Department News

• New Chemical Engineering Scholarship for Undergraduate Students Established
• AIChE Centennial Celebration
• New Building
• Crab Boil

In the October 31, 2005 issue of Chemical and Engineering News, our department is ranked #23 in "Schools Spending Most on Chemical Engineering R&D" for 2003. This is the first time that we have cracked the top 25 nationally among peer chemical engineering departments. Just as notable is the fact that we moved up 15 places from our 38th ranking in 2002.

In other news, chemical engineering is tops in salary offers for graduating seniors. According to a quarterly survey published by the National Association of Colleges & Employers' (NACE), the average starting salaries for most majors has increased with chemical engineering topping the list at $55,900. For chemical engineering, this represents a 4.2% increase over academic year 2004-05. The survey also notes that employers are planning to hire more college grads this year compared to last academic year. (The preceding is from an article titled, "Most lucrative college degrees," posted on CNNMoney.com on February 13, 2006

New Chemical Engineering Scholarship for Undergraduate Students Established

Mr. Ram N. Bhatia, a retiree from the ExxonMobil Corporation, has donated funds to establish the Ram N. Bhatia Scholarship in Chemical Engineering at LSU. First preference for the scholarship will be given to undergraduate students who are citizens of India.

Mr. Bhatia's contribution, along with the ExxonMobil matching funds, will provide an endowment of $20,000. He may contribute additional funds and can opt to convert this fund to a professorship in the future.

This is not the first instance of generosity Mr. Bhatia has shown towards LSU. He previously established a scholarship in the LSU Department of Kinesiology in the name of Judy Bhatia, his late wife. He has also made a building donation to the LSU Lod Cook
Alumni Center in Mrs. Bhatia's name. In addition, the Remal Das and Lachmi Devi Bhatia Memorial Professorship was funded in 1997 by Mr. Bhatia in the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication in memory of his parents.

Mr. Bhatia was born in India and came to the United States in 1966. He is a chemical engineer, retired from ExxonMobil in 2002 after working in several positions worldwide for over 34 years. He is a co-inventor for six patented chemical processes.

The department is deeply grateful for the generosity that Mr. Bhatia has shown in establishing this scholarship for our students. We thank him wholeheartedly for his support for our department and the University.

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AIChE Centennial Celebration

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008. As part this centennial celebration, the institute is compiling interview-based mini-histories of outstanding living chemical engineers. The institute has asked chemical engineering departments across the country to participate in this endeavor by providing mini-histories for 2 individuals associated with their departments. The individuals chosen can be current, retired, or Emeritus faculty or graduates of the department that have a distinguished record as an educator, researcher, or administrator in the academic world. The other selection should be from industry/government with a distinguished record as an inventor or innovator, leading a major corporation, a major donor to the school, or other traits.

The ChE faculty chose Armando Corripio (B.S., 1963; M.S., 1967; Ph.D., 1970) and Paul Murrill (M.S., 1962; Ph.D. 1963) as those to represent LSU's Department of Chemical Engineering. Both are graduates of the department who have served on the faculty as well. Corripio served on the faculty for 37 years until his retirement in 2005. During that time, he became one of our most popular and beloved teachers ever and was an excellent researcher as well publishing a widely used textbook with Carlos A. Smith, Principles and Practice of Automatic Process Control. While Corripio devoted his career to teaching and research, Murrill chose the administrative route, serving as Chairman for the department then on up to Provost and Chancellor of LSU. He left the university in 1981 to provide his immense talents and expertise to the industrial sector serving as Chairman and CEO of Gulf States Utilities Company (now Entergy), until his retirement in 1991.

The department congratulates both of these outstanding individuals on their service to the department, the University, and to the profession of chemical engineering

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New Building

ChE Building Fundraising Drive Accelerates

The College of Engineering is playing a lead role in FOREVER LSU, the University's largest and most ambitious capital campaign, kicked off in New York City in June. The College's campaign priorities include the fundraising drive for the construction of the new Chemical Engineering Building.

Ron Cambre (B.S.,1960), who has already made a most generous gift to start the Building fundraising drive, is chairing the Chemical Engineering Campaign Steering Committee. The Committee's charge is to raise a significant amount of private funds from alumni and industry, in order to accelerate the timetable of the building's construction. Cambre will also serve as Vice Chair of the College's Campaign Steering Committee, which is chaired by former ExxonMobil Executive Vice President Harry Longwell (BS, PE, 1964). Joining Cambre on the ChE Committee will be George Daniels (B.S., 1963), Dwight Fontaine (B.S.,1970; M.S., 1973) and Al Lopez (B.S., 1963; M.S., 1965; Ph.D., 1968).

For information about how to support the ChE Building fundraising drive, please contact Harriet Pooler, Associate Director of Development, College of Engineering. Harriet is a new development officer, hired to advance the fundraising efforts of the Department of Chemical Engineering. She can be reached at 225-578-8738 (direct line) or by email, hpoole1@lsu.edu.

Cathleen Dodge
Director of Development
College of Engineering

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Crab Boil

The annual departmental crab boil was held on October 7, 2005. The crab boil is hosted by the graduate students each fall as a welcome to new students and new faculty. The weather was perfect, the food was good, and everyone who attended had a great time.

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