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Professor of Engineering Lee Lynd has been appointed to Thayer School’s Paul E. and Joan H. Queneau Distinguished Professorship in Environmental Engineering Design. The Queneau Chair is designated for an outstanding authority in chemical engineering who is recognized for solving environmental problems of industry.
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A member of the Dartmouth engineering faculty since 1987, Lynd is also adjunct professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth; Professor Extraordinary of Microbiology at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa; and co-founder, director, and chief scientific officer of Mascoma Corporation, a biomass energy start-up. Lynd holds a B.S. in biology from Bates College, an M.S. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, and master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering from Dartmouth.
Lynd is an expert on the utilization of plant biomass for energy production. His contributions span the science, technology, and policy domains, and include leading research on fundamental and biotechnological aspects of microbial cellulose utilization. He has led an active research group addressing these issues over the last two decades, authoring over 75 archival papers, book chapters, and reviews as well as 11 patents and patent applications.
A frequently invited presenter on the technical and strategic aspects of biomass energy, Lynd has three times testified before the U.S. Senate and was a speaker at the 2007 Nobel Conference. In 2007, he was the inaugural recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Sustainability prize for inventions and innovations that enhance economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment, and in 2005 he received the Charles D. Scott Award for distinguished contributions to the field of biotechnology for fuels and chemicals.
Created with the income from Professor of Engineering Emeritus Paul E. Queneau’s 12 inventions during his tenure at Thayer School from 1971 to 1997, the Queneau Chair is augmented by a grant from nickel company Vale Inco. Queneau served as vice president and chief technical officer at Vale Inco before coming to Thayer School.
An Engineer Officer and Colonel in World War II, Queneau witnessed the devastation of five campaigns and returned home dedicated to environmental conservation. Queneau, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, has been awarded 36 U.S. patents mainly devoted to technology to achieve environmentally clean, energy- and cost-saving metal production. In Queneau’s eyes, technical progress and environmental conservation are allies.
Professor Queneau’s wife, Joan, was equally committed to protecting the environment, as reflected by the Joan Hodges Queneau Palladium Medal. Given jointly by the National Audubon Society and the American Association of Engineering Societies, the Medal highlights the importance of mutual understanding between conservationists and engineers.
By CATHARINE LAMM
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