Uma Chowdhry

Last updated

Uma Chowdhry
Uma Chowdhry JPS 2007 10 10 podium.JPG
Born1947 (age 76–77)
Mumbai, India
DiedJanuary 7, 2024
Alma mater Mumbai University, Caltech, MIT
Awards IRI Medal (2011)
Scientific career
FieldsMaterials science
Institutions Ford Motor Company, DuPont
External videos
Uma Chowdhry 2008.JPG Uma Chowdhry in 2008
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg "I had the courage to dream the impossible", Uma Chowdhry, Science History Institute (14:21)

Uma Chowdhry is an American chemist whose career has been spent in research and management positions with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. [1] [2] She has specialized in the science of ceramic materials, including catalysts, [3] [4] proton conductors, [5] superconductors [6] [7] [8] and ceramic packaging for microelectronics. [9] [10]

Contents

Early life and education

Chowdhry was born in Mumbai, India in 1947. She received a Bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai University) in 1968 before coming to the United States. She received a Master of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in engineering science in 1970. After two years with Ford Motor Company, she entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she earned a Ph.D. in materials science in 1976. [11] [1] [2]

Career

DuPont

She joined DuPont in 1977 as a research scientist [12] in Central Research & Development Department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. By 1985 she had been promoted to Research Manager of Central Research. In 1987 she led DuPont's research effort in ceramic superconducting materials and developed a program that generated over 20 patents and 50 publications. [13] In 1988 she became Laboratory Director of the Electronics group, [1] [2] and by 1991 was promoted to be its Director. [14]

The following year she was appointed Laboratory Director of the Jackson Laboratory for the Specialty Chemicals group. [14] In 1993 she became R&D Director, Specialty Chemicals. [1] [2] In 1995 she became Business Director for Terathane Products, and 2 year later was promoted to Business Planning and Technology Director for Chemicals. [14] In 1999 she was promoted to Director of DuPont Engineering Technology. [1] [2]

In 2006 she became Senior Vice President and Global Chief Science and Technology Officer of DuPont, [1] [2] [14] responsible for the company's core research programs and the DuPont "APEX" portfolio of research programs including basic chemistry, materials science and biotechnology. [14] She retired in September 2010, becoming Chief Science & Technology Officer Emeritus. [15]

In response to contamination of Ohio river caused by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, also known as C8), the key ingredient in Teflon, and subsequent cases of cancer and other medical issues, when asked if this C8 chemical could be responsible for babies born with deformities in 2 out of 8 former DuPont women employees, Ms. Uma responded "In the realm of scientific facts, this is not considered a statistically significant sample." [16]

Other contributions

Chowdhry has served on study groups for the National Research Council to assess various technology topics of national interest, and was a member of National Research Council's Committee on Globalization (2004). Chowdhry is a member of the National Committee on Women in Science and Engineering sponsored by both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering since 1999. [17] [18] [19] [20]

She has served on the board of directors for the Industrial Research Institute (2002-2005), [12] Baxter International Inc. (2012-), [21] LORD Corporation (2010-), [22] the Advisory Board for Advanced Technology at the National Institute of Standards (NIST, 2010), [15] [12] the National Inventors Hall of Fame [17] and the Laboratory Operations Board for the Department of Energy for the US Government. [17] She was appointed to the Laboratory Operations Board for the U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. in 2002.

Chowdhry has served on advisory boards of engineering schools at MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and the University of Delaware. [17]

Uma Chowdhry and her husband, Vinay Chowdhry, live in Wilmington, Delaware. [11] She was elected to the board of trustees for Christiana Care Health Services in Delaware in 2003.

Awards and honors

For her contributions to the science of ceramics, Chowdhry was elected Fellow of the American Ceramic Society in 1989, [23] [24] where she chaired the Academy's Emerging Technologies Committee, 2002–2004.

