ACS Applied Polymer Science Award Benny D. Freeman, winner of the 2009 American Chemical Society Award in Applied Polymer Science, is recognized for his pioneering polymer science research. Professor Freeman joins his colleagues in CLiPS (the NSF Center for Layered Polymeric Systems) in receiving this prestigious national award. Anne Hiltner was the 2008 recipient, Don Paul received the award in 1984, and Eric Baer was so honored in 1981. Benny Freeman is the Kenneth A. Kobe Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin, Texas. His training is in chemical engineering with a B.S. (1983) from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, followed by a Ph.D. (1988) in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, California and a postdoctoral fellowship (1988-1989) at the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Structurale et Macromoléculaire, Paris, France. He returned to the University of North Carolina in 1989 and served as professor and associate department head until he joined the University of Texas in 2002. His work explores the relationship between polymer structure, processing and properties. More specifically, it involves the study of the effect of polymer structure on the solubility, diffusivity, and permeability of small molecules in polymers and polymer-based materials. These fundamental studies bear directly upon membranes for liquid, gas, and vapor separations; controlled drug delivery devices and techniques; barrier plastics for food and specialty packaging; monomer and solvent removal from formed polymers; and physical aging of glassy polymeric materials and membranes. Professor Freeman also received the 2008 Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology from the American Institute for Chemical Engineering for his work on gas separations using membranes. In addition, Professor Freeman has been selected to receive a 2008 IBM Faculty Award, an internationally competitive award given to university faculty who have an outstanding reputation for contributions to their field. Benny Freeman has been involved with CLiPS since its planning phase and serves as leader for the research group on Membranes and Transport Phenomena.
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