. All
ballast tanks in the inner bottom had a plug in the shell plate. If the ship is ever put
in dry dock for any reason, these plugs may be unscrewed in order to drain the
tanks. Just before the ship is launched all of these plugs are expected to be installed.
In one case after launching, a manhole cover on the tank was removed in order to
inspect the inner bottom, and we found one plug missing with water pouring in. We
quickly drove a wooden plug into the hold, sawed off the excess wood and welded
a steel plate over it tight.
We had many problems in the ship yard that had to be solved such as
distortion of welded members, cracking of welds and plate, etc. The University of
Minnesota did not teach me how to solve these problems. We never covered
distortion of weldments while I was there. The University did however give me the
fundamental knowledge in engineering, so I could work out a solution.
Near the end of the war, while I was still in the shipyard, the American Welding
Society (AWS) finally caught up with me and wanted to know how I was doing in
school. I had been a member of AWS for eight years. I had to confess I was out of
school. My membership was changed from student to full member, with a
corresponding increase in my dues. However, I guess I will always be a student.
In 1945, I joined the Lincoln Electric Company as a Senior Design Consultant,
working on problems in both the mechanical and structural fields. I devised the first
method for analyzing three-dimensional weld groups. I worked on the sales force,
and then I conducted design seminars. In the 1980’s, I determined the need to
enlarge weld access holes to reduce the cracking of welded steel jumbo sections.
I have won a number of awards: the A.F. Davis Silver Medal for the best
paper contributing to the progress of Structural Design (1962, 1973, 1980 and 1983);
the American Welding Society (AWS) Honorary Membership Award (1972); the
T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award by the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.
(AISC) (1983); and the AISC “Lifetime Achievement Award” (1999). In 1995, I
received a Doctor of Science degree from LeTourneau University. In 1997, I was
elected to Honorary Membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
I am a member of the AWS Structural Welding Committee, and am active on
the AISC committee on Specifications, and the Welding Research Council’s Task
Group on Beam to Column Connections. My work on the AWS Structural Welding
Committee D1.0, and the AISC specification Committee has been invaluable to me.
These committees are on the cutting edge of welding technology and design. On
these committees we work with outstanding fabricators, engineers, consulants,
educators, and those involved with research.
I am a Fellow of the ASME, a Fellow of the AWS, as well as a member of Tau
Beta Pi and Sigma Xi. In 1999, I was named as one of the 125 people in the world
for outstanding contribution to the construction industry during the past 125 years by
Engineering News Record. I wrote two books: Design of Weldments, and Design
of Welded Structures. I am listed in Eminent Engineers and Who’s Who in America.
In 1998, LeTourneau University established the Omer W. Blodgett Chair of Welding
and Materials Joining Engineering. I am also a licensed Professional Engineer in
Ohio.
My advice to younger engineers: Get involved in the local chapter of your
engineering society. Take an active part in the society. Continue to take courses,
attend seminars and conventions. Read your engineering journals. Write and
publish engineering papers. Never stop learning.
6

CEMS ALUMNI
W h i c h
Who
What
...were your favorite classes
...were your favorite professors
...is your advice to students and recent graduates
“I always liked math”.
“I liked Professor Dowdell. He allowed me to take extra classes”.
“Once you are out of school you do not stop learning -- actual learning starts and
hopefully continues the rest of your life.”.
Omer Blodgett
DEVELOPMENT CORNER
Jennifer Payne Pogatchnik
Development Officer for the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY:
BENEFITS FOR YOU AND FOR CEMS
By making a gift through a charitable gift
annuity you can provided needed support to
CEMS and additional income for you or
others. Here’s how it works: you simply
transfer cash or stock to the University of
Minnesota Foundation and the Foundation
agrees to pay a guaranteed amount for the
lives of one or two persons based on a
percentage of your gift. The rate paid is fixed
at the date of gift, and is dependent upon
the ages of the income beneficiaries – the
older the beneficiary, the higher the rate. For
example, a single person age 76 would receive
a rate of 6.1% while someone age 84 is
entitled to a rate of 7.1% (the rate for two
lives of the same age are slightly lower).
Donors receive a charitable income tax
deduction for the year of the gift, plus a
portion of the annuity payments are tax-free
for a number of years.
When the annuity terminates, the remaining
funds – generally very close to the initial gift
amount - are applied to the program or fund
that the donor has designated. For example,
a couple ages 80 and 79 establish a gift
annuity with a gift of $50,000 in cash. The
annuity pays them $3,450 each year for both
their lives ($2,280 of which is tax-free for 14
years); and the donors received a charitable
tax deduction of $20,125. At the death of
the second spouse the amount remaining in
the gift annuity passes to the Department of
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
to support graduate fellowships or other
programs the donors designate.
If you are interested in how a charitable gift
annuity can help you and CEMS, contact
Jennifer Pogatchnik at (612) 626-9501 for a
personalized gift illustration.
IT’S A BOY!
Jennifer and Dan Pogatchnik are
proud to announce the birth of
their son, Jon Riley Pogatchnik.
Jon Riley was born on March 27,
2004 at 2:28 PM. He weighed
8 pounds, 13 ounces, and was
21 inches long.
Contact Jennifer by phone at 612-626-9501 or email at jpogatchnik@it.umn.edu.
CEMS News • Fall 2004
7

Focus On: CRYSTAL GROWTH
“One of the continuing scandals in the physical sciences
structure of even the simplest crystalline solids from a
of kidney stones, an important but poorly understood process that afflicts roughly 15% of the
U.S. population. Using AFM, the crystallization of calcium oxalate and the influence of key
proteins can be recorded in real-time (you can find some crystal growth movies at
www.cems.umn.edu/research/ward). AFM also can be configured to measure the adhesion
of calcium oxalate crystals to various molecules, which aids the understanding of how these
crystals aggregate and attach to kidney cells. Collectively, this research is providing important
information that may prove useful for the development of therapies to prevent kidney stone
disease and related maladies. The Ward group is now combining its know-how with the
expertise of the Derby group in multi-scale modeling of crystal growth to develop practical
models of crystallization.
Mathematical Modeling of Crystal Growth (Derby Group)
Crystal growth and design faculty (left to
right): Mike Ward, Richard McClurg, Dan
C
Frisbie, Jeff Derby and Chris Palmstrom
rystals have fascinated humans for millennia. Archeologists date the
interest in crystals as far back as 8,000 years ago, when shaman
apparently used quartz crystals for medical purposes. Now, you may
not believe in the healing power of crystals as some do, but who
among us is not captivated by a glistening gemstone or the shape of common minerals?
Indeed, it was the external shape of crystals, with their distinct and reproducible facets,
that propelled 18 th and 19 th -century scientists to ponder the internal structure of crystals.
Their efforts provided the foundation for our modern understanding of crystals – solids in
which atoms or molecules are arranged in space in a highly regular pattern, like threedimensional
wallpaper. Crystal materials now underpin numerous key commercial
sectors – silicon chips in computers, new display technologies, lasers for
telecommunications, ultra -high speed transistors for cell phones, wireless
communications, radar and pharmaceuticals - which increasingly demand better
performance, higher purity, improved processability and sometimes entirely new functions.
Furthermore, crystallization is a basic unit operation in the manufacture of numerous
products that define our technological age, from large-tonnage commodity materials to
high-value specialty chemicals.
The CEMS Crystal Growth and Design group is turning the thinking of those early
pioneers inside-out, using ‘bottom-up’ strategies in which new crystalline materials are
made through controlled assembly of atoms, molecules, and particles, producing precisely
defined solid state structures from the sub-nanometer to the micron length scales.
Achieving the level of structural control required to endow crystals with a specific
property – for example, magnetism, electrical conductivity, light switching – is a nontrivial
task. Nevertheless, the group continues to develop guiding principles for crystal
design as well as theoretical approaches that make prediction of novel crystal structure
and properties possible. The group also applies traditional strengths in CEMS – transport
modeling and fluid mechanics – to elucidate crystal growth of these materials, providing
a critical component to the fabrication of advanced materials. Needless to say, the
inherent multidisciplinarity of CEMS creates a unique environment to tackle the substantial
challenges in this field.
Organic Crystal Growth and Design (Ward group)
Organic crystals increasingly are being viewed as
promising candidates for advanced technologies
because organic synthesis allows fine-tuning of
properties with unparalleled control. This can only be
exploited fully, however, if the crystal structure – the
internal organization of the molecules – can be controlled
precisely. The Ward group develops crystal design
principles that are used to direct molecular assembly
during crystal formation. These efforts recently have
produced frequency doubling crystals and porous
crystals that can be used for highly efficient chemical separations. The group has also
discovered a new family of molecular nanotubes, held together by hydrogen bonds,
which display crystal structures that mimic surfactants and block copolymers. The
group is now using its design strategies for the effective separation of chiral molecules
and for control of crystal polymorphism, which are important challenges in the
pharmaceutical arena.
