DonaldPaul
Polymeric materials, including properties, processing, blends, membranes for separations and composites; Barrier materials
About
Professor Paul’s research included the broad areas of polymer science and engineering and chemical engineering, involving aspects of polymeric materials including polymer blends; membranes for separations, drug delivery, packaging, etc.; polymer nanocomposites, multilayered polymer systems, and polymer processing. His work in layered polymer systems was part of an NSF Science & Technology Center and done in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University. The nanocomposite research dealt with techniques for dispersing nanoparticles like clay, silica, etc. in polymers, characterization of the morphology of these mixtures, and evaluation of macroscopic and local properties. Research on diffusion in polymers investigated structure-property relationships to design better membranes for separation processes and improved barrier materials plus an interest in theories and models for describing sorption and permeation of small molecule penetrants in polymers including the rubbery, glassy, semi-crystalline, and liquid crystalline states of these materials. All of these research topics were integrated into Polymer Science courses at The University of Texas at Austin.
Educational Qualifications
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, The University of Wisconsin at Madison (1965)
M.S., Chemical Engineering, The University of Wisconsin at Madison (1963)
B.S., Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State College (1961)
Select Awards & Honors
- Elected as Corresponding Member – Academy of Sciences of Bologna (2011)
- Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award – Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoplastic Materials and Foams (TPMF) (2011)
- Elected Fellow of Polymer Division, American Chemical Society (ACS) (2011)
- Most Valued Colleague Award – General Motors RD (2009)
- American Chemical Society fellow (2009)
- Materials Research Society fellow (2009)
- Herman F. Mark Polymer Chemistry Award (ACS), 2005
- Founders Award; Alan S. Michaels Award for Innovation in Membrane Science and Technology, North American Membrane Society (NAMS) (2005)
- Society of Plastics Engineers fellow (2004)
- National Academy of Engineering (1988)
- Mexican Academy of Sciences (2001)
- E.V. Murphree Award – American Chemical Society (1999)
- Malcolm E. Pruitt Award – Council for Chemical Research (1999)
- Billy & Claude R. Hocott Distinguished Centennial Engineering Research Award – The University of Texas at Austin (1994-1995)
- Society of Plastics Engineers International Award (1993)
- Materials Engineering and Sciences Division Award (AIChE) (1985)
- Phillips Award for Applied Polymer Science – American Chemical Society (1984)
- Arthur K. Doolittle Award – American Chemical Society (1973)