American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Nuclear Engineering Division

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AWARDS

Fellow in AIChE

The grade of Fellow in AIChE is a special category of membership that identifies and honors that group of Senior Member chemical engineers who have made meaningful impacts to the chemical engineering profession. Fellows must have been in the chemical engineering practice for a minimum of 25 years and must have been an AIChE member for at least 10 years (3 years of which at the grade of Senior Member).  Election as a Fellow  is in recognition of professional attainment and significant accomplishment in engineering.  The number of Fellows in AIChE at any one time is limited to 5% of the total number of members. It is a great honor to be elected as Fellow in AIChE.

2008 Fellow in AIChE is Max B. Gorensek:

Dr. Max Gorensek of the Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina was elected to Fellow in AIChE in the Fall of 2008.  Dr. Gorensek is an internationally recognized authority in the areas of chemical process modeling and simulation, physical property models, research and development of processes for the manufacture of hydrogen (as well as ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer), and catalyst testing.  He is highly regarded by his peers and customers across the DOE complex for his expertise in both chemical process engineering and computational modeling.  He is a corporate resource on flowsheet modeling and the development and improvement of Thermochemical processes for the production of hydrogen.  He has made a significant contribution to the Department of Energy's Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative at the national level, has influenced the direction of the program and as a result has gained national recognition.  Max has developed and continues to go after new funding for SRNL, having been instrumental in securing nearly $1.5M so far.  Equally important, he has established valuable partnerships with Clemson, the University of South Carolina (where he is a member of the graduate faculty and was recently nominated for an adjunct professor appointment), and the University of Virginia.

 

Robert E. Wilson Award

The Robert E. Wilson award is the oldest award presented by a Division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The award was first presented by the Nuclear Engineering Division in 1967, and is made to an individual for outstanding chemical engineering contributions and achievements in the nuclear industry.  The award promotes the objectives of the Nuclear Engineering Division of AIChE.

The award is given in memory of Dr. Robert E. Wilson, a noted chemical engineer, long time member of AIChE, board chairman of Standard Oil of Indiana, and member of the former U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Dr. Wilson was active with the AEC from its inception and many claim he was in a very real sense responsible for the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. At the time of his death in 1964, Dr. Wilson was serving as an advisor to the U.S. delegation at the Third Conference on Peaceful Uses of the Atom. With his background primarily in industry and commerce, Dr. Wilson was regarded as the "champion of industry" Commissioner. The colorful and productive life of Dr. Wilson was summarized in the September 11, 1964 issue of Time magazine which can be viewed by clicking here.

The Award consists of a certificate, a plaque, and an honorarium sponsored by the Fluor Foundation. The Award is presented annually at the AIChE National meeting.

The 2008 Robert E. Wilson award winner is Ralph A. Leonard:

Dr. Leonard has been a member of the Nuclear Engineering Division (NED) of AIChE since he joined Argonne National Laboratory in 1976.  He has been membership chair, director, vice chair, chair, programming chair, and nominating committee chair of NED. He has worked on various technical programs in the areas of nuclear technology and separation science.  These programs include liquid extraction, ion exchange, flowsheet development, and centrifugal contactor design for nuclear fuel reprocessing and separation of nuclear wastes; uranium dissolution for Mo-99 recovery; sodium technology for fast breeder reactors; tritium and liquid metal technology for the fusion power program; and proof-of-breeding analytical support for the light water breeder reactor.  In these various projects, he worked in the areas of material balance, chemical reaction, mass transfer, fluid flow, hydraulics, various chemical separation processes, improved methods for modeling process flowsheets, vibration analysis, equipment design, and remote maintenance.  He developed a dimensionless number for liquid-liquid dispersions, which is the basis of (1) a quantitative model for centrifugal contactors and (2) a laboratory test for evaluating solvents.  He is the author or co-author of over 100 articles and reports, most of these publications have been a result of work at Argonne.

The award will be  presented at a special luncheon during the AIChE Annual meeting on Tuesday, November 18, at the conference hotel, the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown hotel.  If you are planning to attend the annual meeting, please sign up for this special luncheon when you register for the meeting.  The cost will be $10 which is a bargain for a good meal in downtown Philadelphia.

 

The 2007 Robert E. Wilson award winner is William D. Rhodes:

The award was presented at a special luncheon during the AIChE Annual meeting on November 6, 2007 in recognition of his outstanding chemical engineering contributions to the nuclear industry spanning the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Liquid-Metal Reactor technology development, and leadership roles at the divisional and national levels within AIChE that promoted the role of chemical engineers in addressing our nation’s energy security.

 

The 2006 Robert E. Wilson award winner is Arlin L. Olson:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The award was presented at the AIChE Annual meeting on November 14, 2006 in recognition of Mr. Olson's outstanding chemical engineering contributions to the nuclear industry in the areas of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, radioactive waste management, and leadership in AIChE and the Nuclear Engineering Division.

Application Instructions

Deadline for application of this award during any calendar year is September 1.  Nominees must be members of the of the Division and AIChE. Please send nominations to the Robert E. Wilson Award Subcommittee Chair, Paul D. d'Entremont, Savannah River National Lab, 735-A, Aiken, SC 29808.  Mr. d'Entremont's phone number is 803-725-6742 and his email is paul.dentremont@srnl.doe.gov.

Award Winners

1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

Crawford H. Greenewalt
Manson Benedict
W. Kenneth Davis
Robert B. Richards
Stephen Lawroski
F. C. Culler Jr.
Lombard Squires
James A. Buckham
Milton Levenson
Miles C. Leverett
John R. Hoffman
Edward A. Mason
William P. Bebbington

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992

Thomas H. Pigford
Walton A. Rodger
Richard C. Vogel
Charles F. Bonilla
Leslie Burris
James R. Merriman
Alfred Schneider
Raymond G. Wymer
Samuel J. Beard
Lawrence T. Lakey
Martin J. Steindler
John A. McBride
Finis S. Patton

1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

John W. Bartlett
S. George Bankoff
George R. Jasny
Hans K. Fauske
Theo G. Theofanous
Michael J. Bell
William F. Holcomb
Herbert S. Isbin
Glen E. Benedict
Rowland E. Felt
Randall R. Robinson
Nathan A. Chipman

Charles W. Forsberg

Arlin L. Olson

William D. (Bill) Rhodes

Ralph A. Leonard