She was elected a member to the National Academy of Engineering in 1996 for the application of advanced ceramic technologies to novel catalyst structures, large-scale chemical synthesis, and multilayer electronic circuit manufacture. [25] Besides her membership, she has served on the program advisory board and election subcommittees. She was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003. [26]

Chowdhry received the 2011 IRI Medal for her leadership contributions at DuPont. [12] [27] Chowdhry received the 2011 Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management from the American Chemical Society. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceramic</span> An inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat

A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain, and brick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Kwolek</span> American chemist who invented Kevlar (1923–2014)

Stephanie Louise Kwolek was a Polish-American chemist who is known for inventing Kevlar. Her career at the DuPont company spanned more than 40 years. She discovered the first of a family of synthetic fibers of exceptional strength and stiffness: poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.

In 1957, the research organization of the Chemicals Department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company was renamed Central Research Department, beginning the history of the premier scientific organization within DuPont and one of the foremost industrial laboratories devoted to basic science. Located primarily at the DuPont Experimental Station and Chestnut Run, in Wilmington, Delaware, it expanded to include laboratories in Geneva, Switzerland, Seoul, South Korea, Shanghai, China, and India (Hyderabad). In January, 2016 a major layoff marked the end of the organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Naslain</span> French chemist

Prof. Roger R. Naslain is French chemical and physical scientist. He has been a professor at the University of Bordeaux 1 since 1969.

Lisa C. Klein is an American engineer. She is a distinguished professor of engineering at Rutgers University in New Jersey. In 1977, she became the first female faculty member in the Rutgers School of Engineering. She is the director of the graduate program in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

As an important part of the national sustainable development strategy, the development of advanced materials is advancing the competitive nature and state of the art for Chinese industry. The State has put advanced materials high on its development agenda for the next decade and listed it among the key high-tech industry sectors that would be given priority for development by the State Council. At present, the pace of building China's advanced materials industry is accelerating. Advanced materials have been key fields in China's national R&D system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amit Goyal</span> American physicist and Director of the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary RENEW

Amit Goyal is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at SUNY-Buffalo. He leads the Laboratory for Heteroepitaxial Growth of Functional Materials & Devices. He is also Director of the New York State Center of Excellence in Plastics Recycling Research & Innovation, an externally funded center with initial funding of $4.5M for three years at SUNY-Buffalo. He is the founding director of the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary RENEW Institute at SUNY-Buffalo in Buffalo, New York and served as director from 2015-2021. RENEW is an internally funded research institute at SUNY-Buffalo. For his contributions to UB, in 2019, he was awarded the University at Buffalo or SUNY-Buffalo President's Medal, which recognizes “outstanding scholarly or artistic achievements, humanitarian acts, contributions of time or treasure, exemplary leadership or any other major contribution to the development of the University at Buffalo and the quality of life in the UB community.” This is one of the highest recognitions given at the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IRI Medal</span> Award for advances in technology

The IRI Medal, established by the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) in 1946, recognizes and honors leaders of technology for their outstanding accomplishments in technological innovation which contribute broadly to the development of industry and to the benefit of society. One side of the medal depicts a scientist peering into a microscope as a symbol of the never-ending quest for innovation; a pegasus running in the background as a symbol of imagination; and clouds issuing from a retort revealing the practical results of humanity's ability to harness natural forces to meet its needs. The reverse side of the medal is an adaptation of the official seal of the Institute. This award is traditionally presented each spring at the IRI Annual Meeting alongside the IRI Achievement Award.

Frederick Nye Tebbe was a chemist known for his work on organometallic chemistry. Tebbe was born in Oakland, California on March 20, 1935. His father, Charles L. Tebbe, worked for the United States Forest Service so Fred’s early education took place in Montana, Oregon, Maryland and Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Manzer in 1960, and they had a son and a daughter. He died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Delaware on September 28, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto C.C. Lin</span> Chinese chemist (born 1938)

Otto Lin was born Chui Chau Lin (林垂宙) in Shantou, Guangdong, China, in 1938. He came to Hong Kong as a refugee and went to Taiwan in 1953 where education at K-12 level was free. He attended National Taiwan University and received a BS in chemical engineering in 1960. After serving in ROTC, he was admitted to University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana for post-graduate studies. Later he transferred to Columbia University in the City of New York, received the Ph.D. degree in 1967 in chemistry. His doctoral research was on the relationship of macromolecular conformation and hydrodynamic properties of DNA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Greene (physicist)</span> American physics professor

