(left to right) Joseph Mabry (POLY Chair), Robert Cohen (2012 Paul J. Flory Award Recipient) and Pal Arjunan (Albemarle Corporation) 

Robert E. Cohen, St. Laurent Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, received the Division of Polymer Chemistry Paul J Flory Polymer Education Award at the 2012 Spring Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.

Professor Cohen is internationally recognized for his development and leadership of MIT’s interdepartmental Program in Polymer Science and Technology (PPST) that has served the educational interests of MIT graduate students in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering for more than 25 years. He is also highly appreciated at MIT for his 40 years of undergraduate laboratory and graduate classroom instruction in polymers, as well as for the research mentoring of more than 70 doctoral students.

Professor Cohen’s contributions to polymer science and engineering have been recognized in many ways including election to the National Academy of Engineering and to the status of Fellow in the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineering and the Materials Research Society. Eleven of his students hold professorships at leading universities in the US and abroad, and many of them attended and participated in the day-long symposium held in his honor at the San Diego meeting.

The award was presented to Professor Cohen at the joint POLY/PMSE Awards Reception by Division of Polymer Chemistry President Joseph M. Mabry and by Pal Arjunan representing Albemarle Corporation, the sponsor of the Flory Award.

The Paul J. Flory Polymer Education Award was established in 1981 and is administered by the Polymer Chemistry Division to recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding achievements by an individual or team in promoting undergraduate and/or graduate polymer education. It is presented biennially in even years at the spring meeting of ACS.