By Barbara Rea
Pratim Biswas, Ph.D., director of the Environmental Engineering Science Program at the School of Engineering and Applied Science, is the new Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor of Environmental Engineering Science. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton installed him in a ceremony Monday, Oct. 30, in Holmes Lounge.
The endowed chair is the culmination of Stifel Jens' lifelong dedication to the twin goals of improving the environment and supporting the engineering school. Stifel Jens received bachelor's and master's degrees from the school in 1932 and 1933, respectively; he died in 1995. Quinette Cowan Jens graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences in 1931; she died in 1997.
"The Stifel and Quinette Jens Professorship honors a couple who were devoted to Washington University and to the advancement of environmental concerns," Wrighton said. "We are most grateful to the Jenses for their important support of programs in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Installing Pratim Biswas, a very gifted scholar and researcher, as the first Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor is an apt choice, as his work contributes significantly to a better environment."
Stifel Jens was a St. Louis native, but his professional expertise led him to the far corners of the world in a career that spanned nearly a half century. After graduation, he joined the firm of W.W. Horner and Human Shifrin, and soon developed a reputation as an expert in hydraulic, hydrologic, sanitary and drainage systems.
During the 1930s and 1940s, he served as a principal consultant in a nationwide study of drainage basins, as a designer of the storm drainage system for National (now Reagon National) Airport in Washington, D.C., and as a designer of the Houston water system. He was named a partner at Horner and Shifrin in 1939. In 1951, he began independent consulting, and in 1963, he co-founded the firm of Reitz and Jens.
Jens received a presidential commendation for his contributions to environmental excellence. His alma mater also bestowed upon him many awards --the Alumni Citation in 1973, the School of Engineering Alumni Achievement Award in 1985 and the Robert S. Brookings Founders Day Award in 1993.
"The endowed professorship is the final of many significant contributions the Jenses have made to Washington University's School of Engineering and Applied Science," explained Christopher I. Byrnes, Ph.D., dean. The Jenses' major gifts include $1.6 million to establish the Laura and William Jens Professorship in Environmental Engineering, and the Jens Laboratory, inaugurating the school's environmental engineering program.
Byrnes noted that Biswas is distinguished in his field. "Pratim Biswas is forging new technological developments designed to enhance the environment," he said. "Washington University is fortunate to have him on board."
Biswas joined the faculty this fall as a professor in the departments of chemical and civil engineering, following 15 years with the University of Cincinnati's Environmental Engineering Science Division.
After receiving a bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, in mechanical engineering, Biswas came to the United States to continue his education. In 1981 he received a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and in 1985 a doctoral degree from the California Institute of Technology.
Biswas' area of research focuses on aerosol science and engineering, air quality and pollution control, environmentally benign synthesis of novel materials, and nanotechnology.
"The characteristics we admire most in our alumni represent the outstanding qualities of our faculty," Wrighton remarked. "They are two examples of how Washington University has ascended as an internationally-recognized leader in education and research."