The Ward group continues to use atomic force microscopy (AFM) for direct visualization
of crystal growth, a research area it pioneered in the early 1990s, that is now used by
numerous research groups internationally. The group recently has focused on the formation
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
Three-dimensional, transient flows are
computed using a parallel finite-element
method for the rapid solution KDP growth
system developed by Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratories. The crystal (whose
faces are roughly 10 cm in width),
completely immersed in a liquid solution
phase and rotated on a platform, is seen in
the middle of the figure with a pyramidal
top. Flow vectors are projected on a plotting
plane cut mid-way vertically through the
crystal.
One of the major objectives of the Derby research group is
to employ mathematical modeling applied via numerical
methods and high performance computing to gain insight to
crystal growth processes. The physics of crystal growth
encompasses a wide variety of phenomena that occur
over a vast spectrum of length and time scales, literally
ranging from individual atoms to cubic centimeters of bulk
material. One cannot pose and solve a model for crystal
growth completely from first-principles due to these disparate
scales. Derby’s group has concentrated on using
sophisticated finite element methods to represent the
coupling of transport, kinetic, and interfacial processes
involved with crystal growth at the continuum level,
primarily studying melt and solution growth of electronic
and photonic crystals. Recent efforts have been directed
at the development and use of multi-scale models that
attempt to integrate the disparate scales and provide a
more comprehensive model for growth. For example,
atomistic methods have been applied through a collaboration
with Professor James Chelikowsky. Mesoscopic models
that detail the phenomena occurring at crystal surfaces are
directed at describing organic crystals grown from liquid solutions. This effort involves
collaboration with the Ward group. The understanding gained through these studies is directly
applied to improve current crystal growth techniques and optimize the design of new processes.
Crystal Growth of Semiconductor and Magnetic Materials (Palmstrøm Group)
The current revolution in information technology has
resulted Become from the dramatic An Official enhancement in performance Corporate
use of similar Sponsor
processing technologies.
of both semiconductor and magnetic recording devices
through the
Work in the Palmstrøm group utilizes molecular beam
epitaxy combined with in-situ atomic level structural
and chemical characterization to study and control the
growth of single crystal films of semiconductors, metals
and heterostructures combining them to make structures
for semiconductor, magnetic and Microelectromechanical
Systems (MEMS) devices. Through
growth control and interfacial engineering Palmstrøm
and his collaborators have grown a number of single
crystal magnetic metallic compounds on compound
semiconductors. In collaboration with Physics
Professor Paul Crowell, they have demonstrated
through careful interfacial engineering and epitaxial
crystal growth that spin polarized electrons can be
injected from a ferromagnetic contact into a
semiconductor with high efficiency even at room
temperature. This is important for the development of
spintronic devices where the electron spin rather than
its charge will be utilized. They are working on
developing magnetic materials with very high spin
polarization and interfacial electronic band structure
engineering to increase the polarization of the electron spin currents. Other projects involve
making single crystal ferromagnetic shape memory films for MEMS actuators and shear
stress sensors.
Nanocrystals (Norris Group)
Scanning tunneling microscopy image of
the initial growth of FeCo on a
GaAs(001) As-rich surface. The atomic
structure of the starting surface and the
nucleation mode of FeCo growth are revealed.
The small rectangles correspond
to 4 As atoms that form two As-dimers on
the GaAs(001) As-rich surface. Individual
Fe or Co atoms initially form on
the As dimmers and then nucleate into
larger FeCo clusters between the Asdimer
rows.
Research in the Norris group continues to investigate nanometer-scale semiconductor particles
(also called nanocrystals or quantum dots). Due to their small size, these particles have many
8

AND DESIGN
is that it remains in general impossible to predict the
knowledge of their chemical composition”
John Maddox, Editor, Nature Magazine, 1988
novel optical properties and are under investigation for applications ranging
from biological imaging to solar cells. One issue that the Norris group has
recently been studying is how to introduce impurities into these particles.
Researchers would like to introduce impurities into semiconductor nanocrystals,
because many of the desirable properties of modern semiconductor devices
are controlled by impurities (or dopants). However, efforts in this area have
had mixed success and very little is known about why doping is not possible
in some nanocrystalline materials. The Norris group is trying to gain some
David Norris fundamental understanding of how doping in these nanocrystals works and
how it can be better controlled. This should provide an additional approach to
influence the properties of these interesting materials.
Crystalline Organic Semiconductors (Frisbie Group)
The next generation of flat panel displays, smart cards and photovoltaics may rely on crystalline
organic semiconductors, materials based on conjugated molecules that can transport charge.
Within the multi-investigator group funded by the University’s Materials Research Science and
Engineering Center (see CEMS newsletter, Fall 2002), Frisbie’s group focuses on understanding
the connections between structure and electronic properties in crystalline organic thin films and
single crystals of p-conjugated organic molecules. In collaboration with Mike Ward and
chemistry professor Kent Mann, molecular synthesis and crystal engineering are used to
design new crystalline organic semiconductors with systematic variations in molecular structures
and crystal packing for structure-property studies and for improved performance in transistors.
The new materials are optimized via an iterative design loop in which characterization of
structure, electronic properties, and transport provides feedback for new or revised crystal
designs. The overall goal is to find structures which result in much faster electron transport,
thereby improving the prospects of these materials for electronics applications.
Global Phase Diagrams (McClurg Group)
The properties of molecular crystals are a result of both the molecular structure and the packing
of molecules to form a crystal. Quite often there are several structures, called polymorphs, with
similar free energies. As a result, predicting the thermodynamically most stable polymorph is
dependent on having an accurate and precise intermolecular potential. Small perturbations to the
parameters in the potential lead to small perturbations of the free energy surface, but abrupt
changes in the minimum energy polymorph. This is a case of extreme parameter sensitivity.
Since small perturbations of the intermolecular potential change the most stable crystal structure,
the existence of a particular structure implies stringent constraints on the intermolecular potential.
Delineation of the family of intermolecular potentials consistent with an observed crystal structure
is what Richard McClurg and his students call reverse engineering of the crystal. The same
extreme parameter sensitivity that hampers the structure prediction problem permits them to
place tight constraints on the family of consistent potentials.
To aid in crystal reverse engineering, the McClurg group has developed methods for constructing
phase diagrams in which molecular crystal structure is given as a function of temperature and
intermolecular potential parameters. A phase diagram in which potential parameters are treated
as independent variables is called a global phase diagram. Such diagrams are well established
tools for classifying and rationalizing high pressure liquid-vapor phase behavior. The application
of the concept to molecular crystals is novel. These diagrams have several uses. First, they
are a tool for data mining in crystallographic databases. The goal of data mining is insight into the
intermolecular forces that form crystals. Second, they are a tool for feedback in crystal
engineering as described above by Dan Frisbie. Finally, there is a need in the pharmaceutical
industry to screen the polymorphs of a new drug. Global phase diagrams can be used to
identify missing polymorphs which have hindered production of several drugs and led to costly
delays.
CRYST
STAL GROWTH
AND DESIGN
Materials processing
Optical materials
High performance computing
Molecular materials and interfaces
Organic electronics
Epitaxial growth processes
and heterostructure formation
Materials synthesis
Properties of thin films
Molecular materials
Crystal growth
Electroc
ochemistr
hemistry
UPCOMING CEMS EVENTS
1960’S AND 1970’S MATE
TERIALS SCIENCE
GRADU
ADUATE TE STUDE
UDENT T REUNION
We are holding an informal reunion of Materials Science grad
students who were in grad school during the 60s and 70s.
The location is at the home of Bob and Beverly Sundahl
3322 E. Tonto Drive
Phoenix AZ 85044
(480) 893-6637
Schedule:
Friday, Nov 12, 2004
Arrival in the afternoon
Evening mixer
Saturday, Nov 13, 2004
Open morning for recovery, any sightseeing for AZ newbees
Afternoon/Evening Reunion celebration
Sunday, Nov 14 through Tuesday Nov 16, 2004
A three day trip to the Grand Canyon, if you are interested.
http://www.thetrain.comhome.cfm?dropSubNav=true
Those who have indicated they will attend include
Ron Bennett
Bilyar Bhat
Wei-Kong Chen
Sui Yen Lien
Joe Minahan
Yoshi Koike (Sato)
Jon Zbasnik
Bob Sundahl
Dick Swalin will represent the faculty of the era.
If anybody would like to join the festivities please let me know
Bob Sundahl
3322 E. Tonto Drive
Phoenix AZ 85044
(480) 893-6637
www.rsundahl.com
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Homecoming 2004: The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers
play Illinois on Saturday, October 23, 2004 at the Metrodome. For
more information see http://www.gophersports.com.
New EVP and Provost: Dr. Thomas Sullivan, from the University
of Minnesota Law School, is the new Executive Vice President and
Provost. The executive vice president and provost is responsible for
all colleges and academic units (except the Academic Health Center)
central support units and student affairs on the Twin Cities campus.
Dr. Christine Maziar, who formerly held this position, is the new
vice president and associate provost at the University of Notre Dame.
