Donald R.Paul, Ph.D, American Materials Scientist and Engineer currently the Ernest Cockrell, Sr. Chair of Engineering at the University of Texas-Austin was recently selected as Top Senior Chair of the Year in Engineering by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the industry.
Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only a few members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations and contributions to their communities. All honorees are invited to attend the IAOTP’s annual award gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements. www.iaotp.com/award-gala
With having over fifty-five years of professional experience in Engineering, Dr. Paul has certainly proven himself as an extraordinary professional and expert in the field. As a dynamic, results-driven leader, Dr. Paul has demonstrated success in every role he has ever served. He is currently serving as an endowed Chair of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin named for the donor Ernest Cockrell, Sr.
Dr. Paul’s impressive repertoire of prior roles have included Chemical Engineering Researcher with the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Instructor for the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Chemical Engineering Researcher with the Chemstrand Research Center. After accepting an appointment from the University of Texas at Austin, he served as an Assistant Professor for three years. Dr. Paul has been serving as a full professor since 1973. He has advanced and taken on other positions such as Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department, Regents Chair of Chemical Engineering, Director of the Center for Polymer Research and Director of the Texas Materials Institute.
Before embarking on his professional career path, Dr. Paul took an interest in the field of chemical engineering in high school. He attended North Carolina State University and earned his Bachelor of Science (1961). Dr. Paul continued his studies and obtained his Master of Science (1963) and Doctor of Philosophy (1965) from the University of Wisconsin.
Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Paul has received many awards, accolades and has been featured in numerous publications for his dedication and expertise in Engineering. This year he is being considered for a featured article in TIP (Top Industry Professional) Magazine and was chosen as Top Senior Chair in Engineering by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). For 2021 he will be considered for the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award given by IAOTP. In past years, Dr. Paul was highlighted several times and in multiple editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest.
In addition to these honors, Dr. Paul is the recipient of the Founders Award from the North America Membrane Society and he also received the Alan S. Michaels Award from the University of Wisconsin, a Distinguished Service Citation. From the University of Michigan, Dr. Paul won the Donald L. Katz Lecturer Nomination. Furthermore, he was presented with the E.V. Murphee Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, he accepted the William H. Walker Award from the South Texas section of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers, he was also awarded with the Malcolm E. Pruitt Award from the Council for Chemical Research and the Hocott Engineering Research Award. Dr. Paul received the Mexican Academy of Sciences Award, he accepted the Society of Plastics Engineers Education Award and the Society of Plastics Engineers International Award and received the Engineering News-Record Award.
Aside from his successful career, Dr. Paul has co-authored four textbooks. His first publication, “Controlled Release Polymeric Formulations” (1976), next “Polymer Blends” (1978), he continued with “Polymeric Gas Separation Membranes (1994) and his last textbook, “Polymer Blends: Formulation and Performance” (2000).
Over the course of his professional career, Dr. Paul has remained a highly regarded scientist and educator. He has maintained affiliations with the Society of Plastic Engineers, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Chemical Society, the Fiber Society and the Sigma Xi. He was elected as a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of Bologna, an elected Fellow of the Polymer Division for the American Chemical Society, elected Fellow of Materials Research Society, elected Fellow of Society of Plastics Engineers.
Stephanie Cirami, President of IAOTP stated, “Choosing Dr. Paul for this honor was an easy decision for our panel to make. His accomplishments are extremely impressive. Dr. Paul has tremendous foresight, extensive knowledge and was exactly what we were looking for. We hope to spend time with him at the Annual Awards Gala being held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.”
Looking back, Dr. Paul attributes his success to his perseverance, his education, mentors with whom he has had the honor of working alongside and his passion for research. When not working, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. For the future, he hopes to influence others to pursue a career in engineering and continue providing education the best way he knows how.
For more information on Dr. Donald Paul please visit:
https://che.utexas.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-directory/paul/
About IAOTP
The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization who handpicks the world’s finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers and to help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.
IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals around the world, the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped in building their branding empires. IAOTP prides itself to be a one of a kind boutique networking organization that hand picks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals together.
For more information on IAOTP please visit: www.iaotp.com
