Sheldon E. Isakoff is a

chemical engineer In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is a professional, equipped with the knowledge of chemical engineering, who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and deals with the ...

, former director of Engineering Research and Development at

DuPont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

, and former committee member of the

National Research Council National Research Council may refer to: * National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development * National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome * National Research Council (United States), part of ...

. His major contributions include the development of EFT

Dacron Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods ...

and

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

processes, improvements to Mylar and Cronar process, and the establishment of the first

Lycra Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US. The g ...

plant in the world. He is also honored for his contributions in unsteady-rate operations control. After retirement from industry, Isakoff served as the president o
United Engineering Trustees
and chairman of the

Chemical Heritage Foundation The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center. It was fo ...

board.

Background and work

Between 1945 and 1952, Isakoff received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

's School of Engineering and Applied Science. After graduating from Columbia, he joined DuPont Company. There he pioneered works in process dynamics and computer applications as research director of the materials engineering laboratory and of the engineering physics laboratory. His other research directions encompassed

technology management Technology management is a set of management disciplines that allows organizations to manage their technology, technological fundamentals to create customer advantage. Typical concepts used in technology management are: * Technology strategy (a lo ...

, market assessment, process scale-up, and

commercialization Commercialization or commercialisation is the process of introducing a new product or production method into commerce—making it available on the market. The term often connotes especially entry into the mass market (as opposed to entry into ear ...

. Isakoff later returned to Columbia as an advisor in the Chemical Engineering Department.

Recognition

Sheldon Isakoff is a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

. He was president of the

American Institute of Chemical Engineers The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was actually established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as a profession independent of chemists and mechanical engineer ...

and a fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. He was recipient of Columbia University's Pupin Medal and Egleston Medal of excellence. He is the author of numerous chemical engineering books including High-Tech Materials: Challenges and Opportunities for Chemical Engineers.

References

External links

Columbia University Bio

NAE Membership

AICHE

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isakoff, Sheldon E. Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Fellows of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers