Carl
Patterson Chair in
Chemical Engineering: John Vohs
Dr.
John M. Vohs has been named the Carl V.S. Patterson Chair in Chemical
Engineering. Dr. Vohs joined the faculty of the School of Engineering
and Applied Science in 1989 after receiving his B.S. degree
from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. from the University
of Delaware. He has held leadership roles in both the School of
Engineering and Applied Science and his department. He served
for four years as SEAS's associate dean for academic affairs and
in January 2001 he was appointed to his current position of chair
of the department of chemical engineering. Dr. Vohs has received
numerous honors, including a Presidential Young Investigator Award
and two Union Carbide Research Innovation Awards.
Dr.
Vohs' research interests are in the field surface and interfacial
science with emphasis on elucidating the relationships between
the local atomic structure of surfaces and their chemical reactivity.
He is well known for his work on structure-activity relationships
for metal oxide catalysts, especially those used for selective
oxidation reactions and automotive emissions control systems.
In recent years, he has collaborated extensively with Dr. Raymond
Gorte, also of the chemical engineering department, in the development
of solid oxide fuel cells that run on readily available hydrocarbon
fuels such as natural gas and diesel.
Engineering
Dean Eduardo Glandt said, "John Vohs' name can be associated
with some of the most exciting research results coming out of
our School today. I am delighted that Penn is recognizing his
distinction with this scholarly appointment."
The
Patterson Chair was established in 1965 in honor of Carl V. S.
Patterson (BS, ChE '11) who played a leading role in the use of
x-rays in medical diagnostics through his development of the Patterson
fluoroscopic screen. The screen allowed radiologists to study
the dynamics of internal organs in both healthy and diseased states
with greater ease and accuracy.