Why I give to Chemistry

Why I Give

It was the year 1992 - it was summer. Not only had I completed my undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, but had also married Sharon, now my wife for twenty-seven years. It was a wonderful summer.

My undergraduate Professors Terry Nile and Chris Killian, Ph.D. Jim Barborak had convinced me to pursue my Ph.D. in chemistry, and to do so at UNC-Chapel Hill. I was wide eyed and a bit apprehensive in thinking on what my upcoming graduate school experience would have in store for me. Little did I know, that the next four years would change the trajectory of my professional life in ways I could not imagine at the time.

During my first year at Carolina Chemistry, I was challenged and inspired by professors Templeton, DeSimone, Evans, and Brookhart. The academic course work was intense and challenging, but also brought with it the broader Carolina experience and a lot of new friends. Being a newlywed made my time at Carolina Chemistry one of the best experiences of my life.

Spring semester of my first year, I was invited to join Professor Maurice Brookhart’s research group to work on Ni and Pd catalyst for olefin polymerization. Professor Brookhart epitomizes the collegial nature and spirit of the UNC Department of Chemistry. He is a first-class human being of high character, a great teacher, mentor and advisor. He often invited his group up to Franklin Street for food and fellowship. We also spent many evenings at his home enjoying his and his wife Mary Hughes’ hospitality.

Brook challenged us all to develop a first principles understanding of the research we were pursuing–a principle I have instilled in the teams that I have led in my twenty years of leading R&D organizations. Professor Joe DeSimone also had a tremendous impact on my academic and professional development. The nature of my research had both a heavy organometallic component and a heavy polymer component, leading me to become an adopted member of the DeSimone group. Joe was an incredible mentor and teacher. I began to shape my leadership style and professional ambitions through weekly engagements with him. He took a special interest in me and my work, which I appreciate to this day. My research opened many doors, including an industrial collaboration with DuPont and many speaking engagements. Upon graduation, I knew I wanted to go into industry, do research for a period and then grow into technology/R&D management.

Shortly after my defense and graduation, I took a position with Eastman in 1996, after considering offers from several global chemical and materials companies.

My time in the UNC Department of Chemistry prepared me well for my career at Eastman and for a life-long journey of personal/professional growth and development. I have had the chance to lead teams in the commercialization of dozens of new products, including Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, new to the world engineering plastic, and Visualize Material™ 500, used in compensation films for smart phones. I am currently Vice President of Technology for two of Eastman’s four reporting business segments.

Sharon and I have given back to the department in many ways over the years, including regular financial contributions and through my participation on the Chemistry Advisory Board. Very recently, Sharon and I have chosen to have a long-term strategic impact on the quality of the graduate student experience through the creation of an endowed fund for supporting graduate students in the department.

This was an easy choice for Sharon and me to make, as I can say with confidence that my time at UNC and the relationships I built have been instrumental to the accomplishments I have been blessed to be a part of.

I hope that the current and future graduate students of the UNC Department of Chemistry experience the blessings of growth, personal/professional development, and

accomplishment that I did.

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high, and we miss it, but that it is too low, and we reach it.”

-Michelangelo