Professor, Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering, and GRA Eminent Scholar in Membranes

          

Dr. William J. Koros

Contact Info
Email: wjk@chbe.gatech.edu
Phone: 404.385.2845 (office)
Other: 404.385.7568 (BH388)
Fax: 404.385.2683
Address: School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
311 Ferst Dr. NW
Atlanta, GA 30332
Office: 447 Bunger-Henry
Other: Google Scholar
       Curriculum Vitae

Background

William J. Koros is The GRA Eminent Scholar in Membranes and the Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor Koros received his Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas in 1969 and worked in the Engineering Department of the E. I. DuPont Company for the next four years. He entered graduate school in 1973 and upon completion of his studies in 1977 joined the faculty of the Chemical Engineering Department at the North Carolina State University as an Assistant Professor.

While at NCSU, Dr. Koros received the Sigma XI Award for research accomplishments in 1980 and was selected as one of the university's fourteen Outstanding Teachers that same year. He played an active role in committees for teaching effectiveness and academic programs. In 1983, Dr. Koros received the Alcoa Foundation Award for Outstanding Research Accomplishments and was promoted to the rank of Professor in August 1983. In 1984 he moved to The University of Texas at Austin where he served as Chairman of Chemical Engineering from 1993 to 1997.

Dr. Koros joined the School of Chemical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2001. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Membrane Science for 17 years from 1991-2008. He has published over 300 articles and holds 22 US Patents in the areas of sorption and transport of small molecules in membranes, barrier materials and sorbents. His research has been recognized by the AIChE Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology in 1995, the AIChE Separation Division Clarence Gerhold Award in 1999 and the AIChE William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2000, and was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2002 and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003. In 2008, Dr. Koros received the Alan S. Michaels Award for Innovation in Membrane Science and Technology from the North American Membrane Society. He is one of 12 KAUST Investigators selected worldwide to help launch the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia focused on solving key problems facing mankind.


Research Focus

My group is a leader in the creation of materials for use in advanced membrane, sorbent and barrier applications. The underlying theme in all of these topics is the understanding and control of thermodynamic partitioning and molecular movement processes. Polymers are generally a feature in all of the work in my group; however, the detailed materials can vary greatly depending upon the ultimate use that is desired. Highly glassy materials and hybrid inorganic-polymer materials are often topics we consider, since they offer diverse properties that can be engineered. Moreover pyrolysis of selected polymers to form glassy carbons is increasingly important in our studies due to the combination of molecular sieving and ease of processing they offer. For barriers, sheets are most commonly studied; however for membranes and sorbents, fibers are popular in our group. For membranes and sorbents, control of nanoscopic morphology in the fiber wall is critically important and is a special focus of our group.


Education
  • B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1969, University of Texas - Austin
  • M.S. Chemical Engineering, 1975, University of Texas - Austin
  • Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, 1977, University of Texas - Austin
Employment
  • 2001-present, Roberto C. Goizueta Chair in Chemical Engineering and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Membranes, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • 1991-2001, B. F. Goodrich Professor in Materials Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • 1993-1997, Chairman, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • 1991-1993, Associate Chairman, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • 1990-1991, Z. D. Bonner Professor in Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • 1986-1990, Paul D. & Betty Robertson Meek & American Petrofina Foundation Professor, University of Texas at Austin
  • 1984-2001, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • 1983-1984, Professor of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • 1980-1983, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • 1977-1980, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • 1973-1977, Graduate School, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
  • 1971-1973, Chemical Engineer in Polymer Processing Development Group, E. I. Du Pont Co., Camden, South Carolina
  • 1969-1971, Chemical Engineer in Polymer Processing Group, E. I. Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Delaware
Memberships
  • National Academy of Engineering
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
  • North American Membrane Society
  • European Membrane Society
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • American Society for Engineering Education
  • Registered Professional Engineer in Texas
  • American Chemical Society
  • Materials Research Society
  • Society of Plastics Engineering
  • Phi Kappa Phi
  • Sigma Xi
  • Tau Beta Pi
  • TAPPI



