2:37 p.m., Sept. 29, 2008----Babatunde Q. Ogunnaike has been appointed the William L. Friend Chair of Chemical Engineering in recognition of his distinguished scientific career and his service to the University of Delaware and beyond, UD Provost Dan Rich has announced.

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The professor heads the Ogunnaike research group at UD, whose efforts are organized around the general theme of first understanding the dynamic behavior of complex systems, including industrial processes and biological control systems, through mathematical modeling and analysis and then using this understanding for innovative designs and improved operations.
The group focuses on three areas: control and system theory, systems biology, and product engineering with the goal of engineering desired characteristics into products.

Ogunnaike also serves as a professor in the Center for Systems Biology at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.

Among his awards, Ogunnaike received the Donald P. Eckman Education Award from ISA, an international organization involved in instrumentation, systems and automation, in 2007. In 2008, he received the American Automatic Control Council's Control Engineering Practice Award. He also has received the College of Engineering's Excellence in Teaching Award

The author or editor of four books and more than 75 papers and book chapters, Ogunnaike has served as associate editor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology and is associate editor of the American Chemical Society's Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. He has made numerous presentations at universities, companies and conferences.

Ogunnaike has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Lagos in Nigeria, a master's degree in statistics and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He joined UD in 2002 after 13 years with DuPont Central Research and Development.

William L. Friend, '58M, received UD's Medal of Distinction for his 41-year career in international engineering and construction, retiring as an executive vice president and director of the Bechtel Group. He is treasurer of the National Academy of Engineering, a member of the Governing Board of the National Research Council and a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He and his wife, Mary Kay, established the William L. Friend professorship in chemical engineering in 2001.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Kathy Atkinson