ChE Emeritus Professor William Curtis Conner, Jr. Passes Away
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Professor William Curtis Conner, Jr. of the UMass Amherst Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE) passed away this summer. According to Distinguished Professor and ChE Department Head Dimitrios Maroudas, “Curt was an original thinker, a very creative researcher, and an enthusiastic and beloved member of the catalysis and reaction engineering community. He will be greatly missed and remembered very fondly by the broader chemical engineering community.”
Conner earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (1968) from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). He continued at JHU for a Ph.D. in Catalytic Chemistry (1973) under the guidance of Richard J. Kokes (known to every catalysis researcher in the U.S. for the travel grants that bear his name). Conner augmented his training through postdoctoral appointments at the University of Connecticut, the University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), and the Russian Academy of Sciences. After several years of industrial experience at the Allied Chemical Corporation, he joined the UMass Amherst Chemical Engineering Faculty in 1979.
Conner conducted research in heterogenous catalysis with a focus on understanding fundamental, and often controversially discussed, phenomena, such as gas adsorption in porous media, hydrogen spillover, the compensation effect, and the influence of microwaves on catalysis. His work was at the forefront of the catalysis field, both regarding principal questions as well as objectives, where he targeted biomass and methane conversion in his late career.
Conner’s research success is documented in several patents and in more than 120 peer-reviewed articles. Some of his conference presentations were selected for inclusion in the “Video History of Catalysis” on YouTube (14th North American Catalysis Society Meeting 1995 and the 212th ACS National Meeting 1996).
Conner stands out for his legacy of in-depth reviews, which are impressive for their diversity of subjects treated and recognition received. He led two review articles on the phenomenon of “spillover” (Curt’s “magnum opus,” Advances in Catalysis, 1986, and Chemical Reviews, 1995, the latter now with more than 1,100 citations). Another review on microwaves in catalyst synthesis (ChemPhysChem, 2006) is also cited more than 500 times. His last review article on gas adsorption (Hammond and Conner, Advances in Catalysis, 2013) became a reference for best practices in catalyst characterization.
As an internationally renowned scholar, Conner repeatedly spent time abroad at various universities in Europe. He was the recipient of two Fulbright Fellowships, which supported stays at the Technical University of Vienna in Austria (1986–1987) and at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden (2009–2010).
Numerous honors were bestowed on Conner. He was named Distinguished Chair in Alternate Energy Technology at Chalmers. In 2015, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers held a symposium in his honor at its annual meeting. JHU invited him to present the inaugural Emmett & Kokes Endowed Lecture in 2022 on his favorite topic of adsorption in porous materials. This is a lecture that was established by a gift from Conner to JHU to honor his mentors, Professors Paul Emmett and Kokes, and their research accomplishments in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. The annual lecture is held jointly between the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Department of Chemistry at JHU, with preference given to a lecturer who has focused on heterogeneous catalysis.
Conner thrived on ardent debate, both at conferences and via journal articles. His passion for certain subjects and his penchant for asking critical questions were well known and would even incite preventive statements by seminar speakers. Conner was an enthusiastic collaborator on all kinds of grant proposals and projects, and he would generously invite anyone to use his laboratory facilities. He often ended his emails and conversations with his signature “Keep smiling!” – even after heated discussions.
Conner was a dedicated teacher and a universalist who taught nearly every course in the undergraduate curriculum. He sought innovation and contributed “ConcepTests” to LearnChemE, the leading online-learning platform in the field.
Conner’s heart was in the laboratory, and two articles in Chemical Engineering Education – “Incorporation of Process Control Computers in the Undergraduate Laboratory: A Case Study” (1990) and “A Moveable Feast–A Progressive Approach to the Unit Operations Laboratory” (2011) – are testament of his vision to include elements of all lecture-based classes and real-world-project workflows into the practical training of students.
Conner also developed new courses, most recently an interdisciplinary, cross-level course with a conceptual focus on energy conversion (ChE 555). The course featured expert speakers from across campus, a tour of the UMass Amherst power plant, and critical discussions of news reports with his students.
One of Conner’s former graduate students, Associate Professor Karl Hammond of the University of Missouri, remembers his former advisor. “Those who did not know Curt often thought he was somewhat aggressive. Those who knew him saw that for what it was: a love of knowledge, a deep pride in his field of study, a constant desire to make sure others shared that pride and were worthy of it, and above all, a heart of gold. I once heard a former undergraduate student at UMass describe Curt’s teaching perfectly: ‘He was not a particularly good lecturer, but he was a great teacher.’ Curt treated his students, especially his graduate students, as people, colleagues, and friends….”
Conner’s service to the catalysis and engineering community was extensive. He assumed numerous functions in various organizations on the regional, national, and international levels. Notably, Conner chaired two Gordon conferences (Chemistry at Interfaces 1988 and Catalysis 1999), and played a key leadership role in attracting and organizing the 11th International Congress on Catalysis 1996 in Baltimore.
As a department member, Curt had a strong sense of community, and he created occasions for and initiated celebratory gatherings. He identified with UMass Amherst, rendering him both an outspoken critic and a fervent supporter. He attended UMass athletic-team events, especially lacrosse games, and was a generous donor to the Chemical Engineering Laboratory.
Beyond catalysis and engineering, Curt appreciated the family dogs (including a highly decorated Irish Setter show dog), classic sports cars (among them a Porsche and a Morgan in “UMass” maroon color), duck dinners, fine wine—often from grapes grown at his own vineyard—and a good deal.
The department and the chemical-engineering and catalysis communities mourn the loss of a distinctive researcher and personality. Rest in peace, Curt! We will miss you very much.