Honors
  • 2015 Centennial Lecturer, University of Texas at Austin
  • 2015 Y. H. (ED) MA Honorary Lecture, Worcester Polytechnic University
  • 2014 Berkeley Lecturer, University of California
  • 2014 UOP Invitational Lecturer
  • 2014 Plenary Lecturer, International Conference on Membranes, Suzhou, China
  • 2014 Reuel Shinnar Lecture Series, City College, NY
  • 2014 Lindsay Lecturer, Texas A&M University
  • 2012 Jack A. Gerster Memorial Lectureship Award, University of Delaware
  • 2012 Zhejiang Distinguished Invited Lecture, Zhejiang, China
  • 2012 International Invited Lecture, Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
  • 2012 Jack A. Gerster Memorial Lectureship Award, University of Delaware
  • 2011 First KAIST CBE Global Distinguished Lectureship Award, KAIST
  • 2011 63rd Institute Lecturer Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • 2011 30th Blue-Green Seminar Award, University of Michigan & Michigan State University
  • 2010 William H. Walker Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • 2008 Alan S. Michaels Award, North American Membrane Society
  • 2008 King Abdullah University of Science & Technology Investigator Award
  • 2005 Patten Distinguished Lecturer Award, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • 2004 Chemcon Distinguished Lecturer Award, India-US Joint Meeting, Mumbai India
  • 2004 Distinguished Visiting Professorship, Universidad Ibero-Americana, Mexico
  • 2004 Selected Faculty Member of the Year by Georgia Tech Graduate Student Government
  • 2003 Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • 2002 Elected Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • 2000 Elected to National Academy of Engineering
  • 2000 Who's Who in America
  • 2000 University of Texas at Austin Distinguished Graduate Award
  • 2000 University of Texas - Chemical Engineering, Alumni-Selected Teaching Award
  • 1999 AIChE Separations Division Clarence Gerhold Award
  • 1995 AIChE's Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology
  • 1991 Halliburton Engineering Faculty Award
  • 1990 General Dynamics Outstanding Teaching Award
  • 1989 Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Teaching Award
  • 1988 University of Texas Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award
  • 1987 Engineering Foundation Research Award, 1987
  • 1987 College of Engineering Faculty Leadership Award, 1987
  • 1984 NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, 1984
  • 1983 Alcoa Foundation Research Achievement Award, 1983
  • 1983 Tau Beta Pi Distinguished Chapter Advisor Award, 1983
  • 1980 Sigma Xi Outstanding Young Scientist Research Award, 1980
  • 1980 North Carolina State University Outstanding Teacher Award, 1980
Boards and Major Meetings Organized
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Macromolecules (2014 - Present)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, AICHE J (2013 - Present)
  • Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Journal of Membrane Science, (2008 - Present)
  • Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Membrane Science, (1991 - 2008)
  • Editor, Learning in Industry Feature, Chemical Engineering Education (1997 - Present)
  • Editorial Board, Polymer Contents (2003 - Present)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research (2006 - 2008)
  • Secretary of Society, North American Membrane Society (1987 - 2004)
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Macromolecular Science (1998 - 2004)
  • Chair- Gas & Gas-Liquid Separations, International Membrane Conference, Sydney (2003)
  • Chair- Separations, South African Chemical Engineering Congress (2003)
  • Co-Chair, IUPAC Membrane Working Group (1992 - 1997)
  • Chairman, Gordon Research Conference on Membranes (1989)
Plenary, Keynote, and Significant Invited Lectures (past 5 years)
  • Plenary Lecture, International Congress of Membranes, Using Fundamentals to Pragmatically Reach Advanced Membrane Objectives:Our Community's Charter, San Francisco, Ca July, 2017
  • L. W. Shemilt Lecture, Merging Science & Engineering for Energy-Efficient Gas Separations, McMaster University, March, 2017
  • Gerhold-Kunesh Award Lecture Session, Using All Available Tools for Advanced Membranes for Gas Separations, AICHE Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, October, 2016.
  • Keynote Lecture, MOF 2016 Meeting,Materials Science & Processing Issues in Polymer-MOF Gas Separation Membranes, Long Beach, CA, September, 2016.
  • Keynote Lecture, Division of Energy and Fuels, Advanced Membranes for Gas Separations: Entropy Engineering at the Sub-nanometer Scale, 252nd ACS- Philadelphia, PA, August, 2016
  • Y.H.(Ed) Ma, Honorary Lecture, Membranes: Changing the Gas Separation Process Landscape, Worcester Polytechnic University, October, 2015
