Chemical Engineering Alumni
1. Chemical Engineering Outstanding Engineering Alumni
Alumni Awards Home > O.E.A. > 1980 - 1989 > John R. McWhirter (1984)
Dr. McWhirter is vice president and general manager of the Union Carbide Agricultural Products Company in Danbury, Connecticut. As a chemical engineer with Union Carbide, he was primarily responsible for the invention, development, and commercialization of the UNOX System for secondary wastewater treatment at Union Carbide.
These pioneering efforts contributed directly to the selection of Union Carbide for the Kirkpatrick Award for Chemical Engineering Achievement in 1971. Dr. McWhirter also received the Chemical Engineering Personal Achievement Award from Chemical Engineering Magazine in 1970.
His outstanding achievements in the chemical engineering field, especially in wastewater treatment, are reflected in his numerous patents and publications.
A member of several engineering honor societies and professional engineering organizations, Dr. McWhirter has been a firm supporter of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Penn State since his graduation in 1962. He serves as vice president of the Chemical Engineering Division of the Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (I.P.A.C.) and has been a member of this committee for the past four years.
Written in 1984, Top of page