National Academy of Engineering selects two CBE alumni as members

Two alumni of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering were elected as members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in February 2023. Election to NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer and honors outstanding contributions to research, practice or education.

Leo H. Chiang (BSChE ’97) was cited for contributions to process data analytics and its applications to process monitoring and for continuous improvement in the chemical industry.

Chiang received his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has spent his career at Dow, most recently as a senior R&D fellow where he leads chemometrics and big data analytics implementations for manufacturing. Chiang has developed and implemented several data analytics techniques to solve complex manufacturing problems, resulting in 11 Dow Manufacturing Technology Center Awards. In 2016 he received the Dow R&D Excellence in Science Award in recognition of his scientific achievement in industrial research.

James Edward Rekoske (BSChE ’88; MSChE ’91) was cited for leadership in development and implementation of petrochemicals, renewable fuel, alternative energy and water conservation technologies.

Rekoske received his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware. He is currently senior vice president, global RD&E industrial for Ecolab, based in Glenview, Illinois. He is responsible for the development and deployment of innovative and sustainable technology solutions across a segment including food and beverage, water, paper, mining, and textile care. Previously, he was vice president and chief technology officer at Honeywell UOP, a leading developer and licensor for oil, gas and petrochemical technologies. He managed all basic and applied research for the organization including new materials, catalysts, membranes and adsorbents, from development to commercialization.

The newly elected members will be formally inducted during NAE’s annual meeting in October 2023.