Thomas W. Leland, Jr. was a professor of Chemical Engineering at Rice University from September 1954, until his untimely death on July 31st, 1986. He was chairman of the department from 1965 until 1970 and held the A. J. Hartsook Chair in Chemical Engineering during the period of 1981 through 1986.
Professor Leland's specialty, in both research and teaching, was thermodynamics, although he made significant earlier contributions in catalysis. In his principal research, he was distinguished for his work in formulating elegant fundamental generalizations relating molecular and macroscopic properties of fluid mixtures. Numerous papers published in scientific and engineering journals bear witness to his research diversity and productivity.
Past Lectures
- FA 2018 Paul Nealey - The University of Chicago
- FA 2017 John F. Brady - The California Institute of Technology
- SP 2017 Ignacio Iglesia - University of California, Berkeley
- 2015 Frank Bates - University of Minnesota
- 2014 Joan Brennecke - University of Notre Dame
- 2013 James A. Dumesic - University of Wisconsin
- 2012 Mark E. Davis - California Institute of Technology
- 2008 William Russell - Princeton University
- 2007 Carol K. Hall - North Carolina State University
- 2004 Eduardo D. Glandt - University of Pennsylvania
- 2003 Matthew Tirrell - University of California, Santa Barbara
- 2002 Bruce Finlayson - University of Washington
- 2001 Keith E. Gubbins - North Carolina State University
- 1999 L.E. (Skip) Scriven - University of Minnesota
- 1998 Roy Jackson - Princeton University
- 1997 Jacob Israelachvili - University of California
- 1994 Benjamin Widom - Cornell University
- 1992 John Prausnitz - University of California, Berkeley
- 1990 John Rowlinson - Oxford University