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Polymer Science and Engineering's First Doctoral Graduate Received most Distinguished Award and is Honored in Symposium

President Tisato Kajiyama of Kyushu University is awarded the UMass Amherst Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award at the State House in Boston.  Dr. Kajiyama is the first recipient of a doctoral degree from Polymer Science and Engineering.  In honor of President Kajiyama, Professor Shaw Ling Hsu hosted a symposium on April 12.  Speakers included Professor William MacKnight, Professor Richard Stein, Professor Frank Karasz, Dr. Lothar Kleiner, Professor Atsushi Takahara and Professor Samuel Gido.  The Symposium ran from 8am to 3pm.

Every organization should respect its history and the individuals who contributed to its success. This symposium on April 12, 2007, in Conte A110-111, honors some of the individuals who have defined excellence in polymer research and education and placed the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst into the prominence it occupies to this day.

The Polymer Science and Engineering Department (PSE) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst began as a doctoral program in 1967. Since then, PSE has gained an international reputation while educating over 500 Ph.D. scientists and engineers. Combining nearly 200 scientists and students with over $24 million in instrumentation, PSE has become one of the largest academic centers for polymer research in the world. The department's academic focus, from synthesis to engineering and physics, spans all aspects of the evolving polymer field.

Reflecting the wealth of opportunities available in polymers, many PSE graduates hold high-level positions in industry and academia across disparate fields of science and engineering. Active and emeritus faculty have been awarded numerous international awards and gained memberships in prestigious scientific societies. The department is now positioned for the growth needed to pursue pivotal new intellectual themes such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, energy development, and green chemistry.

We welcome you to this symposium to celebrate the accomplishments of the very first doctoral degree recipient of this department, Dr. Tisato Kajiyama.

Dr. Kajiyama is the 2007 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. This Award is bestowed upon alumni who have demonstrated distinguished service to the University. Dr. Tisato Kajiyama is President of Kyushu University, one of the former seven imperial universities in Japan. He is one of the most respected polymer scientists in the world, who is generally regarded as the person who initiated and developed the polymer surface and interfacial phenomena. Dr. Kajiyama’s scientific accomplishments include authoring close to 800 scientific papers and contributing to more than 150 other publications. Dr. Kajiyama has received a multitude of Japanese and international awards for scientific accomplishment, service, and outreach. He is responsible for securing strong relationships between UMass Amherst and Japanese polymer and physics societies.

May 9, 2007