Dr. Donald Paul
Dr. Donald Paul grew up in Yeatesville in Eastern North Carolina, where his parents were tobacco farmers. Not wishing to go into farming himself, Dr. Paul pursued a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at NC State and was in the first generation in his family to attend college.
After graduating with High Honors from the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1961, Dr. Paul received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After his studies at Wisconsin, Dr. Paul returned to North Carolina to work for Chemstrand Research Center, Inc., the first corporate resident of the Research Triangle Park. In 1967, Dr. Paul began his distinguished academic career at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Paul is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of polymer engineering and science. Dr. Paul conducted critically important systematic studies in the ’70s and ’80s on the gas separation properties of polymers that later went on to provide the fundamental framework and understanding upon which today’s commercial membranes are based. He also made key contributions to fundamental understanding of relaxation of glassy polymers and understanding the physical aging in extremely thin glassy films. Dr. Paul is among the most cited scientists in the world, especially for his work in polymer blend thermodynamics.
Impact
Dr. Paul looks back in grateful recognition of the role scholarships played in his life. Without a scholarship from Durham Southern Railroad, he would not have been able to attend NC State. Dr. Paul has chosen to create this award to honor not only the difference the Durham Southern Railroad made for him, but also to help future generations of students pursue their educational goals.