Laura H. Greene is the Marie Krafft Professor of Physics at Florida State University and chief scientist at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. She was previously a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In September 2021, she was appointed to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan J. de Pablo</span> Mexican American chemical engineer (born 1962)

Juan J. de Pablo is a chemical engineer, Liew Family professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. In 2018, he was appointed Vice President for National Laboratories at the University of Chicago, a title which later expanded to include Science Strategy, Innovation and Global Initiatives in 2020. As of 2021, he is Executive Vice President for Science, Innovation, National Laboratories and Global Initiatives at the University of Chicago. He is known for his research on the thermophysical properties of soft materials. He is currently the co-director of the NIST supported Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHIMaD). and former director of the UW-Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mas Subramanian</span> Indian chemist

Mas Subramanian,, is a solid-state materials scientist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. He is a University Distinguished Professor and the Milton Harris Chair of Materials Science in the university's Department of Chemistry. His work in solid-state chemistry on structure-property relationships of inorganic compounds has led to several breakthrough discoveries of novel functional materials, many of which have found usage in various applications. Subramanian has authored 400 research publications and holds 60 patents. His publications have received more than 30,000 citations.

Gurpreet Singh is a professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at [Kansas State University]. He is endowed by the Harold O. and Jane C. Massey Neff Professorship in Mechanical Engineering. Singh was born in Ludhiana, India; he currently resides in the United States.

The Percy L. Julian Award was first given in 1975 by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). The award is given every one to two years. It honors black scientists who have made significant contributions to the areas of pure or applied research in science or engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaShanda Korley</span> Materials engineer and researcher

LaShanda Teresa James Korley is a Distinguished Professor of Materials Science at the University of Delaware and an expert in soft matter, polymers, and nature-inspired materials. On a larger scale, Korley is also working on developing strategies and technologies to prevent plastic waste in landfills and oceans by upcycling plastic waste to more valuable products. She leads such efforts through the Center for Plastics Innovation, the Center for Research in Soft Matter and Polymers, and also the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (CHARM). Korley was awarded the 2019 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Phillips (physicist)</span> American physicist

Julia Mae Phillips is an American physicist. She began her career in materials research on thin films on semiconductors and has transitioned into leadership roles in science policy. She currently serves on the National Science Board.

Elizabeth Jane Opila is an American materials scientist who is the Rolls-Royce Commonwealth Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia. Her research considers the development of materials for extreme environments. She was elected Fellow of the Electrochemical Society in 2013 and the American Ceramic Society in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon M. Wiederhorn</span> American materials scientist (1933–2021)

Sheldon M. Wiederhorn was an American materials scientist affiliated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanjay Mathur</span> Inorganic chemist (b. 1968)