Building Renovations: Nicholson Hall and Jones Hall are being
renovated, with expected completion dates in November, 2004. Take
a look at the websites.
http://www.cppm.umn.edu/projects/Nicholson/nicholson.html.
http://www.cppm.umn.edu/projects/Jones/jones.html
3Visit the Chemical Engineering and
Materials Science Department Website
www.cems.umn.edu
CEMS News • Fall 2004 9

x CLASS NOTES Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Alumni
NEXT ISSUE: FOCUS ON ALUMNI FROM THE 1940’s
continued...
I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the generous
responses from our 1940’s alumni. Your memories
and stories enrich the pages of our newsletter, and
the history of the department. There was not enough
space to include all the notes, so the Spring 2005
Class Notes will also be devoted to our 1940’s
alumni. Responses received by January 15,
2004 will be included in the Spring 2005 newsletter.
All submissions are subject to editing.
Send your contribution to:
Ms. Julie Murphy
University of Minnesota
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
393 Amundson Hall, 421 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis MN 55455-0132
E-mail: jjmurphy@umn.edu
Phone: 612-625-4356; Fax: 612-626-7246
Web: www.cems.umn.edu/Alumni/AlumniForm.htm
2003
Kimberly (Stensgard) Ganzel (BChE, 2003) My husband,
Bob Ganzel (ChEn 2004) and I got married in August 2003.
We bought a house in Fridley, MN. I worked as a contractor
at Eastman Kodak, and at Medtronic until January 2004. I was
hired as an associate chemical engineer in the Chemical
Technologies lab at the Cardiac Rhythm Management building.
Bob is pursuing a few different job opportunities. He is currently
working in sales.
2001
Jaime Grunlan (PhD, MatS, 2001) I worked at the Avery Research Center in
Pasadena, CA for three years. On July 19, I joined the Mechanical Engineering
faculty at Texas A&M University (TAMU) as an Assistant Professor. I will be part
of the University’s effort to build their new Materials Science and Engineering
program and associated Polymer Technology Center (PTC).
Thomas Muldoon (BS, MatS, 2001) I have been working
for AMEX, a small company my parents own, based out of
Milwaukee. We manufacture feedwater heaters, and other
heat exchangers for the power industry. I am the Mechanical/
Materials Design Engineer and Engineering Manager. I
currently live in Boston. I will be presenting a paper I wrote
this summer on applications of the latest edition of the ASME
code to feedwater heaters. While working, I have been able to
travel much of the US, and also take a couple of trips to
Trinidad and Tobago. When not working, I enjoy traveling with
my girlfriend, Katie. We backpacked in southwestern China
(see photo), visited friends in Minneapolis, drove cross country
while moving to Boston, hiked and camped in Maine, and
visited New York City.
Chris L. Scribner (BChE, 2001) I have worked for
Boston Scientific for three years now (five years including
my internships). These are very exciting times for my
company, since we have launched our new drug eluting
stent. I work on the polymer which is used as the drug
carrier, and use many of my University of Minnesota
chemical engineering skills. My husband and I live in
Edina. We have a beautiful daughter, Laryn (see photo),
and are expecting another baby in December, 2004.
2000
Derek N. Adams (PhD, ChE, 2000) My wife Cyndi and I just had our second
child, Marcus, in June. He joins his two-year-old sister Charlotte in our happy
family. I am still working for Merck in PA. Oddly, I miss Minnesota weather.
Ioannis Karapanagiotis (PhD, MatS, 2000) After graduation, I returned to Greece,
and fulfilled my military duties. I worked at a company called Thrace Plastics for one
year. Since last July, I have been working at the Ormylia Art Diagnosis Centre,
which deals with diagnostic methods of art objects, with the final goal to promote
conservation and restoration strategies.
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
Nicholas Lanzatella (BChE, 2000) I received a M.S. in chemistry from the University
of Minnesota in 2002 working under Dr. Wayland Noland. Since 2002, I have been
working on my J.D. at William Mitchell School of Law in St. Paul. I will graduate in
2005. I plan to become a patent attorney, specializing in pharmaceutical engineering
technology and computer/computer programming technology. Concurrent with my
master’s studies and the first year and a half of law school, I taught organic chemistry
lab to undergraduates as a lab TA at the University of Minnesota Chemistry Department.
I was laid off spring semester because of severe decreases in chemistry funding. I
was voted (by students) as the top chemistry teaching specialist 2003-2004 (which
the department discovered after I was laid off when they counted the votes). I am still
unmarried, with no kids. This summer, I am painting houses for work. This is
probably my last summer not behind a desk. After graduating next summer, I plan to
take the Minnesota bar exam, the patent bar exam, and to find work in one of the
many Minneapolis/St. Paul patent firms.
L to r: Matteo Pasquali (PhD, ChE, 2000), Adam
Pivovar (PhD, ChE, 2000), Bryan Pivovar, Ann
Gronda (PhD, ChE, 1998), Balazs Hunek (PhD, ChE,
2000), Chris Goralski (PhD, ChE, 1998) and Larry
Musson (PhD, ChE, 2001).
Bryan Pivovar (PhD, ChE,
2000) I married my wife,
Laura,in Milwaukee, WI on
June 26, 2004. (Photo
submitted by Matteo
Pasquali.)
1999
Ryan E. Eckman (BS, MatS,
1999) After graduation, I went
backpacking around the world
with Alex Schabel (BChE,
1999) and Mike Hsu (BChE,
2000). I went back to school
at the University of Arizona
for a M.S. in Optical
Sciences, and graduated in
the spring of 2003. I am now working as an Optical Engineer at PROMET Intl. Inc.
in Shoreview, MN. I am in my seventh year with this company. I do custom lens
design for optical instruments, primarily illumination design, stray light simulations,
and radiant source modeling. I also do work in optical thin films, interferometry, and
optical metrology. In November, I bought a house in Columbus Township, MN.
1998
Jon Joriman (BChE, 1998) Since graduation I have been employed at Donaldson
Company in Bloomington, MN. I have been promoted to lead Chemical Engineer
within the Research and Development of Chemical Filtration Innovation. I have also
gone back to the University of Minnesota to finish a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
My personal life has been just as busy. I have been married to my beautiful wife,
Jodi, for four years. We just celebrated our daughter Jacqueline’s first birthday.
1997
David F. Bahr (PhD, MatS, 1997) I won the ASM Bradley Stoughton Award for
Young Teachers inOctober, 2003. ASM did a blurb on their website:http://
www.asminternational.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/AwardsProgram/
2003_Recipients2/2003Recipients.htm
Mark T. Swihart (PhD, ChE, 1997) My wife, Wendy, and I
are pleased to announce the birth of our third child, Rachel
June, who joins big sister Sarah and big brother Jacob in the
attached photo. Things are also going well for me
professionally. My promotion to associate professor with
tenure will be official in August. I have taken on the job of
Director of Graduate Studies here in the Department of
Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University at
Buffalo (SUNY).
1996
Jerry W. Hall (BChE, 1996) Things are great at work and at home. I am working at
3M as a technical supervisor in the non-wovens area, doing process and product
development. My wife Andrea and I have two boys, ages four and two. When we
were not chasing our boys around, we were building a new house in Woodbury, and
moving everything we own.
Xiangbing (Jason) Li (PhD, ChE, 1996) I joined Applied Materials Inc. in Silicon
Valley in 1996. In 2001, I co-founded a communication equipment company in China
with venture capital funding. The company grew to 160 people. I flew across the
Pacific between Beijing and San Francisco biweekly for two years to manage the
start-up, and attend executive MBA at Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania.
The company was acquired by a Singapore company in 2004. I decided to come
back to Applied Materials as senior manager of global product management. Now, I
10

xCLASS NOTES Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Alumni
Front row l to r: Ted Davis and his wife,
Kathy. Second row l to r: Jin-mei Liang
(PhD, ChEn, 2001); my daughter Michelle,
me, my son Matthew, and my wife Ling
Zhuang.
CEMS News • Fall 2004
am enjoying life with my wife, Ling
Zhuang, (U of M, MS, CSEE, 1995).
We have a son Matthew ( 5) and
daughter Michelle (3). Here is a picture
we took in April in Palo Alto, CA when
Ted Davis visited the Silicon Valley.
1995
Stephan Bancel (MS, ChE, 1995)
We just moved to Bruxelles, Belgium
on June 1st. I have been appointed
Country Manager in Belgium for Eli
Lilly. I was offered the job in early
May. It was quite interesting’ to move
to Europe in four weeks... find a new
house in Bruxelles, sell our previous
house, move our furniture, sell the cars... with a 23 month-old (Chloe) and a 10
week-old (Olivia). We are delighted to be back in Europe. The new job will be
challenging and very rewarding. We welcome CEMS alumni if they happen to
come to Bruxelles.
