Convocation

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Ceremony details

• 1:30 p.m., with doors opening at 12:30 p.m.
• Colwell Playhouse, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
• 500 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana
• Reception at Studio Theatre, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, immediately following the ceremony
• The speaker for convocation will be Raymond M. Pasteris, president of Pasteris Energy and a University of Illinois Chemical Engineering alumnus.

Advanced registration is required for the formal department ceremony. For tickets, please contact Becky Lyle, rlyle@illinois.edu, (217) 244-2819

Additional information: The campus-wide ceremony that includes the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences takes place at 10:30 a.m. at the Assembly Hall. For student instructions and ceremony details, visit the campus commencement website.

Convocation speaker will be Raymond M. Pasteris

A native of Joliet, Illinois, Mr. Pasteris received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1975. He is now President of Pasteris Energy, Inc., a professional services firm, which he founded in 1993 to provide advisory services to energy producers, consumers and regulators worldwide. He is currently active in the development of solar PV and other renewable energy projects.

Following graduation from Illinois he began his engineering career with Mobil Corporation as a Process Engineer at its Joliet, Illinois refinery. Assigned to the refinery’s steam and power generation and distribution systems he became interested in applying cogeneration technologies to improve the efficiency and reduce costs of steam and power generation within the refinery. While in Joliet he also developed and taught courses in Industrial Water Treatment at the Joliet Junior College. The courses were directed towards engineers and plant operators working in industry and water utilities in the Chicago area.

In 1982 Mr. Pasteris became a Senior Engineer and was transferred to Mobil’s Corporate Engineering offices located in Princeton, New Jersey. There he worked to develop cogeneration projects for Mobil’s oil refining facilities worldwide. His efforts resulted in the construction of four cogeneration projects at four Mobil oil refineries in the US.

Responding to opportunities in the deregulation of US electric generation Mr. Pasteris left Mobil in 1986 to serve as General Manager of Cogeneration for Catalyst Energy Corporation a publicly held independent power company, headquartered in New York City. Mr. Pasteris was responsible for the management of four power plants including two biomass renewable energy plants and one hydroelectric power plant.

From 1990 to 1993, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Development for Catalyst Thermal Corporation, the largest, publicly held; independent district heating company in the U.S. Mr. Pasteris was responsible for engineering, project development, contract negotiations, energy audits, capital budgets and risk management.

He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois and a member of IEEE, ASHRAE and a founding member and Director of the Turbine Inlet Cooling Association (TICA).

Mr. Pasteris and his wife Barbara live in Yardley, PA and have one daughter, Marisha. In his spare time Ray enjoys golf, restoring classic cars and playing clarinet in the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony.