Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2006
Clifford Hach '47

 


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CHEMISTRY ALUMNI AND FACULTY OF NOTE

Alumni of note

Clifford Hach (pictured above)
B.S. 1947
• During WWII, Hach researched cobalt-reacted oxygen production for portable dispensation aboard Navy ships and submarines
• Established Hach Chemical Company in Ames in 1947, concentrating on analysis systems as applied to the water management industry
• Hach and his wife, Kathryn, founded the Hach Scientific Foundation to foster and support science education and to strengthen the interdependence between science education and the public
• The Hach Scientific Foundation provides more than 150 full-tuition scholarships for future chemistry teachers to land-grant universities in all 50 states (including Iowa State) and provides funds to chemists who wish to return to school for their teacher certifications

Darleane Christian Hoffman
B.S. 1948
Ph.D. 1951
Darleane Christian Hoffman• 1997 recipient of the National Medal of Science
• Former director of the Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory
• One of the researchers who confirmed the existence of element 106, Seaborgium, a type of primordial
plutonium

James W. Mitchell
Ph.D. 1970
• Vice president of the Materials Research Laboratory at Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies
• Named Iowa State’s first George Washington Carver professor in 1994
• Winner of two R&D 100 Awards and the prestigious Percy L. Julian Research Award given by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers for innovative industrial research

Faculty of note

George Kraus
University professor
• Director of the Biorenewable Resources Consortium and Center for Catalysis; assistant director for Biorelated Initiatives, Ames Lab
• Research focuses on converting soy oil into soy diesel and converting byproducts of the process into other value-added products (e.g., anti-freeze, airplane de-icer)
• Received Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence

Pat ThielPat Thiel
Distinguished professor
• Senior chemist with Ames Lab
• Received one of the first 100 National Science Foundation Women in Science and Engineering Awards in 1991
• Co-coordinates ISU’s new academic program in forensic science

John CorbettJohn Corbett
Distinguished professor
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• After more than 50 years at Iowa State,
still a part-time faculty member and senior
chemist at Ames Lab
• Received the Award for Distin-guished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry and the Spedding Award in rare-earth science research

Malika Jeffries-ELMalika Jeffries-EL
Assistant professor
• Gregory L. and Kathleen C. Geoffroy Faculty Fellow (established by the Geoffroys to support the teaching and research of an assistant professor in liberal arts and sciences)
• Awarded the Emerald Honor for most
promising scientists by Science Spectrum magazine, which presents awards each year to recognize minority scientists nationwide for scholarly activities and community service

Jacob Petrich
Professor and Department Chair
• Discovered system for rapid real-time testing for contamination on meat carcasses
• Received Mid-Career Award for Excellence in Research/Artistic Creativity
• R&D 100 Award in 2000, plus many awards for technology transfer and food safety

Read on | Henry Gilman: Iowa State's master chemist