Philip J. Ebeling (BChE, 1995) I am the Director of Process Development at
Boston Scientific Scimed in Maple Grove, MN. I have worked there for nine
years. My wife, Jennifer, and I have three children: William (4), Emma (3), and our
newest arrival - Patrick James. “PJ” - was born in November 2003. Needless to
say, we are very busy with the kids. Our summer highlight will be seeing the
Wiggles Live in Concert in August! Would love to hear from old friends/classmates:
PJEbeling@aol.com
1993
Christopher Smith (PhD, MatS, 1993) I recently resigned from the Blake School
in Minneapolis where I taught advanced chemistry and some introductory physics
to motivated students for nine years. I am now in the process of heading to Nepal
where I would like to learn the language and culture while teaching at a university iin
Kathmandu. My wife, Leslie, and I have just completed the adoption of our third child
from India: Daniel (3) joins Benjamin (7) and Annalee (5). I am also involved with a
MURI research project involving electrochemical modeling. Hobbies? Hey, I have
kids! But trying to track down long-lost classmates sometimes occupies my time.
Send me a note at smiles@saysomething.com
1992
Sarah (Schroeder) Sanna (BChE, 1992) I went to work for 3M after graduation. In
1996, I was part of the spin off Imation. Around 1998, I left the engineering department,
and started working in a new group setting up software for new product introduction.
The new product included a database that would help others in the future with new
product development. In 1999, I moved to the IT group testing new business
software/updates for release to companywide use. For Christmas 1999, I gave
myself the gift of leaving the corporate world hopefully forever. I had been taking night
classes in upholstery since 1994. I started my own business in 1999. I married my
husband Jeff in 1998. We had our first child, Isabelle, in February 2001, and our
second child Sophia in November, 2003. I work at home doing upholstery, am a fulltime
mom, and am happier than I have ever been. I do not plan on ever returning to
the corporate world, and do not see engineering in my future. I still enjoy math and
science, and have done some math tutoring on the side. I value my education, but
I did not enjoy much of my professional experience. However, the people I met, and
worked with were wonderful, and helped me hang on as long as I did!
1989
Ralph B. Jacobson (BS, MatS, 1989) I am still married (31 years!). My wife
teaches diabetes education at Fairview University Hospital. We live in Merriam
Park in St. Paul. I am working right back where I lived in the 80’s when I rode my
bike up to the University to study materials science every day, I started my
business, Innovative Power Systems, Inc., in 1991 with Al Justiniano, who I met in
the polymer lab when I worked for Chris Macosko. Al has moved on to other things,
but he still gives me moral support as a member of my board of directors. The focus
of the biz is design, sales, and installation of solar energy and small-scale wind
energy systems. We are trying to do the impossible, of course, in building a
business with a very weak market for solar. I have a wonderful team (six full-time
employees). It is kind of gratifying to be the only game in town! I think we’re in a
good position to succeed if and when the market strengthens.
1988
Robert A. Yapel (MS, ChE, 1988, BChE, 1985) I am a Process Development
Senior Specialist in the 3M Corporate Research Process Laboratory Precision
Coating group. I received two awards this year. I was honored with one of the two
3M Engineering Achievement Awards for this year at a ceremony on April 8, 2004.
This award recognizes outstanding lifetime contribution of individuals in the 3M
Engineering Community. The Engineering Achievement Award is the most prestigious
recognition given to members of the 3M engineering community and recognizes
career contributions. This award was given to me for being a key pioneer in
development of precision coating technology. I also received 3M Engineering
Technology Specialists Organization (ETSO) Minichapter Leadership Excellence
award for the Coating and Web Handling Minichapter. This award is given to leaders
who transferred technology innovatively during past year. The Minichapters are
cross-functional teams that come together to accomplish sharing of technical information
to promote best technology practices. The Minichapters help to answer technology
questions, provide technology brainstorming, do project concept reviews, provide
technology consulting, and do design reviews.
1986
Mark D. Foster (PhD, ChE, 1986) A photo of my wife, Dona Foster (MS, ChE,
1990), me, and our five children (Rachel-16, Andrew-14, Laura-10, Peter-8, Timothy-
4) appears on pages 82-83 in the June National Geographic (NG). The two-page
photo spread of the family and almost everything from our house that is made of at
least 50% oil-based materials (primarily polymers) appears in a story titled “The End
of Cheap Oil.” NG was looking for a family with children who would be willing to let
them rummage through the house and look for things made from oil, carry it all out into
the yard, take a picture, and put it back. NG called the Dean of the College of
Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, who recommended me. Dona and the
kids were emphatic that they wanted to take on this job, and Dona’s superb
organizational skills carried the day. It was a great home-schooling adventure. The
children learned about oil-based products and photojournalism.
Jules (Jaye) Magda (PhD, ChEn, 1986) In October 2003, I ran the Twin Cities
marathon 20 years after running it the first time (1983 time: 2:54; 2003 time: 2:48). On
December 4, 2003 - my wife Christine and I were blessed with our first child, Faith
Kim Magda.
1984
Muhammad Sahimi (PhD, ChE, 1984) After graduation, I immediately joined the
University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where I have been ever since. I
was promoted to professor in 1994. I have been the Chair of my department for the
past five years. Over the past 20 years, I have published over 200 papers and three
books, the last one in two volumes. I have received the Humboldt Research Award,
the Kapitsa Gold Modal, and the Khwarizimi Award of United Nation’s UNESCO.
I have been a visiting professor in the USA, Australia, and Europe. I am married and
have a son.
1981
William J. Schmidt (BChE, 1981) I am living comfortably in Edwardsville, IL with
my wife Loretta and our four children. When not working, we travel, collect antique
phonographs, and relax. We are looking forward to that magic retirement date!
1979
Janal M. Kalas (BChE,1979) I worked as a chemical engineer for about 10 years,
and then went to law school. I have been a patent attorney for about 12 years. I am
a shareholder at the firm of Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth in Minneapolis.
About three years ago, I started up a software company, in my spare time, along with
a paralegal services company. Those enterprises are now stand-alone companies,
called FoundationIP and PortfolioIP.
1978
Jitesh R. Mehta (MS, Met and MatS, 1978) I enjoy the pleasure of two boys - a 22
year old auto crazy kid who is a senior in Mechanical Engineering at the University
of Minnesota. I also have a 19 year old son in his second year in Biomedical
Engineering, also at the University of Minnesota. I am currently in Shanghai
managing Lam Research’s Asia wide post sale Operations. My permanent residence
continues to be in Bloomington, MN. I am an adjunct Professor at St. Thomas
teaching two courses i) International Business and Ethics and ii) Strategic Management.
Joseph A. Monti (BChE, 1978) After spending six years at Chevron as a refinery
process engineer, I went back to school, receiving
an MBA from Wharton (my chemical engineering
mentor, Professor Isbin, gave me a big boost and
helped me get into that prestigious program by
providing a wonderful reference). Since graduating
in 1986, I have served in various financial and
operational consulting roles around the world. For
the last five years, I have been a partner at CAST
11

x CLASS NOTES Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Alumni
- The Center for Applied Strategy - in Los Angeles. We focus exclusively on
performance improvement work for banks and insurance companies. So, I almost
couldn’t be farther from my ChemE roots, or from the Twin Cities for that matter. But
I did marry my high-school sweetheart, Annette, and we very much feel that Minnesota
will always be home.
1971
Jae Chun Hyun (PhD, ChE, 1971) I am a professor of
chemical and biological engineering. I am also the director of
the Applied Rheology Center, an ERC supported for nine
years by the Korean Science and Engineering Foundation
(KOSEF). This center is patterned after an ERC by NSF in
the U.S., Korea University, Seoul, Korea. On August 22-27,
I hosted the 14th International Congress on Rheology, ICR-
2004, in Seoul as the organizing committee chairman, and a
former president of the Korean Society of Rheology. Many
prominent rheologists throughout the world registered for the
event, including Professors Chris Macosko and Satish
Kumar (BChE, 1993) from CEMS. Also Minnesota alumni, Ron Larson (PhD,
ChE, 1980; MS, ChE, 1977; BChE, 1975), a professor at the University of
Michigan, will be one of four plenary lecturers.
1951
Leigh E. Nelson (BChE, 1951) I am the owner and general manager of Welch
Village Ski Area in my home town of Welch, MN. I still use chemical engineering to
design snow systems, and it works. I ski every day at age 75. I travel to Europe
to ski also. I hope that all my classmates are as healthy as I am with such a sport
with which to grow old. I have eight grandchildren, and they all ski or ride snowboard.
I am taking my four children (without spouses) to Chamonix, France next March.
Check us out at www.welchvillage.com.
1949
Milton Goodman (MS, ChE, 1949, BChE, 1943) I worked on the Manhattan
Project 1944-1946. After graduation in 1949, I taught math, physics, chemistry and
engineering at West Coast University in Los Angeles for five years. I then worked
for the aerospace industry including Hughes aircraft, Lockheed Aircraft, and McDonnell
Douglas in the areas of propulsion, nuclear power and propulsion, and heat transfer.