  • Centennial Lecturer, Advanced Membranes for Gas Separations: Entropy Engineering at the Sub-nanometer Scale, University of Texas at Austin, September, 2015
  • Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, September, 2015.
  • Reuel Shinnar Lecture Series, Membranes as Large Scale Separation?Change Agents City College, NY, December, 2014
  • Keynote Lecture, ACS, Transport in Polymers Symposium, San Francisco, CA, August, 2014.
  • Plenary Lecture, Membrane Technology Pathways to Low Energy Intensity Large-Scale Gas Separations, International Congress on Membranes, Suzhou, China, June, 2014.
  • Keynote Lecture, 20th Anniversary Membrane Center, Trondheim, Norway, May, 2014.
  • UOP Invitational Lecture Series, Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes for Gas Separations, Des Plaines, IL, May, 2014.
  • Berkeley Lectures, 1. Maxwell's Demon is Hiding in Advanced Gas Separation Membranes, 2. Engineering the Science of Energy-Efficient Gas Separations, U. Calif., Berkeley, CA, April, 2014.
  • Lindsay Lecturer, Energy-Saving Large Scale Separation and Purification Process Options, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, February, 2014.
  • Carnegie-Mellon University, Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar, Pittsburgh, PA, Department of Chemical Engineering, December, 2013.
  • Cornell University, Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar, Ithaca, NY, November, 2013.
  • Keynote Lectures, 7th Sino US Joint Conference of Chemical Engineering, 1. Large Scale Gas Separations Using Membranes-A Pragmatic Perspective, 2. Emergence of Shale Gas Resources: Special Separation Opportunities and Challenges, Beijing, China, October, 2013.
  • Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering Seminar, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China, October, 2013.
  • Keynote Lecture, Strategies to Broaden the Platform for Large Scale Membrane Separations, 6th International Zeolite Membrane Meeting (IZMM-6), Jeju Island, Korea, June, 2013.
  • Korean Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea, June, 2013.
  • Dow Chemical Company, Freeport, TX and Plaquemine, May, 2013.
  • Northwestern University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Seminar, May, 2013.
  • Shell Global Solutions, Houston, TX, May 2013.
  • University of Santa Barbara, Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar, Santa Barbara, CA, April 2013.
  • Columbia University, Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar, New York City, NY, April 2013.
  • Plenary lecture, Congress of the Mexican Polymer Society, Membranes & Sorbents: Large Scale Separation Change Agents, Merida, Mexico, November, 2012.
  • Jack A. Gerster Memorial Lecture, Membranes & Sorbents: Large Scale Separation Change Agents for Energy Efficiency, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. September, 2012.
  • Invited Presentation, 2012 ACS Tess Award Symposium, Phila., PA, August, 2012.
  • Invited Presentation, IUPAC World Congress on Polymers, Blacksburg, VA, June, 2012.
  • Jiaotong University Invited International Lecture, Evolutionary Steps towards a Revolution in Separation and Purification Processes, Shanghai, China, May, 2012.
  • University-wide Distinguished Invited Lecture, Enabling Low Energy Intensive Large Scale Separations via Advanced Membrane Processes, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang China, May, 2012.
  • South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar, April, 2012.
  • Invited Lecture, DOE Basic Energy Sciences Workshop, Annapolis, MD, April, 2012.
  • Invited Lecture, 7th Chemical Engineering Conference for Collaborative Research in Eastern Mediterranean Countries, Corfu, Greece, April, 2012.
  • Invited Lecture, Symposium on Physical Chemistry of CO2 Separations, 243rd ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, March, 2012.
  • University of Connecticut Distinguished Faculty Lectureship, 1. Hiding in Plain Sight-The Invisible Energy Cost of Current Separation Processes, 2.Evolutionary Steps towards a Revolution in Separation and Purification Processes, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CN, February, 2012.
  • The Bill and Ann Doumas/Dow Endowed Lecture, Evolutionary Steps Toward a Revolution in Separation and Purification Processes, Virginia Tech, December, 2011.
      
Citations

Over 22000 listed by Science Citation Index as of August 2017.

H-index = 81, ISI Web of Science with 45.5 citations per item

Over 32,500 listed by Google Scholar as of August 2017,

H-index= 98, Google Scholar
      

Researchers Supervised (1977-2016)

91 PhD's; 26 MS's; 22 Post Doctoral Fellows