Inaugural Champion of KAUST named
Dr. William J. Koros, the Roberto C. Goizueta chair for excellence in chemical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in membranes, was named the inaugural Champion of KAUST.
"Our collaboration has been a very complementary and positive relationship,” Koros explained. “The way that KAUST is organized and the vision that it has disentangles bureaucracy from technology. There is definite connectivity, but I don’t think we are one in the same fabric. KAUST has its own perspective, but what weaves us together is an absolute demand for excellence and a requirement that you do something that has an impact.”
Dr. Ingo Pinnau, director of the AMPMC, is a former Ph.D. student of Koros who returned to industry after completing his doctoral degree. However, he stayed connected to academia as an adjunct faculty member at Stanford, and his experience in academia and industry distinguished him as the top choice to lead the new center.
“When I was appointed as director in 2008, the center was a blank slate, and Bill gave valuable input. While our relationship and our research have evolved through the years, both have always been extremely positive and cooperative,” Pinnau said. “Since the AMPMC was established, we've seen 28 master’s degree and 17 doctoral students graduate, and we've published more than 400 papers and filed 63 patent applications, with six granted patents.”
- By Michelle D’Antoni, KAUST News
Dr. William (Bill) J. Koros, the Roberto C. Goizueta chair for excellence in chemical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in membranes, was named the inaugural Champion of KAUST.
The Champions of KAUST award honors an individual or institution for outstanding contributions and partnership as a part of the historic journey of KAUST. At a reception on January 12 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., colleagues from KAUST and Georgia Tech and friends from the surrounding science and technology academic community came together to honor Koros for his efforts in supporting the vision of KAUST.
“At KAUST, we are continually grateful to our friends at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and it was an honor to be joined by President G.P. ‘Bud’ Peterson and many of our colleagues from Georgia Tech, Emory University, Spelman and Morehouse College for this memorable evening,” said KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau. “Together our partnership continues to expand the reach of science and technology in the world.”
A champion and collaborator to KAUST faculty, researchers and students since 2008, Koros helped guide the initial strategy of the KAUST Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Center (AMPMC). Before KAUST was built and while the University's research agenda was still being shaped, Koros proposed research to globally reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency in processes. Applying successful membrane technology beyond the area of water and into producing hydrocarbon fuels and petrochemicals was of great interest to KAUST, even though it had yet to become a focus of global interest.
“It has been very satisfying to see that together we were able to continue growing, developing and now spreading that vision to many people working in academia in the U.S., because now membranes beyond water is a very active and fertile area for research," he continued. "Not everything we proposed worked, but much did, and these areas have been a powerful influence for additional programs we have undertaken with U.S. industries. KAUST trusted us to push the limits, and that has paid off enormously well.”
The Champions of KAUST award honors an individual or institution for outstanding contributions and partnership as a part of the historic journey of KAUST. At a reception on January 12 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., colleagues from KAUST and Georgia Tech and friends from the surrounding science and technology academic community came together to honor Koros for his efforts in supporting the vision of KAUST.
Gratitude for Koros
“At KAUST, we are continually grateful to our friends at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and it was an honor to be joined by President G.P. ‘Bud’ Peterson and many of our colleagues from Georgia Tech, Emory University, Spelman and Morehouse College for this memorable evening,” said KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau. “Together our partnership continues to expand the reach of science and technology in the world.”
A champion and collaborator to KAUST faculty, researchers and students since 2008, Koros helped guide the initial strategy of the KAUST Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Center (AMPMC). Before KAUST was built and while the University's research agenda was still being shaped, Koros proposed research to globally reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency in processes. Applying successful membrane technology beyond the area of water and into producing hydrocarbon fuels and petrochemicals was of great interest to KAUST, even though it had yet to become a focus of global interest.
High-risk, high-reward research
“The main impact of this collaboration is that it has allowed us to dig deeper into research topics,” Koros explained. “The work with KAUST kept us a vibrant research operation while the rest of the world caught up with the idea that hydrocarbons are actually a very valuable source—not just for fuel, but also for raw materials and for chemicals. It allowed me to do what I thought needed to be done at a time when it was not in vogue.”“It has been very satisfying to see that together we were able to continue growing, developing and now spreading that vision to many people working in academia in the U.S., because now membranes beyond water is a very active and fertile area for research," he continued. "Not everything we proposed worked, but much did, and these areas have been a powerful influence for additional programs we have undertaken with U.S. industries. KAUST trusted us to push the limits, and that has paid off enormously well.”
A relationship of connectivity
The collaboration with Koros has been marked by a shared commitment to scientific discovery and excellence as well as collegial respect and partnership spanning across borders and institutions."Our collaboration has been a very complementary and positive relationship,” Koros explained. “The way that KAUST is organized and the vision that it has disentangles bureaucracy from technology. There is definite connectivity, but I don’t think we are one in the same fabric. KAUST has its own perspective, but what weaves us together is an absolute demand for excellence and a requirement that you do something that has an impact.”
Dr. Ingo Pinnau, director of the AMPMC, is a former Ph.D. student of Koros who returned to industry after completing his doctoral degree. However, he stayed connected to academia as an adjunct faculty member at Stanford, and his experience in academia and industry distinguished him as the top choice to lead the new center.
“When I was appointed as director in 2008, the center was a blank slate, and Bill gave valuable input. While our relationship and our research have evolved through the years, both have always been extremely positive and cooperative,” Pinnau said. “Since the AMPMC was established, we've seen 28 master’s degree and 17 doctoral students graduate, and we've published more than 400 papers and filed 63 patent applications, with six granted patents.”
The value of diversity
When asked about the personal impact of this collaboration, Koros said, “The collaboration and interaction with KAUST has definitely had a big impact on me in a variety of ways. One of those was opening my mind to the concept that everything doesn’t need to be done in the same way. In fact, there is some value in things not being done in the same way as long as people can talk to each other and realize there is value in this diversity.”- By Michelle D’Antoni, KAUST News