I also worked for the Atomic International on nuclear power systems. Lastly, I
worked for Systems Development Corporation Santa Monica (SOC) on advanced
power systems which eventually became Unisys. After I retired in 1991, I was
called back for part-time work on satellite ground system support to the Air Force
(AFSCN). Currently, I provide tutoring in math and physics at West Los Angeles
College as a volunteer. For the last ten years, four chemical engineers from the
University of Minnesota, including Saxe Dobrin (BChE, 1944, deceased 2002),
Bernie Bratter (BChE, 1943) and Al Cane (BChE, 1941),and I have met once a
month for lunch at a local deli. We still meet with a fill-in for Saxe. I have never
married, but am socially active in senior groups. My main hobby is the game of
cribbage. I belong to a national organization, the American Cribbage Congress, and
play in national and local tournaments. Luckily, my health is good, and I remain
physically active. The exceptional education I received in chemical engineering
provided me with an excellent background to study and apply the varied technologies
needed for my work. I am indebted to the University of Minnesota for my interesting
career.
Athos J. Monti (BChE, 1949) I was employed for 37 years at General Mills, Inc.
in research, production and technology marketing. I retired in 1988. I am a widower,
with four kids and eight grandkids.
1948
Rosalie (Sperling) Dinkey (BChE 1948) It is interesting to me to remember the
different chemical elements I have worked with. My first job involved processing
uranium to make plutonium—a process that was not part of our curriculum, dealing
with elements that were not mentioned in school as being important. I learned about
handling and measuring radioactive materials, that there are types of chemical structures
that were not described in our undergraduate classes, and that many auxiliary
compounds can be involved in a manufacturing process. A later job involved making
microwave components from yttrium and iron in a large tube furnace, growing single
crystals, grinding the crystals into spheres (about 2 mm in diameter), then giving
them to the physicists for their devices. Never would have thought I would be
working with yttrium. Finally, I ended up working with silicon, one of the most
abundant elements on earth. The world of microelectronics involves growing layers
of glass on silicon, patterning the glass, doping it, etching it, all to make the devices
that are involved in so many of the objects we use, from cars to microwaves, to the
computer on which I write this memo. From radioactive U and Pu to Si, it has been
a great ride. Classmate and friend, Bobbie Cronquist (BChE, 1947) lives not far
from me. We keep in touch through email and schedule lunch together about quarterly.
It is the people one remembers from school and jobs.
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
Lennart I. Johnson (BChE, 1948) ) I became a Process Engineer at Northwestern
Petroleum Refinery, in New Brighton, MN, in 1948. Then, I started in the plastics
laboratory at Honeywell, Inc. I became the supervisor of the plastics lab which was
part of the Materials and Process Engineering section. I was responsible for up to
seven engineers and 15 technicians. During that period, I published and presented
more than ten papers in the field of plastics/polymers. My paper “Encapsulated
Component Stress Testing” prresented at the 1965 Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Conference was given a “Prize Paper” award. In 1965, I presented an
invited paper “Structural Design and Selection of Thermoplastic Materials” at
the University of Wisconsin Engineering Institute, at which I as also a
Forum Leader. In 1985, I presented an invited paper “SAE Activities in
Composite Standards Development” at the National Academy of Sciences
Building in Washington, DC, as part of a colloquium/workshop for
Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. From 1987 - 1989,
I was the national chairman of the Composites Committee of the Society of
Automotive Engineering (SAE,) and was responsible for development and
publication (by SAE) of Composite Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS)
prepared by my committee. I was also as a member of SAE Polymers Committee,
for which I developed over 20 polymer based AMS, published by SAE. I
retired from Honeywell as Staff Engineer in 1989. In retirement, I
developed the “SAE Handbook of Aerospace Composite Specifications”, which
was published by SAE. I have been an independent consultant for my
home-based business, Polymer Engineering. I am an Emeritus Fellow of the
American Institute of Chemists. I have been married over 40 years with a
daughter, and two grandchildren. We live in Minnetonka, MN, and have been
wintering in Florida. I enjoy golfing and hiking. My biographical sketch
appears in “The Marquis Who’s Who in America”.
Arnold S. Kitzes (PhD, ChE, 1948, MSChE, 1942) My technical responsibilities
were primarily industrial with more than 30 years of experience in a variety of
disciplines involving both solid and liquid waste disposal, sampling of multi-component
systems, heat transfer, and evaluation of collection systems such as charcoal filters,
and cyclone separators. I had over 40 years experience in reactor technology,
primarily with homogeneous and pressurized water type reactors. As a group leader
in the Reactor Experimental Engineering Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
for ten years, I supervised the development of shield materials for stationary reactors
including Boral and special concretes. The commercial process for Boral production
was developed under my supervision. I was instrumental in leading the program for
developing the potential thoria and urania slurries for application in homogeneoustype
reactors. This included original study of the handling characteristics of these
slurries at high temperatures and pressures, and supervision of the laboratory
determination of their rheological properties and pumpability in loops. I was also
responsible for the design of components unique to the handling of slurries. My
activities at Westinghouse as Manager of Test Engineering were concerned primarily
with the organization and direction of the test Engineering Section. I provided the
necessary guidance of the engineering design and construction of all high pressure
test facilities. My responsibilities also included the direction of the performance of all
engineering tests required for NES programs. In 1971, I was involved in Nuclear
Waste Management with particular emphasis on volume reduction of solid and liquid
wastes, and their solidification for ultimate burial. I retired from Westinghouse in
January, 1987. I was married to Esther, who passed away in 1973. She was the
mother of Judy and David. I am now married to Helen L. Knox. I was the
President of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (1972-73), and the Treasurer of
the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh (1978-2003). Currently, I am not involved in civic
activities because of physical disability.
Normann Storeygard (BChE, 1948) I have been a registered mechanical engineer
in Minnesota since 1958. I was a part-time instructor at the University of Minnesota
from 1949-51. From 1948-1981, I was employed as a chemical engineer, supervisor
and engineering manager at 3M. I retired from 3M Co. in 1981. I am a member of
AIChE. For the last five+ years, I have served as a coordinator in the 3M Cares
program. This program places retirees in volunteer service assignments in the Twin
Cities area. I have also been the National Field Director in the National Retiree
Volunteer Center (NRVO) in Minneapolis for over five years.
Peter E. Throckmorton (BChE, 1948) I
received my MS in Chemistry, from the
University of Minnesota in 1955. I went to
Kansas State University, where I received
my Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1960. In
1948, I was a junior engineer with Lago Oil
and Transport Co, in Aruba, NWI. I joined
Tainton Products Co. in Baltimore, MD as an
Assistant Research Engineer in 1948-49. I
Peter Throckmorton, 1963 was a Manufacturing Research Engineer with
Glen L. Martin Aircraft Co. in Baltimore from
1949-1952. In 1955-56, I was a development chemist at General Mills, Inc. in
Minneapolis MN. I was a Petroleum Research Fellow at Kansas State University
in 1958. From 1959-65, I was an Associate Chemist at the Midwest Research
Institute in Kansas City, MO. In 1963, we (H.M. Hickman, M.F. Brown and I)
received the “SPI Best Paper Award” for discovery of the origin of stress failure in
12

xCLASS NOTES Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Alumni
glass reinforced plastics. I worked as a Senior Research Chemist with Ashland Oil
Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland Chemical from 1965-1967 (AOI acquired ADM
Chemical Division in 1967). From 1988-1995, I was a consultant listed with the
Association of Consulting Chemists and Chemical Engineers in New York, NY. In
the course of my work, I did research on glass fiber reinforced plastics, heterocyclic
organic synthesis; biodegradable surfactants; amines, hydrazines and quaternaries,
specialty adhesives; alcohols in gasoline, catalysis and oxidation, and specialty
plastics. From 1991-1996, I was a consultant with TELTECH of Minneapolis. I have
been retired since 1997. In 1948 I married Phyllis Marie McGree. We have three
children: Ann, Carla, and Peter. Phyllis and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary
in 1998.
William J. Whitsitt (BChE, 1948) I devoted about 45+ years in research and
education for the pulp and paper industry. My work was concerned with the many
characteristics of fibers and paper that influence its manufacture, converting and enduse.
The work was often fascinating because it ranged from corrugated products to
tissues and such attributes as strength, stiffness-when-wet, softness, color and
whiteness. It is disturbing to see the economic troubles that our paper industry has
encountered. My wife, Ruth, and I celebrated our 49 th anniversary this year. We
have had a long and happy marriage, and hope the future does not bring too many
nasty health problems. Our son is a software programmer in the medical industry.
We see him often.
1947
John W. (Jack) Adler (BChE, 1947) I had my own small business, Adler Steel
Products, Inc. I sold special materials, not necessarily steel items, to heavy and
highway contractors and government agents. I retired in 1985. My wife of 51+ years
died in 2003. I have three married daughters, and six grandchildren.
W. Dale Sandberg (BChE, 1947) I opened my career with a job involving the
development of fertilizer production processes with the TVA in the northwest corner of
Alabama. After five years, I went to AEC in South Carolina. I had progressively
more responsible positions. I retired in February of 1980 as the assistant manager for
production. I have three children. My wife Dora has passed on. I moved to Florida
at the end of 2003.
