Edward Cussler

{{Short description|American chemical engineer}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Edward Cussler

| image =

| image_size = 180px

| caption = Ed

| birth_date = 1940

| birth_place = United States

| field = Chemical Engineer, Materials Science

| work_institution = University of Minnesota

| alma_mater = Yale University
University of Wisconsin, Madison

| doctoral_advisor = Edwin N. Lightfoot

| known_for = Chemical Separation Processes
Membranes
Technical Communication

| prizes = Charles P. Colburn Award, 1975
Fellow of AAAS, 1996
W.K. Lewis Award AIChE, 2001
National Academy of Engineering (2002)
Institute Lecture - AIChE, 2014

}}

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUkBx-3H-Zw “Ed Cussler, 66th AIChE Institute Award Winner, on The Future of The Lecture”]}}

Edward L. Cussler (born 1940) is an American chemical engineer and professor in the department of chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota. He is internationally known for his work in fluid mechanics, transport phenomena, and gas separations,{{cite web|url=https://www.nae.edu/27913.aspx|title=Ed Cussler|author= |website=www.nae.edu |publisher=National Academy of Engineering |accessdate=6 May 2018}} especially in the areas of membranes and gas sorption. Cussler is an author of more than 250 academic papers, dozens of patents, and five books including the acclaimed text: “Diffusion” (Cambridge, 2009, 3rd Edition).{{cite book|title=Diffusion|isbn = 978-0521871211|last1 = Cussler|first1 = E. L.|date = 2009-01-15| publisher=Cambridge University Press }} He has served as director, vice president and president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE, 1989–1995), and he presented the AIChE Institute Lecture in 2014.{{cite journal|url=https://www.aiche.org/community/awards/institute-lecturer-award|title=AIChE Institute Award|accessdate=2 March 2018|date=2012-03-28}} Cussler and his wife Betsy, a former teacher at Edina High School, are long-time residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Early life and education

Cussler took a B.E. degree (with honors) at Yale University in 1961 followed by an M.S. at the University of Wisconsin in 1963. He continued towards a PhD also at Wisconsin, 1965, with his thesis entitled, "Multicomponent Diffusion in Macromolecules," where he was a student of Edwin N. Lightfoot.{{cite journal|url=http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/00/03/83/00151/AA00000383_00151_00158.pdf|title=Minnesota's Ed Cussler|accessdate=2 March 2018}} Throughout his time in school, Ed developed a love for activity with interests in running, swimming and cycling. His hobbies include cycle touring with his wife, and he has run the Boston Marathon many times.

After his PhD, he completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin in chemical engineering. Subsequent post-doctoral studies were completed in physical chemistry at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, and Yale University in Connecticut. In 1967, he was hired as an assistant professor in the department of chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, followed by promotion to associate professor in 1970 and full professor in 1973. During his time at Carnegie Mellon University, he completed a sabbatical year at Unilever in the United Kingdom. In 1980, Ed joined the department of chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.{{cite journal|url=https://www.aiche.org/community/bio/edward-l-cussler|title=Edward L. Cussler|accessdate=2 March 2018|date=2012-03-20}} During his time at Minnesota, Ed has taken sabbaticals at MIT and the University of Cambridge.

Honors

Professor Cussler has received numerous honors and awards for teaching and research. He was elected president of the AIChE in 1994. He won the 2001 Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.[http://www.aiche.org/About/Awards/WarrenKLewisAward.aspx AIChE Warren K. Lewis Award] He was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2002, "For pioneering research on membrane transport in chemical and biochemical separation, and for inspiring teaching." He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Lund and Nancy.

On a less serious note, he received the Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005 for an experiment settling whether people could swim faster or slower in syrup rather than water.[http://www.improbable.com/2013/07/18/viscosity-in-the-news-twice-pitch-and-molasses/ www.improbable.com]

Journal publications

Professor Cussler has authored over 240 journal publications.[http://www.cems.umn.edu/research/cussler/publica.htm University of Minnesota CEMS] Representative publications include:

  • E.L. Cussler "Membranes which pump", AIChE Journal 17(6), 1300-1303 (1971).{{cite journal|title=Membrances which Pump| doi=10.1002/aic.690170607|volume=17| issue=6|journal=AIChE Journal|pages=1300–1303|year = 1971|last1 = Cussler|first1 = E. L.| bibcode=1971AIChE..17.1300C}}
  • M.C. Yang, E.L. Cussler "Designing Hollow-Fiber Contactors", AIChE Journal 32(11), 1910-1916 (1986).{{cite journal|title=Designing Hollow-Fiber Contactors| doi=10.1002/aic.690321117|volume=32| issue=11|journal=AIChE Journal|pages=1910–1916|year = 1986|last1 = Yang|first1 = Ming-Chien| last2=Cussler| first2=E. L.| bibcode=1986AIChE..32.1910Y}}
  • B.W. Reed, M.J. Semmens E.L. Cussler "Membrane Contactors", Membrance Science and Technology 2, 467-498 (1995).{{cite book|title=Membrane Contactors| doi=10.1016/S0927-5193(06)80012-4|volume=2|journal=Membrane Science and Technology|pages=467–498|date=January 1995|last1=Reed|first1=Bradley W.|last2=Semmens|first2=Michael J.|last3=Cussler|first3=Edward L.|isbn=9780444816337}}
  • B. Libby, W.H. Smyrl, E.L. Cussler "Polymer-Zeolite Composite Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells", AIChE Journal 49(4), 991-1001 (2003).{{cite journal|title=Polymer-Zeolite Composite Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells| doi=10.1002/aic.690490416|volume=2| issue=4|journal=AIChE Journal|pages=991–1001|year = 2003|last1 = Libby|first1 = Brett| last2=Smyrl| first2=W. H.| last3=Cussler| first3=E. L.|doi-access=free| bibcode=2003AIChE..49..991L}}
  • M. Malmali, Y. Wei, A. McCormick, E.L. Cussler "Ammonia Synthesis at Reduced Pressure via Reactive Separation", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 55(33), 8922-8932 (2016).{{cite journal|title=Ammonia Synthesis at Reduced Pressure via Reactive Separation| doi=10.1021/acs.iecr.6b01880|volume=55| issue=33|journal=Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research|pages=8922–8932|year = 2016|last1 = Malmali|first1 = Mahdi| last2=Wei| first2=Yongming| last3=McCormick| first3=Alon| last4=Cussler| first4=Edward L.}}

Books

Professor Cussler has authored five books in the field of chemical engineering:

  • Cussler, E.L., Diffusion, Cambridge University Press, first edition, 1984; second edition, 1997; Chinese edition, 2002; third edition, 2008.
  • Cussler, E. L., and Moggridge, G., Chemical Product Design, Cambridge University Press, 2001; French edition, 2002; Chinese edition, 2003.
  • Belter, P., Cussler, E.L., and Hu, W-S., Bioseparations, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1988.
  • Baker, R.W., Cussler, E.L., Eykamp, W., Koros, W.J., Riley, R.L., and Strathmann, H., Membrane Separation Systems, Noyes Data Corp., New Jersey, 1991.
  • Cussler, E.L., Multicomponent Diffusion, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1976.

References