Two alums from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois have received national awards from the American Chemical Society (ACS). The awards were presented at the 247th ACS meeting in Dallas.
William F. Banholzer, who earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, was the recipient of the Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management, sponsored by the Dow Chemical Company Foundation.
Banholzer, retired executive vice president and chief technology officer for The Dow Chemical Company, was responsible for Dow’s research and development activities around the world. In 2002, Banholzer was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest distinctions that can be accorded an engineer. In 2013, he joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a research professor.
Joan F. Brennecke, Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of Notre Dame’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was awarded the E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, sponsored by ExxonMobil Research & Engineering.
She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois. She was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2012. Brennecke’s primary research lie in the measurement and modeling of thermodynamics, thermophysical properties, phase behavior, and separations.