1946
Paul A. Rebers (MS, ChE, 1946, BChE, 1944) My son, John, was recognized as
an outstanding Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Michigan. He got
married on July 25. His wife works in the Men’s Ward of a Psychiatric Clinic. His
parents are happy that he has at last found the right girl for him. My son, Mike, has
completed almost 30 years at the job he trained for at the Hope Haven’s School for the
Handicapped. Mike has a serious speech problem, but this has not stopped him from
being a good steady worker in a paper products plant in Sibley, IA. Our two
grandchildren had a great time camping with us in Colorado last year. The preemptive
war has really upset me, but I am finally facing the fact that all I can do about
it is to vote next November. Thanks to the Lutheran Student House, (the Match Box)
I found the right girl for me. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last year.
Best wished to all engineering and biology students.
1945
John Robert (Bob) Beck (BChE, 1945) I was in the Navy V-12 program. I
attended graduate school 1946-1947. I ran out of patience and money, and left
graduate school to take a job at Eastman Kodak Company in 1947. I worked for
Kodak until I retired in 1986. I was a Quality Control Engineer, Quality Control
Supervisor, Assistant Manager, and later Manager of the Kodak Processing Laboratory
in Palo Alto, CA. My entire career was spent in color film and print processing.
During my pre-management years, I was closely involved with the manufacture and
processing of color negative films and color papers. My career closely paralleled the
rise and fall of the silver halide-based color prints, which are being rapidly made
obsolete by digital photography. It was an exciting and satisfying career. I married
a newspaper reporter, graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, in 1949. We are about to
complete 55 years together. We have five children ranging in ages from 41 to 53. We
have two granddaughters. I have spent my retirement as a consultant and volunteer
in non-profit organizations, some in human service agencies, but mainly in museums.
I have tapered down from executive director, deputy director, chairman of the board,
and fund raiser to just being the manager of the collections of a small museum that
collects and shows electrical and mechanical artifacts (pre-solid state). My wife and
I have traveled in at least 41 foreign countries since I retired. We went to India in April,
2004. As the years passed I have become increasingly non-religious and increasingly
liberal. I attribute this to be the result of amassing greater wisdom from observation
and experience.
Harry G. Johnson (MS, ChE, 1945, BChE, 1943) I worked for General Mills in
Minneapolis, MN and Keokuk, IA from 1943-1949. In 1950, I moved to Richland,
WA to work for the General Electric Co. I worked on the Metal Recovery Project until
1953, on the Purex plant design from 1953-1958, and on the N-Reactor Project design
from 1958-1965. I received a patent for the Purex plant’s emergency cooling system
CEMS News • Fall 2004
in 1976. In 1966, I was switched to work for Westinghouse on the FFTF Plant
emergency cooling system until my retirement in 1984. My wife is Margaret E.
(Molly) Johnson. We were married on June 28, 1948. We have six children, eight
grandchildren and one great grandson. My health is poor. I am suffering from
exposure to asbestos and beryllium. I take prescriptions prescribed by my doctors,
but continue to have shortness of breath, a cough and throat problems. There is no
cure for the disease. Each day I go for a walk. Formerly, I would walk for 45 to 60
minutes, but now only 20 minutes at the most. Back in the good old days, I played
a lot of golf with my 10 handicap game. I still play occasionally, but with a handicap
more like 30.
Lawrence D. Stine (BChE, 1945) I worked for UOP Inc. as Director Engineering
Research and Development, as V.P. Customer Service, and as V.P., New Projects.
I retired formally in 1985, but continue to consult to this day. I worked for 57 years. I
have approximately 75 patents, and many publications. I received the Thiele Award.
I was the chairman of the AIChE Chicago section, Chairman of Fuels and
Petrochemicals, and a three year member of the AIChE council. I am widowed with
two children. I would retire for good, but there is too much left to do.
1944
Wayne Brock (BChE, 1944) After nine years in the navy, George White (BChE,
1944) and I founded the Brock-White Co. in Minneapolis. This is our 50th year, and
both of us are still around to celebrate it. I am more or less retired to Naples, FL, but
still get back to Minneapolis for three months in the summer. Besides golf, I am active
as a volunteer docent in the local art museum.
George White and Wayne Brock
Wayne Brock and George White (BChE, l944)
This year they are celebrating the 50 th
anniversary of Brock White Company, the
enterprise they started together in l954. The
construction distribution company, headquartered
in St. Paul, Minnesota, has 235 employees
today in St. Paul, and 12 branch offices in
Minnesota, the upper Midwest and prairie
Canada. George is retired and lives with his
wife Ginny in Minneapolis. They have five
children. George White Jr. is vice president of
sales and marketing for Brock White today.
Wayne Brock and his wife Marilyn live in
Naples, FL (see class note above). He is
chairman of the board of Brock White. They
have four children. Steve Brock is the manager
of the Eagan, Minnesota branch of Brock White.
Vernon L. Larson (BChE, 1944) I retired in 1983 as Managing Director of Union
Carbide, Australia and New Zealand Ltd. I have enjoyed retirement in San Diego,
CA.
Daryl G. Mitton (BChE, 1944) I consider my days in
chemical engineering as some of the best of my life. This
was a period of great times; great learning; and the
cementing of old friendships and the making of new ones.
Dave Morgan (BChE, 1944) and I were inseparable
through that time. We were good friends at Minneapolis
West High. When Dave chose chemical engineering as
a major, I followed suit. We were so close at the
University that I think a lot of guys in our class thought
we were joined at the hip. In Professor Snead’s Inorganic
class, we discovered Bill Bates, also from West High,
who became part of our group. We were arranged
alphabetically in the lab. Soon Bill, Al Bezat (BSChE,
1944), and Bert Brown (BSChE, 1944) were sitting
behind us, with Bob Boone (BSChE, 1944) and Wayne
Brock (BSChE, 1944) not far away. Snead was a great
Daryl Mitton and Dave Morgan,
1943
intro to our field—a cheerful guy and the easiest-to-take-notes professor in the world.
First year labs were a hoot! We learned a lot of methods and application. The
socialization that took place was amazing, particularly in Qual, when we ran around
with our spot plates trying to find others in the class who had our “unknown”. Perry
Morgan (BChem, 1944) as next to Dave and revealed that he eventually wanted to
apply his knowledge in the medical field. We thought he was crazy. There was no
connection. Dave and I agreed we would start each day meeting in the back of
second floor east lounge of the brand new student union that had just opened that fall.
I was always an early bird, but that second day up in the lounge I found an even
earlier bird—Bob Paulson. We soon discovered we were classmates. Bob
became a fast friend of Dave and me, immediately. Each day, Bob would brief us on
the day’s news and what we should read in The Minnesota Daily. We never missed
Tom Heggen’s or Max Schulman’s columns—really crazy stuff. We sailed through
first year math with instructors DeLapp and Pool. Those were the days before
computers, when slide rules prevailed. It was Hibbard Smith (BA, Acct, Deceased)
who always raised the cry, “Draw leather, men!” and guys pulled their Keuffel &
13

x CLASS NOTES Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Alumni
Bob Paulson and Daryl Mitton,
1943
CEMS News • University of Minnesota
Essers from their belt-attached smooth tan leather cases
faster than gun slingers in the old west drew their six
shooters. We wrote all our numbers to the power of 10 to
keep track of the decimal point. December 7th, 1941,
came all too quickly. Before a week had passed Bob
Paulson, Bill Bates, Hibbard Smith, and Herb Lyons
had enlisted in the Army Air Force. Bob navigated B17s
over Germany and completed his 25 missions when the
survival rate was only 11%. After the war, he switched
his major to political science and had a distinguished
career with Rand doing logistics for the Air Force. Bill
Bates piloted B24s, and was killed over Poland in June,
1944. Hibbard navigated B26s in the China, Burma,
India Theater and became a business administration major.
Herb stayed in the service and got his technical training
there and rose to the rank of General in the Space
Command. These friends would have made great
chemical engineers. Dave and I were joined that year by
other West High guys. George White (BSChE, 1944)
came in after a year at Notre Dame. Kenny Krake (BS, Civ Eng, 1944 Deceased)
came in sponsored by the navy where he had been on active duty since graduating
West High. Jack Zemlin (BSChE, 1944), a year behind us at West, did double time
to join the class of ’44. Jim Brunton (BSChE, 1944) joined the others in the B
names, coming from Macalester. Our toughest course that year was physics with
Professor Sutton. He was both a knowledgeable and entertaining guy, demonstrating
laws of physics by letting those laws work him over pretty good in the process. To
put it mildly—he gave tough tests and our scores showed it. After one exam, he
asked for questions, Dave threw up his hand and asked, “What was the average
score in the test, and did anyone in the class achieve it?” Both Sutton and the class
got a good laugh out of that, but it did not soften Sutton’s approach. Our out-of-classhaunts
were the second floor reading room of the library where we did our homework
and helped each other when we did not understand something. If the strain got
too great (usually studying for a physics test), we would adjourn to Brown’s Drug
Store down Washington Avenue for a chocolate malt. The Brown Bag Lunchroom in
the basement of the Union was our noon hangout, except in the spring when we
would head for the riverbank. We speeded erosion by a good 50 years with the
rocks we tossed down the slope while eating lunch. At the start of the third year, I
moved on campus. Unit Operations was the highlight course for us that year. The
thought discipline I learned in that class has served me well all my professional life.