Sanjay Mathur is an inorganic chemist, current president of the American Ceramic Society. acting director of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Cologne, honorary co-director of the Institute of Renewable Energy Sources at the Xi'an Jiaotong University, a World Class University Professor at the Chonbuk University. He is an adjunct professor at the Indian Institutes of Technology in Chennai and has held visiting professorships at the Central South University, the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the National Institute of Science Education and Research. He was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of the Vilnius University in 2016. He is an elected fellow of the American Ceramic Society, the American Society for Metals, the European Science Academy, the Indian National Science Academy and has been awarded with the fellowships of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Mathur is known for his library of single source precursors for the production of nanostructured ceramic materials with tailormade properties, attaining a h-index of 70 and over 18000 citations.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Center for Oral History. "Uma Chowdry". Science History Institute .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Domush, Hilary (25 August 2011). Uma Chowdry, Transcript of an Interview Conducted by Hilary Domush at Experimental Station Wilmington, Delaware on 24 and 25 August 2011. Philadelphia, PA: Chemical Heritage Foundation.
  3. ↑ Machiels, C. J.; Chowdhry, U.; Staley, R. H.; Ohuchi, F.; Sleight, A. W. Formaldehyde from methanol. Catal. Convers. Synth. Gas Alcohols Chem., [Proc. Symp.] (1984), 413-18.
  4. ↑ Contractor, R. M.; Bergna, H. E.; Horowitz, H. S.; Blackstone, C. M.; Malone, B.; Torardi, C. C.; Griffiths, B.; Chowdhry, U.; Sleight, A. W. Butane oxidation to maleic anhydride over vanadium phosphate catalysts. Catalysis Today (1987), 1(1-2), 49-58.
  5. ↑ Chowdhry, U.; Barkley, J. R.; English, A. D.; Sleight, A. W. New inorganic proton conductors. Materials Research Bulletin (1982), 17(7), 917-33.
  6. ↑ Sleight, Arthur W.; Chowdhry, Uma. Superconductivity and the metal-semiconductor transition. Advanced Ceramic Materials (1987), 2(3B), 713-18.
  7. ↑ Subramanian, M. A.; Torardi, C. C.; Calabrese, J. C.; Gopalakrishnan, J.; Morrissey, K. J.; Askew, T. R.; Flippen, R. B.; Chowdhry, U.; Sleight, A. W. A new high-temperature superconductor: Bi2Sr3−xCaxCu2O8+y. Science (Washington, DC, United States) (1988), 239(4843), 1015-17.
  8. ↑ Torardi, C. C.; Subramanian, M. A.; Calabrese, J. C.; Gopalakrishnan, J.; Morrissey, K. J.; Askew, T. R.; Flippen, R. B.; Chowdhry, U.; Sleight, A. W. Crystal structure of Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10, a 125 K superconductor. Science (Washington, DC, United States) (1988), 240(4852), 631-4.
  9. ↑ Chowdhry, U.; Sleight, A. W. (1987). "Ceramic Substrates for Microelectronic Packaging". Annual Review of Materials Science . 17: 323–340. Bibcode:1987AnRMS..17..323C. doi:10.1146/annurev.ms.17.080187.001543.
  10. ↑ Subramanian, M. A.; Corbin, D. R.; Chowdhry, U.. Zeolites as precursors to aluminosilicate-based ceramics for microelectronic packaging. Advances in Ceramics (1989), 26(Ceram. Substrates Packages Electron. Appl.), 239-47.
  11. 1 2 "Uma Chowdhry". Science History Institute. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "DuPont's Uma Chowdhry honored with Industrial Research Institute's 2011 Medal". Innovation Research Interchange. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "2006 Uma Chowdhry". DuPont. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Hawkins, Carol Hooks (2009). American women leaders: 1,560 current biographies. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 73. ISBN   978-0-7864-3847-1.
  15. 1 2 "DuPont Scientist Joins NIST Advisory Group". NIST. 28 September 2010.
  16. ↑ https://thedevilweknow.com [ dead link ][ not specific enough to verify ]
  17. 1 2 3 4 Facilitating interdisciplinary research. Washington: National Academies Press. 2005. ISBN   978-0-309-09435-1 . Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  18. ↑ National Research Council (2004). "Committee on Women in Science and Engineering, Policy and Global Affairs Division, National Research Council". Achieving XXcellence in Science: Role of Professional Societies in Advancing Women in Science: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
  19. ↑ Beyond bias and barriers: fulfilling the potential of women in academic science and engineering ([Online-Ausg.] ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. 2007. ISBN   978-0-309-10042-7.
  20. ↑ Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. 2007. p. vi. doi: 10.17226/11463 . ISBN   978-0-309-18758-9.
  21. ↑ "Baxter Appoints Two New Directors to Its Board". BusinessWire. 27 September 2012.
  22. ↑ "LORD Corporation Names Chowdhry to Board of Directors". Coatings World. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  23. ↑ "Fellows of the American Ceramic Society" (PDF). Ceramics.org. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  24. ↑ The American Ceramic Society (2016). "Profile 15: Uma Chowdhry". Successful women in ceramics and glass science and engineering. [S.l.]: John Wiley. pp. 85–88. ISBN   978-1-118-73360-8.
  25. ↑ "NAE Members". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  26. ↑ "Biography of Dr. Uma Chowdhry". NIST. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  27. ↑ "DuPont Sweeps IRI's 2011 Industry Awards", R&D Magazine, 27 May 2011, accessed 8 February 2012.
  28. ↑ Chemical & Engineering News, 30 August 2010, page 32.