Chair Elect
Colin Snape
Colin Snape is a Professor at the University of Nottingham and is currently Director of the Energy technologies Research Institute which draws together all the energy-related research across the University. He joined the Coal Research Establishment in 1974 after graduating from the University of Sheffield. Until 1987, he worked on many aspects concerning the characterisation, geochemistry and utilisation of coals and their derivatives and obtained a Ph.D from the University of Leeds in 1982. After moving to the University of Strathclyde in 1987 as a Lecturer in Applied Chemistry, he established a vigorous research programme in fuel science encompassing long-standing interests in coal characterisation, organic geochemistry and conversion, together with newer interests in catalysis, petroleum residues, oil shale and biomass pyrolysis, sulphur speciation, CO2 and Hg capture, polymer degradation and plant cell-wall chemistry. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1990, then to Reader in 1993 and finally to Professor in 1995 and now has over 160 peer-reviewed publications. He moved to the University of Nottingham in July 2000 to take up his current position where he has established Nottingham as an internally fuels science group comprising 7 academics and over 20 researchers.
Colin has over 350 publications with 200 in peer reviewed journals and has co-organised a number Fuel Chemistry and Geochemistry Division Symposia at American Chemical Society meetings, having served as an Alternate Councillor and the European Representative for the Division. He won the Storch award in 2006 and has received the R.A. Glenn award twice (1996 and 2001). Other Honours include being elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and holding the 2000 Peter Given Lectureship in Coal Science at Penn State University. He is an associate editor of Organic Geochemistry and an editorial board member of Fuel and has served on the editorial board of Energy & Fuels.
Colin’s statement
I may begin to seem like a veteran when I say that I have regularly been participating in the Division’s symposia for over 20 years. However, at a very early stage in my career, I recognised that the Division is a true international forum for fuel science and related disciplines from which I benefited greatly and this has continued through the 80s and 90s into the 21st century. Indeed, the mission of the Division of Fuel Chemistry is to provide a forum for documentation and communication to the international community of research and development results concerning fuel research, and to promote efficient and environmentally acceptable fuel production and use. The role of the Chair is very much to ensure that the Division continues to fulfil this role, through maintaining high quality and diverse programming and maintaining the sound fiscal operation of the Division.
The programming is currently in an extremely healthy position as we our efforts have moved towards environmental issues and the hydrogen economy and much of what it entails. This has created a healthy cross over with other Divisions with many cosponsored Symposia. Our Symposia will continue to address responsible environmental utilization of fuel resources and developing new fuels to limit environmental impact. However, we must strive to continue to encourage technical expansion of the Division. Perhaps the area I would personally like to see change is encouraging more journal special issues or books based upon Division Symposia to further raise the international profile and encourage more overseas participation. Every reasonable opportunity should be taken to promote the Division’s activities internationally.
Speaking as someone who is moving towards the twilight years of my career, we should seek to encourage youth and consider means by which they will be attracted to the Division, possibly by considering an additional prize for the best presentation given by post-graduate student/young researcher at each meeting. We should build on the commendable efforts of Howard Stephens to promote public education and outreach in the area of fuel science, particularly to communicate global issues surrounding current and future fuel utilisation linked to CO2 mitigation. The Division is making prudent and wise financial decisions to live within its means and this will continue. I’m of the opinion that, coupled with greater sponsorship of prizes, scaling-down the financial rewards will not detract from the awards. I very much welcome the challenge of possibly being the first Chair of the Division from outside the USA!
Charles E. Taylor is the acting Director of the Chemistry and Surface Science Division in the Office of Research and Development at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. The CSS Division conducts exploratory and applied research in the areas of chemistry, surface science, catalysis and hydrogen production and storage and investigates theoretical and fundamental phenomena to support program needs and develop new concepts. Research areas include the chemistry of production of clean fuels such as hydrogen; hydrogen separation and storage technology; surface science and catalysis. Research is conducted to improve process efficiency, reduce costs, enhance environmental quality, improve product quality, reduce waste and recycle valuable materials. I earned a Ph.D. from Duquesne University in Organic Chemistry (1985). I began my Federal career in 1985 at the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) (now the National Energy Technology Laboratory) after completing nine months as a Post Doctorial appointee with PETC. I have served as Leader of the Hydrogen Membrane Separation Group, the Leader of the Methane Hydrate Research Group, the Leader of the Reactor Engineering Team, and Leader of the Methane Conversion Team. Professionally, I have over 50 publications, six U.S. Patents, and 100’s of presentations. I have been a member of the ACS for 29 years and, since 2002, have held the office of Secretary of the Division of Fuels Chemistry of the American Chemical Society.
I feel that in order for the Division of Fuel Chemistry to stay healthy in the future, young members need to be encouraged to join the Division and participate in Division leadership. As the membership of the Division, and ACS as an organization, increases, we will loose vital members who are active in Divisional leadership roles. Younger members should be actively recruited to join in the leadership of the Division, bringing with them their energy and scientific interests. These interests can be the basis of future symposia sponsored by the Division. The Division has remained healthy due to a great part by innovative symposia at the National Meetings. Another area I will support is collaborative symposia with other Divisions within the ACS. Not only the Divisions that traditionally Fuel co-sponsors symposia, but other Division as well. I plan to devote as much of my time as necessary to pursue these goals in an effort to keep the Division of Fuel Chemistry an important part of the ACS.
Secretary
Sarma V. Pisupati is an Associate professor in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (formerly Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering) and a Faculty Fellow of the John A Dutton e-Education Institute in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State. He earned BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Fuel Science. He has been studying and teaching the issues related to the energy and environment for the past 25 years. He has worked in industry for 5 years before joining Penn State.
Sarma’s main areas of scientific research are emissions from fossil fuel utilization systems; reduction of NOx and SO2 from stationary combustion sources, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and trace metal emissions from combustion systems; computational fluid dynamic modeling of combustors; biomass based materials for emission reduction. He was Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI on 25 externally funded scientific research projects and involved 15 other projects with specific responsibilities. He coauthored over 100 research publications.
Sarma is very actively involved in professional societies. His service to professional societies includes: Co-organizer and/or Co-chair of 16 Scientific Symposia for American Chemical Society, ASME International Fluidized Bed Combustion Conferences, Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conferences, Associate Editor, Journal of Energy Resources and Technology, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; News Letter Editor, Secretary/Treasurer and currently Program Chair, Energy Conversion and Conservation Division, American Society for Engineering Education; Conference Chair, 17th International Conference on Fluidized Bed Combustion held in 2003, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Treasurer, Petroleum Division of the American Chemical Society; Program Chair, 2001, Fuel Chemistry Division, American Chemical Society and Chair of the trust Fund Committee of Petroleum Chemistry Division.
In recognition of his contributions to teaching and research scholarship, he received numerous awards. To name a few- G. Montgomery and Marion Hall Mitchell Award for Innovative Teaching in College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Best Paper Awards (three consecutive years), Energy Conversion and Conservation Division, American Society for Engineering Education, George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Penn State University ; e-Education Faculty Fellowship in recognition of contributions to e-education; ANGEL Course Contest Award for the development of Best Science course, Matthew J. and Anne C. Wilson Award for Excellence in Teaching; Innovative Incentive Award, Penn State Research Foundation, Outstanding Technical Paper Award, Thirteenth Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Outstanding Service Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Penn State University.
Director at
Large
Philip Britt