We learned about industrial chemicals and processes, and were pushed to solve
tough problems and undertake complex analysis. It was difficult, but strangely
enjoyable. Here is where we encountered Drs. Mann, Stoppel, and Montana. They
were all uniquely different, but very agreeable and helpful. The lab was something
else again. I thank my lucky stars that I teamed with Dave. He was far more into
execution than I was. I was a good helper and quick learner. I remember we made
some potassium permanganate. It looked great and we were proud. We wanted to
dry the crystals. The drying oven trays were all stained or rusty. We lined a tray
with a large sheet of kraft paper. The chemical reaction between our prized product
and the paper only took minutes, leaving a charred mess. It was one of many
shocks we encountered in that lab. In Electric Power, we were able to latch onto
Lloyd Picard (BChE, 1944) as our third team member. He was a whiz at hooking
up wires and explaining what to do, and why, as we completed each lab assignment
with great dispatch. In Equipment Design, we were a team of five, with Al Bezat,
Bert Brown, Jim Brunton. The class was in an upper floor room with large square
tables. It was great for discussion and breaking the job down into parts. I remember
Dave and I turning our completed assignments in just before the 6 pm deadline the last
day, before graduation. In June, 1946, I got drafted!! Luckily, I was assigned to the
Air Material Command at Wright Field and spent my days there as a project engineer.
I got an MBA and a Ph.D. in business administration at the University of Minnesota.
While thereI taught management courses before moving on to University of California,
Berkeley to teach. I left academics for industry. I founded the Chemical Energy
Company, specializing in chemical milling and explosive forming. If I have a claim
to fame it would be for developing an etchant capable of sculpturing high heat-resist
alloys. I take pride, too, in having performed the chemical milling on the steel outer
shell of the Apollo Command Module and on the Titanium radiator panels on the Apollo
Service Module. (If you saw the movie Apollo 13, you saw one of our panels float
off the disabled service module.) We also did the explosive forming and chemical
milling of the very large segments that made up the 30 foot dome on the fuel tank of
the first-stage Saturn that boosted the Apollo toward the moon. We also had all three
of the developmental contracts on the descent nozzle of the Moon Landing Craft,
which was made of germanium. We tapered it by chem milling, thinning it enough so
it would collapse on impact, necessitated by the fact the nozzle extended beyond the
craft’s legs. My greed cost me the contract. NASA came up with a cheaper
alternative design. I have always regretted my pricing on that job. Somehow I think
it would be nice to have all those nozzles that we would have made, left abandoned
on the moon. We sold the business to a conglomerate in 1968. I returned to
academics, concentrating on entrepreneurship at San Diego State University. I have
written papers on thermal cracking, chemical milling design applications, two books
and over 30 papers on leadership and entrepreneurship. I have won awards from
most every foundation that supports entrepreneurship—in teaching, research, and
promoting the field as a necessary part of the curriculum in university business
education. My crowning glory was in receiving the Entrepreneur of the Year Award
for Lifetime Achievement, in 1991. Looking back, without a doubt, those early years
at the University contributed the most to whatever success I have had, professionally.
The friends I had and made at the University of Minnesota are still my best friends—
Dave Morgan and Al Bezat in Minneapolis, and Bob Paulson and Jim Brunton in
L.A. I am retired, and still living on the rural outskirts of the San Diego area, with both
of my daughters and their families (two children each, age range 7 to 17), horses,
dogs, cats, etc. in their homes just down the country road from us. Betty and I will
celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary in August. We live with our two German
shepherds, Sunshine and Shadow, who enjoy all the comforts we do, including a
very crowded king-sized bed.
1943
Robert F. Acker (BChE, 1943) I retired in 1987 after 40 years with the U.S.
Gypsum Co (now USG Corp.) My positions were mostly in research and quality
control. Since 1990, I have been living in upstate South Carolina on the shore of
beautiful Lake Keowee where I enjoy boating, swimming, fishing and views of
lovely scenery. This is a very active recreational community of mostly retired
people. There are many activities: bridge; golf, service clubs, churches etc. For
many years, I have been active in master’s swimming. Most years I could
achieve several times in the Top Ten nationally. We have one son, James, who
works as a contractor to NASA helping with data management on oceanic observing
satellites. He has a Ph.D. in oceanic chemistry. He also has a delightful family of
four year old twins (a boy and a girl), and a ten month older adopted Chinese girl.
We hope to see more of them soon.
Donald E. Cadwell (B. Met. E., 1943) I was in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946.
In 1946-48, I completed my master’s degree in physical chemistry at the University
of Minnesota. From 1954-1956, I worked at Dow Chemical Co. in Mining Technical
Service. I worked at 3M Company in St. Paul, MN in the Abrasives Laboratory,
Central Research Laboratory and Printing Products Laboratory. Generally, I worked
on the physics and chemistry of mineral, metal and ceramic surfaces. I retired in
1993. I married Ruth Hodgson. We had two sons, Frank and Stephan. I then
married Mary Jean Tebbitt, and adopted her three children, Daniel, Frank and
Jennifer. We had an additional two daughters, Jean and Elizabeth. Ruth and Mary
are both deceased. I have married a third time, Doris Lynch Jamback , a widow
with four adult children, and six grandchildren. My principal hobbies are singing,
music generally, reading, and family matters and gathering. My wife shares these
interests, plus gardening and travel.
Morris E. Fine (PhD, Met Eng, 1943; MS, Metallurgy 1942 ; BS, Met Eng, 1940)
I am strictly speaking not an alum of the current CEMS department, but am pleased
to have been acquired by the merger of chemical engineering and metallurgy from
the old School of Mines. Currently, I am Technological Institute Professor Emeritus
and Member of Graduate School at Northwestern University. I am still active in
research in nanotechnology, in my case, nanoscale precipitaters in solid matrices,
a subject I became interested in when I wrote a term paper as a junior in a class
taught by Art Forsyte. When I was teaching, I usually required term papers in
advanced courses. At Northwestern, Don Whitmore (B MetEng, 1943) and I
started the first Materials Science Department in the United States (probably the
world). Unfortunately, Don is deceased. The Materials Science and Engineering
Department at Northwestern currently ranks second in the U.S. I am also proud of
the high ranking of my alma mater, CEMS.
Kenneth S. Klarquist (BChE, 1943) I worked with Manhattan Project and the
Atomic Energy Commission from 1944-1950. I received my LLB in 1950 from
Georgetown University Law School. From 1950-51, I was the patent lawyer to the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Nancy and Harry Sommermeyer
in Custer State Park
Harry Sommermeyer (BChE, 1943) After
graduation with a B.CH.E. in 1943 I, like many
of my fellow graduates, went to work for Uncle
Sam. In my case I joined Harry Connors,
(BChE, 1943) and Jim Shaw (BChE, 1943) in
going to Akron, OH. Russ Ferguson (BChE,
1943), Ed Pirsch (BChE, 1943), and Bob
Kempe (BChE, 1943) were also in the area.
My employer was Rubber Reserve Corporation,
the umbrella government corporation responsible
for the production of all synthetic rubber during
World War II. I believe the cost of building all the
synthetic rubber plants was only $785,000,000.
After the war I went to work for Diamond Alkali
Corporation, in Painesville, OH. They were just getting into the PVC business and
I was responsible for developing uses for their precipitated calcium carbonates in
rubber and plastic products. After several years with Diamond, my father-in-law died
and left his chick hatchery business to my wife. I was getting tired of traveling for
Diamond, since in those days it involved week-long trips to Canadian and east
14

xCLASS NOTES Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Alumni
coast customers by train. I had very young children, and sometimes they would not
know me when I returned from a business trip. So, although I did not have the
foggiest notion how one went about hatching chicks, I moved to a small town in Iowa
to learn the business. After several years, with the hatchery business fading, I started
Crown-Line Plastics, Inc., a plastic extrusion firm, in 1957. Recently, I sold this
successful business, and am now fully retired and indulging in my favorite hobbies:
golf. flying, and photography. Flying, my second love, has been a part of my life for
over forty years. I am now a member of the UFOs, United Flying Octogenarians.
This is a very exclusive organization, open only to active pilots who have a current
physical and license. There were only 408 of us in the entire U.S.at the end of 2003.
I have three sons, each of whom graduated with a degree in chemical engineering
from a Big Ten university.. One time I asked them why they had each picked
chemical engineering as their college major. They replied “Dad, you told us that we
could always get a job as a chemical engineer”. One of my sons went on to get his
M.D. degree, and is now a kidney specialist in the Twin Cities. What goes around,
comes around. I have many fond memories of my years at the University of
Minnesota. I remember the tuition for Institute of Technology students was $45.00 a
quarter, $30.00 for SLA students. I was a commuter from So. St. Paul, and remember
riding the street car to classes my first year. Then I moved up to a car pool, which
was much more enjoyable. My instructors at the University were first class, and I
hope students today have the same quality. I have never regretted attending the
University of Minnesota.
1941
Harold E. Hicks (BChE, 1941) I accepted a position with Hercules Powder
Company upon graduation. I retired with 40 years of service in 1980. It was a
fantastic experience. I started my career as a research chemist, progressing through
many growth opportunities, in sales service, safety, supervision, and management.
