Dr. Do Ik Lee Named 2012 TAPPI Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award Winner

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Dr. Do lk Lee, Adjunct Professor, Western Michigan University, has been named the recipient of TAPPI's 2012 Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award. The award is the highest honor that the Association can bestow upon an individual. The award will be presented to Dr. Lee at the 2012 PaperCon Conference Awards Dinner, to be held on April 24, 2012 in New Orleans.

"TAPPI is very pleased to announce Dr. Lee as the recipient of this prestigious award in recognition of his many important contributions to latex technology research, development and applications," notes Larry N. Montague, president and CEO of TAPPI. "During a long and distinguished career he has made notable contributions that have been of great benefit to the industry and advanced the knowledge, science and use of this key coating and papermaking technology. He's served the industry, TAPPI and its members with great integrity and distinction in many roles."

Dr. Lee obtained a B. S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University in Korea and both M. S. and doctoral degrees in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University in New York City. He has been a TAPPI member since 1972.

He joined The Dow Chemical Company in 1967 and retired from Dow in 2002. Currently he is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Imaging at Western Michigan University.

Dr. Lee has been also teaching latex technology at the annual Lehigh University and Davos (European) short courses on "Advances in Emulsion Polymerization and Latex Technology." He also serves as Scientific Advisor for EcoSynthetix Inc., producing renewable biopolymer-based nanoparticle latexes for paper coating and adhesives applications. His research interests include all aspects of latex technology, emulsion polymerization, dispersion rheology, paper coating technology, and many others. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and made numerous presentations. He holds 27 U.S. and more than one hundred international patents.

Established in 1928, the Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal is granted to those "who have made preeminent scientific and engineering achievements of proven applied benefit to the world's pulp, paper, board, and forest product industries." It's named for former TAPPI President and Gold Medal winner Gunnar W. E. Nicholson and includes a cash honorarium.