Midland, MI - February 20, 2007
Charles T. Kresge, vice president, research and development, The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich. has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Kresge leads the R&D portfolio for Basic Plastics & Chemicals, Hydrocarbons & Energy, and Licensing at Dow. He was elected to the NAE for his contributions to the rational design and engineering of mesoporous inorganic materials.
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. According to the Academy, it honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education, to engineering literature and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing or implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.
"All of us at Dow are honored by the NAE's election of Dr. Kresge to its membership," said Dr. William F. Banholzer, Dow corporate vice president and chief technology officer. "His new status is a reflection of his leadership in the scientific community at large – not only in his own research, but also his tireless service on behalf of the materials engineering community."
Kresge's Accomplishments
Kresge and his team’s creation of a new class of catalysts employed in the petrochemical industry has been cited as one of the most important discoveries in chemistry in the last 75 years by the American Chemical Society. He pioneered the use of supramolecular materials as a synthesis template for making new materials. Kresge’s development of mesoporous materials enabled rational design with unprecedented control over structure. This was accomplished by understanding the interplay of inorganic chemistry with organic chemistry, physics and biology in integrated systems. Kresge's work is currently being applied in heterogeneous catalysis & anchored homogeneous catalysis, selective adsorption/desorption, odor removal, drug delivery, chemical sensors, and adaptable properties for novel membranes. In addition, his work opened up a host of new research directions in material science, chemical engineering, physics and biology.
Kresge began his career with Dow in 1999 as global R&D director for Corporate R&D where he led catalysis research. In 2000, he was appointed global R&D director for Chemical Sciences, and head of Research and Engineering Sciences in 2005. Before joining Dow, Kresge was a senior member of the technical leadership team at Mobil Oil Corporation.
Kresge has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including The Donald W. Breck Award in Molecular Sieve Science and an R&D 100 Award for Innovation. He also holds many titles including Chair for Gordon Research Conferences on Zeolitic and Layered Materials and Guest Editor, Current Chemistry.
Kresge holds more than 100 patents dealing with novel catalysts and their applications. He has presented more than 50 invited talks and plenary lectures to the materials and catalysis communities and is the author of more than 50 articles in scientific literature dealing with catalytic materials. Kresge is listed as one of the 100 most cited authors of the last ten years.
He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Swarthmore College and a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Kresge Joins Other NAE Recipients from Dow
Kresge joins other NAE recipients from Dow who include William F. Banholzer, corporate vice president and chief technology officer; Madan Bhasin, senior scientist; Lanny Robbins, retired research fellow; and Walter J. Schrenk, retired senior research scientist.
About NAE
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) provides engineering leadership in service to the United States. The NAE operates under the same congressional act of incorporation that established the National Academy of Sciences, signed in 1863 by President Lincoln. According to the charter, the NAE is directed -- whenever called upon by any department or agency of the government -- to investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art. The NAE is a private, independent, nonprofit institution. In addition to its role as advisor to the federal government, the NAE also conducts independent studies to examine important topics in engineering and technology.
The NAE has more than 2,000 peer-elected members and foreign associates, senior professionals in business, academia, and government who are among the world's most accomplished engineers. They provide the leadership and expertise for numerous projects focused on the relationships between engineering, technology, and the quality of life. More information about NAE can be found at www.nae.edu.
About The Dow Chemical Company
For Editorial Information:
Anne Ainsworth
The Dow Chemical Company
(989) 636-2959
