In Memoriam: Robert Gore Photo by Eric Crossan
company W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. as a college sophomore. Gore earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and both his master’s and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1963. He died on Sept. 17 at his home in Maryland. He was 83.
Robert “Bob” Gore was born an entrepreneur. Raised in Newark, Delaware, he helped his parents kick start their now multinational manufacturing
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Gore’s scientific discoveries spawned the groundbreaking GORE-TEX® Fabrics, the world’s first waterproof breathable outerwear, and paved the way for advancements in industries as varied as performance fabrics, medical devices, space exploration, and filtration. During his career, he received nine patents for his work with fluoropolymers. He was elected to
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There is no reason we can’t manufacture all the materials we use today using the trees, grasses, and agricultural products around us. —Paul Dauenhauer (ChE Ph.D. ’08) in his MacArthur Fellows video after receiving the $625,000 “genius grant.” The Lanny Schmidt Honorary Professor is known for turning organic materials into chemical compounds used in everyday products.
Watch the video at z.umn.edu/2020CSEgenius. Learn about his work in 14 minutes: z.umn.edu/CSElecturepd2019
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the National Academy of Engineering in 1995 and inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. “Bob’s innovative spirit shaped our enterprise from the very beginning,” said Bret Snyder, his nephew and company board chair. “We will continue to build on his legacy with a commitment toward breaking new ground and developing solutions that make the world a better place.” The Gore Annex in Amundson Hall, which includes research and teaching labs, was funded in part by a $10 million gift from Bob and his wife, Jane. Watch a film on Gore’s work: z.umn.edu/scientistsyoumustknow
International alumni survey If you completed our international survey earlier this year, thank you! Based on your feedback, we have: • Updated contact information to reach you in the ways you prefer. • C reated a web page that’s regularly updated with creative ways you can engage with the college and larger University from wherever you are: cse.umn.edu/college/virtual-engagement-opportunities • D eveloped more content for our website and social media channels in the areas you are most interested in—college news, faculty research, and images of our beautiful campus. • O ffered many virtual events, and recorded the events and posted them to the college’s YouTube channel so alumni across the world can watch these programs, lectures, and presentations on-demand. Check out what we’ve been up to at www.youtube.com/user/umnCSE.
