Named Professors in the

College of Engineering

George W. Laird Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Research: Polymer and composite processing and rheology, computer-based virtual simulations of the composites manufacturing process.
The funds for this endowment were provided through the George W. Laird Fund in Mechanical Engineering, which was established in 1991 through a gift from the George W. Laird Computer-Aided Engineering Foundation. This foundation was established in 1987 by Mr. Laird's father, William W. (Chick) Laird, to provide support to the University of Delaware's Department of Mechanical Engineering.
George W. Laird Professorship of Mechanical Engineering.

Charles Black Evans Professor of Electrical Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research: Nonlinear signal processing, wireless communications, statistical signal processing, electronic imaging and display, bioelectronics, image processing, multimedia security and communications.
This professorship honors Charles Black Evans, secretary-treasurer of the University's Board of Trustees from 1896-1933. Evans Hall, home of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, is named after Evans and his father, George C. Evans, a member of the Board of Trustees from 1856 until 1904.

Robert L. Pigford Chair of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Application of surface science and computational chemistry techniques to understand surface reaction mechanisms and to use these to design new catalysts.
Funded by the Unidel Foundation, this endowed chair honors Robert L. Pigford, chairperson of the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1947-66, the first recipient of the University's Francis Alison Faculty Award and a member of the UD Board of Trustees from 1982 until his death in 1988.

Arthur B. Metzner Professor of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Modeling and simulation of complex flows, nonequilibrium thermodynamics and transport phenomena.
This professorship honors the late Arthur B. Metzner, who came to the University in 1953 and chaired the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1970-77. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and received the UD's Francis Alison Award.

P.S. du Pont Chair of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Research: Materials science, applied mechanics, fiber composite materials, piezoelectric materials, and nanocomposites.
Funded by the Unidel Foundation, this endowed chair honors the memory of Pierre Samuel du Pont, industrialist, philanthropist and educational visionary. His generosity began with an anonymous gift of land to then-Delaware College in 1915, which forms the central area of campus now known as The Green. Mr. du Pont also played a role in establishing the University's Junior Year Abroad Program, the first program of its kind in the world.

Edward C. Davis Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research: Water quality modeling, the development of mathematical and statistical models for water quality and sediment studies.
This professorship honors the late Edward C. Davis, who graduated from then-Delaware College in 1905 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He became one of the nation's leading hydraulic engineers and was a generous benefactor to the University.

Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research: Advanced parallel computing and programming, multithreaded processor architectures
Distinguished Professorships recognize deserving senior members of the faculty.

Donald C. Phillips Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Research: Advanced omposite materials
This professorship honors Donald C. Phillips, an alumnus of the University of Delaware's Class of 1948, who through his estate provided a generous gift to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Mr. Phillips earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering and went on to lead an accomplished career as a construction engineer.

Donald C. Phillips Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research: Industrial wastewater management, aquatic chemistry, chemical oxidation technologies.
This professorship honors Donald C. Phillips, an alumnus of the University of Delaware's Class of 1948, who through his estate provided a generous gift to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Mr. Phillips earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering and went on to lead an accomplished career as a construction engineer.

Edward C. Davis Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research: Applied coastal research, currents, wave conditions, nearshore oceanography.
This professorship honors the late Edward C. Davis, who graduated from then-Delaware College in 1905 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He became one of the nation's leading hydraulic engineers and was a generous benefactor to the University.

Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Gene expression monitoring tools, including mass spectrometry, for the measurement of protein expression relevant to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and to human health.
This professorship honors the Gore family, including Trustee Robert W. Gore `59, Sarah I. Gore `76M and the late Genevieve W. Gore. Robert W. Gore, a 1959 chemical engineering graduate of the University of Delaware, served as president of W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc and also was a member of the UD Board of Trustees. In 1990, Dr. Gore received the College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award and he was inducted into UD's Alumni Wall of Fame in 1992.

Charles Black Evans Professor of Electrical Engineering
Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering
Research: Terahertz devices, nanotechnology, bioelectronics.
This professorship honors Charles Black Evans, secretary-treasurer of the University's Board of Trustees from 1896-1933. Evans Hall, home of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, is named after Evans and his father George C. Evans, a member of the Board of Trustees from 1856 until 1904.

Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Applied protein biophysics, separation processes and colloid and interface science.
This professorship honors the Gore family, including Robert W. Gore `59, Sarah I. Gore `76M and the late Genevieve W. Gore. Robert W. Gore, a 1959 chemical engineering graduate of the University of Delaware, served as president of W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc and as a member of the UD Board of Trustees. In 1990, Dr. Gore received the College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award and he was inducted into UD's Alumni Wall of Fame in 1992.

William L. Friend Professor of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Process dynamics, modeling and control.
This professorship honors the distinguished career of UD alumnus William L. Friend `58MChE, who, along with his wife, Mary Kay, provided a generous gift to the University to endow this professorship. Mr. Friend received the University's Medal of Distinction in 2004 in recognition of his significant contributions to international engineering and construction industry and the engineering profession.

Eugene du Pont Chair of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Systems biology, metabolic engineering, and experimental and computational genomics.
This chair honors Eugene du Pont, who served as the fourth president of the DuPont Co. from 1889-1902. The Eugene du Pont Distinguished Memorial Scholars program, funded by a Unidel Foundation endowment and supporting highly qualified incoming freshmen, also is named in his honor.

College of Engineering Alumni Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research: The development of micro-, meso- and nano-photonic devices, applied optics and electromagnetic research, and imaging technologies in the millimeter-wave (mmW) part of the spectrum.
This named professorship is supported by an endowment fund established by alumni in 2004 to assist in attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent in engineering education and research.

Karl W. and Renate Böer Professor of Materials Science Engineering
Department of Materials Science Engineering
Research: Electrospun polymer nanofibers, tissue engineering scaffolds, nanostructures.
The professorship honors Karl W. Böer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Physics and Solar Energy, and Renate Böer, an authority in the field of international trade. A pioneer in the fields of solar cells, solar energy systems, and solid state physics, Dr. Böer was a faculty member from 1962-94. In 1987, the University established the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit in his honor. He was awarded UD's Medal of Distinction in 1998.

Allan P. Colburn Professor of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Multi-phase fluid mechanics, photovoltaics.
This professorship honors Allan P. Colburn. Dr. Colburn was a nationally prominent chemical engineer who was chairman of UD's Department of Chemical Engineering. He also served as acting-president of the University in 1950 and provost from 1950 until his death in 1955.

Henry Belin du Pont Chair of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Thermodynamics, bioseparation, environmental engineering.
This chair honors Henry Belin du Pont, who served on the Board of Trustees from 1944 until his death in 1970. His unusually diverse educational background and other life-long interests set the tone for his broad-based role at Delaware. Being well informed about business, science, and technology issues, he was a leader in community development. Upon his death, he bequeathed a substantial legacy to the University.

Charles Black Evans Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research: Wireless communications systems, space-time coding, time-frequency analysis, and other signal and image processing.
This professorship honors Charles Black Evans, secretary-treasurer of the University's Board of Trustees from 1896-1933. Evans Hall, home of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, is named after Mr. Evans and his father George C. Evans, a member of the Board of Trustees from 1856 until 1904.

Alvin B. and Julia O. Stiles Professor of Chemical Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Research: Fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, molecular thermodynamics.
This professorship honors the late Alvin B. and Julia O. Stiles, who provided a generous gift to the University of Delaware to endow this professorship. Alvin B. Stiles worked for the E.I. DuPont Co., where he developed the catalyst for the commercial production of nylon and was named a DuPont Research Fellow. In 1996, he received the University's Medal of Distinction.