Michael T. Klein, who has been named the University of Delaware’s Dan Rich Chair of Energy and professor of chemical engineering, will deliver his inaugural lecture at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, in 140 Smith Hall.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by calling 302-831-2401 or emailing engr-events@udel.edu.
Klein’s lecture is entitled “Colleagues in the Development of Kinetic Modeling Approaches and Tools.” A reception will follow in the P.S. du Pont Hall lobby.
Klein, a native of Delaware and both a UD alumnus and former faculty member, is currently director of the UD Energy Institute (UDEI). He rejoined UD in 2010 after a decade of service as dean of engineering at Rutgers University.
The author of over 200 technical papers and the lead author of the text Molecular Modeling in Heavy Hydrocarbon Conversions, Klein is active in research in the area of chemical reaction engineering, with special emphasis on the kinetics of complex systems.
His research work has facilitated development of the modeling revolution now used as the contemporary approach in complex reaction systems, including the upgrading and conversion of energy sources to transportation fuels.
Klein currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal Energy and Fuels. Among his career honors are several national awards, including the R. H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Young Investigators Award and the ACS Delaware Valley Section Award. In 2011, Klein was named an ACS Fellow.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from UD in 1977 and doctorate from MIT in 1981. While on the UD faculty from 1981 to 1998, he served as associate dean, director of the Center for Catalytic Science and Technology and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering
The Dan Rich endowed chair is supported by a gift from the Unidel Foundation. It is named in honor of Dan Rich for his distinguished service as the University’s provost from 2001 to 2009. A member of the UD faculty since 1970, Rich also served for a decade as a college dean. He is now University Professor of Public Policy in the School of Public Policy and Administration.