Paul Lammers is an exemplary member of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering’s Advisory Board. Paul attended classes at the Capstone from 1982 to 1985. Following graduation, Paul worked at Milliken, where he became a special projects manager. Early on in his career, computers became increasingly prevalent in the world of engineering, which made computer proficiency a particularly important attribute for chemical engineers. For some of Paul’s peers, this was a significant transition. However, during his time as a faculty member at UA, Prof. McKinley made it a priority to incorporate computer-based projects into the chemical engineering curriculum. This decision, which Paul considers to be “well ahead of its time” subsequently put Paul in a great position to perform in the professional world and advance his career. Over the last forty years, he has worked all over the country and helped numerous chemical plants scale up their manufacturing capacities.
In the early 2000s, Paul returned to the university and connected with Prof. Brazel. During their conversation, Paul learned about the involvement of alumni within the department through the ChBE Advisory Board. For Paul, this seemed like a great way to give back to the department and help it reach new heights. Furthermore, he was motivated to help show students the versatility of their degree. Hence, in 2002 he formally became a member of the board. For him, the experience has been overwhelmingly positive. The Advisory Board offers a great deal of flexibility and expects a very reasonable time commitment, which has allowed Paul to maintain consistent involvement, with minimal conflicts with his other responsibilities. Additionally, he feels that a special seal of collegiality, family, and friendship exists among board members who share a common passion.
