OSU Professor Receives International Sustainability Award

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Dr. Russ Rhinehart, professor of chemical engineering at Oklahoma State University, has been named the 2013 Fray International Sustainability Award winner in the academic community for a career dedicated to developing sustainable technology and programs. The award was presented to Rhinehart at a national symposium of the International Federation of Automatic Control in San Diego recently.

“Sustainability is a philosophy that should influence all human choices,” says Rhinehart. “In engineering education, for example, a sustainable model of human resource development requires strong grounding of students in industrial practice situations, such as pilot-scale experiments, not just theoretical mathematical analysis.”

Rhinehart served as president of the American Automatic Control Council from 2012-2013. Automation and control include everything from cruise control in cars, to robotics—applications that improve quality of life. He worked for 13 years in industry prior to starting his 27-year academic career. Rhinehart’s combined public and private sector experience has shaped his view of what works, while influencing his initiatives in the development of human resources. He believes this is the essence of the profession and the infrastructure that enables progress.

For more information on this award and sustainability in the School of Chemical Engineering at OSU, visit cheng.okstate.edu