I managed five plants, including the largest, and most diversified. My career finally
wound up in the International Department spending a few years in Asia (Pakistan and
India). After retiring, I became a volunteer with the International Executive Service
Corps assisting with various projects, mostly in Asia. Ruth E. Nelson (BS, Nursing,
1940, U MN) and I married in October, 1941. Having earned an ROTC commission
in the Army, Uncle Sam called me into service in September, 1941. My assignment
was the 62nd Coast Artillery (AA) based at Fort Totten, NY. When Pearl Harbor was
attacked, we immediately established the Air Defense of New York City and its
environs. Being a regular army unit, as quickly as a National Guard or Research
Unit could take over, we were off to England where the need for anti-aircraft (AA) as
greater. Shortly thereafter, we reloaded for the invasion of North Africa, following
through to Tunisia with General Patton, the invasion of Sicily, and next to Italy. We
then went into southern France on the invasion with the Free French troops. Finally,
progressing north up the Rhone River into Germany and Austria, until the war ended
Robert Z. Bancroft (ChEn, MS, 1951) passed away May 16, 2004 in Roseville,
MN. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Purdue University.
During WW II, he worked at Mobil Oil Co. He taught some chemical engineering
classes at the University of Minnesota, while working on a master’s degree in
chemical engineering, as well as an MBA. He spent his working career at Honeywell
and later at 3M Co. He sang in two barbershop choruses, one of which he organized.
Charles S. Brearley (BChE, 1940) passed away on August 22, 2003. After
graduation he went to work for UOP, and stayed there until he retired. UOP was
located in Chicago when Charles joined them. He lived in a house on the present
location of the John Hancock building. He married Ellen Mitchell in 1952. When UOP
moved to Des Plaines, they remained living in various parts of Chicago, and he
reverse commuted to work. Chuck was always known as being helpful to others,
so when he retired they gave him a dinner at which each person related how Chuck
had helped them. (Submitted by Vernon G. Skogan, BChE, 1938, MS, ChE, 1940.)
Donald A. Dahlstrom (BChE, 1942) died on June 16, 2004. He
taught mathematics and chemical engineering at Northwestern
University while attaining two PhD’s in metallurgy and chemical
engineering. He served in the U.S. Navy working in the oil
reserves in Peru for the war effort. He traveled the world
extensively as the “point man” for Eimco Corporation in research
and development and sales. He was Past-President and member
of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Institute
of Mining Engineering, Tau Beta Pi (National Engineering Honor
Society) and Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. He also was a member
of the National Academy of Engineering. After retiring, he became a Professor
Emeritus in the Chemical and Fuels Engineering Department and the Metallurgical
Engineering Department at the University of Utah.
CEMS News • Fall 2004
Gilbert B. Gehrenbeck (BChE, 1928) died August 13, 2004 at
98 years old. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in
1928 with a degree in chemical engineering. He was employed
by 3M Co. from 1928 until retiring in 1971. He worked for 3M first
in the tape laboratory, and then in Central Research. In 1942 he
became a patent agent for the company, continuing as a consultant
after his retirement. Later he was engaged in patent work for
Reall Precision Manufacturing Co. of Vadnais Heights, serving
on its board of directors.
in Europe. I returned home after three and a half years of war duty. I was one of the
lucky survivors. “There are no atheists in foxholes.” I wanted to get on with my
career. My wife and I had four fine children, all college grads, and doing well. After 48
years of marriage, Ruth died of cancer, a great loss to me and our family. After many
months of loneliness, Virginia Hobson (Vanderbilt, Ph.D.) and I married. Our combined
families include six children, 17 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren. Virginia and
I live on the Georgia coast. The ocean laps at our front yard. A championship golf
course is across the road. Semi-tropical breezes make for an ideal haven for a couple
of old folks. This area is about the last remaining, nearly ecologically sound, area on
the Atlantic Coast. We treasure the animals, birds, trees, flowers and fish that are
around us. Virginia is a book person, and I have become one, too. You can check
http://news.bookweb.org/read/2433 for more of what we do. Church, family, charitable
causes, volunteer educational and political needs, rotary, historical and preservation
activities, and friends fill our free time. We attended my 50 th class reunion and had a
great time. We are planning to attend Homecoming in 2005 – our 65 th class reunion!
1940
In Memoriam
Charles Batchelder (BS, MetE 1940) I am alive, well and retired.
Jerry L. Nees (BChE, 1940) After graduation, I went to work for Dupont Co. making
TNT. A few years later, I was called into service, and ended up a coding officer in the
Navy. I was in the Pacific area rank Lt (jg). After the war, I worked in the textile
industry a few years. Then I went to work for Multifoods Inc. doing research and
development work in the food area. I remained there until retirement. I did not like
retirement, so I went into the consulting work which was very lucrative. I retired a
second time in my seventies. In retirement, I arbitrated automobile complaints for the
Better Business Bureau for 15 years. I have been busy restoring a 1941 Chevrolet.
which is almost complete. I am active in the Shriner’s antique car unit, and other units
of the Shrine, and retiree groups. I enjoyed downhill skiing until I hit 80 years old. I
lost some control of the skis, so I had to give it up. We have traveled some over the
years, but always end up back in the four seasons. Everything seems to be changing
so fast, and the loss of so many in our generation leaves many empty spaces.
Robert N. Samdahl ( BSChE, 1940) My father died in 1994. My father’s career
started with Seagram Corporation immediately after graduation. He worked for Seagram
in Kentucky and California until 1947 when he joined Food Machinery and Chemical
Corporation (later FMC). He worked in a variety of engineering positions for FMC
offices in both San Jose and Riverside, California until he retired in 1976. He and his
wife, Margaret (Nelson) remained in Riverside until their deaths. My sister, Marian,
lives in Riverside. I am a physicist/ engineer working in the San Jose area. Between
us, we have three children. (Submitted by his son, Roger Samdahl.)
Charles J. Hedlund (BChE, 1940) died in Summit, N.J., on June
13, 2004.
Paul R. Kasten (PhD, ChE, 1950) passed away on February 29,
2004.
Dario R. Monti (BChE, 1952) passed away on June 19, 2004 in
Kirkland, WA. He retired from a long career with the federal
government in Washington D.C. He celebrated life with a range of
interests, but was most devoted to family life and involvement with the Catholic
church in parish-related activities.
Robert Moulton (BChE, 1940) passed away on May 25, 2003.
William J. Ohlweiler (BChE, 1926) 101, of Rock Island, died on
January 21, 2004. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in
1926 with a degree in chemical engineering. He was the owner and
operator of the former Carse and Ohlweiler Bottling Company. He
enjoyed all sports and was an avid bridge player.
Robert H. Pinther (BChE, 1942) died August 15, 2003 in Cheyenne,
WY.
Francis L. Shubert (BS, Met Eng, 1949) passed way on April 28,
2004. He retired from Teledyne in 1986.
Howard J. Schwartz (BChE, 1951) of Gastonia, NC, formerly Bronx, NY, died June
23, 2004. He was a US Army veteran. He retired from Lithium Corporation of
America.
Robert E. Troupe (BChE, 1949) passed away on February 15, 2004 in Minneapolis,
MN. He served in the Army’s 779th Tank Battalion during WWII. He began his career
at 3M, retiring in 1980. Robert loved the outdoors, camping, fishing and bird watching.
He was a member of the Audubon Society.
Vernon E. Varhus (BChE, 1941) passed away on June 14, 2003. He worked his
entire career as a chemical engineer with General Mills. He enjoyed a wonderful
retirement working on his farm, and spending time with family.
Alby H. “Al” Wolf (BChE, 1957) died on April 17th, 2003.
15

NEW FEATURE: WHERE IS THIS?
We are starting a new feature in the
CEMS Alumni newsletter. Every
month we will show a photo of
someone or something from the
department, and ask our alumni to
identify the person or object.
Be the first person with the correct
response, and your name will be
printed in this space in the next
newsletter.
Do you have an image you think
will stump the CEMS alumni? Send
the photo to me at the address
below.
Send your response to:
Bonus points: What event? What year?
Julie Murphy
Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science
151 Amundson Hall
421 Washington Avenue SE
Minneapolis MN 55455
Email: jjmurphy@umn.edu
This issue of CEMS News is available on the CEMS Department Website: www.cems.umn.edu.
Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science
Institute of Technology
University of Minnesota
151 Amundson Hall
421 Washington Avenue S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 155
Burgers and Baseball
Saturday, October 2, 2004
Join IT dean H. Ted Davis and department
head Frank Bates for a special IT alumni
event in Houston, TX. The casual, funfilled
evening will include a “U of M-
style” cookout beginning at 4:30 p.m.,
followed by an exciting game between the
Houston Astros and the Colorado
Rockies. Watch your mailbox for a formal
invitation in August. We look forward
to seeing you at Houston’s Minute Maid
Park!
Return Services Requested
Questions? Contact Jennifer Pogatchnick
in the IT dean’s office at 800-587-3884
or jpogatchnik@it.umn.edu.