Neal R. Amundson
University of Houston
January 10, 1916 - February 16, 2011
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Scientific Discipline: Engineering Sciences Membership Type:
Emeritus
(elected 1992)
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Seldom has an individual exerted such major influence in the development of a field as Neal Amundson did in the area of chemical engineering. Under his guidance and inspiration, the field was transformed from a mostly empirical discipline straddling aspects of chemistry and mechanical engineering, into a branch of applied science encompassing areas of the physical sciences, engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, and biology.
Amundson wrought this transformation though his leadership in multiple roles. As an active researcher and author of numerous influential papers, he demonstrated that by applying mathematical techniques, one can understand and predict the behavior of a large class of chemical processes far better than by following earlier empirical approaches. Amundson was a visionary chair of the chemical engineering department at the University of Minnesota, which under his leadership achieved a top ranking on an international scale. At the University of Houston, he was an influential faculty member and university citizen. Amundson also served as the American editor of Chemical Engineering Science, which became recognized as the top journal in the field, as well as the editor of the Prentice Hall Series in Chemical Engineering. Throughout his career, he was a mentor to generations of PhD graduate students, several of whom attained international reputations both in academia and in industry. The scientific approach to chemical engineering that he spearheaded eventually became the norm in industrial practice, particularly among the major chemical and petroleum companies.
