Joseph Louvar - Hall of Fame 2013

PhDChE '83, is an internationally recognized expert on chemical process safety. He is the author of many safety related publications, including the co-author of Chemical Process Safety: Fundamentals with Applications and Health and Environmental Risk Analysis: Fundamentals with Applications. Other publications include "Design for Overpressure and Underpressure Protection" (Safety and Chemical Engineering Education product), "Dust Explosion Prevention and Control" (SACHE product) and "Education Materials for Universities and Industry" (American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Process Safety Progress). He spent the majority of his career at the BASF Corporation, where he held several director-level positions including director of chemical engineering and director of research services.

Upon retirement from BASF in 2000, he joined the College of Engineering as a visiting research professor. While at the university, Louvar contributed greatly to its undergraduate teaching mission by developing and teaching courses in chemical process safety, risk assessment, statistical design of experiments and chemical process engineering.

Louvar has received many awards, such as the Chemical Engineer of the Year Award in 1986 (Detroit Section of American Institute of Chemical Engineers), and received many honors, such as being named an American Institute of Chemical Engineering fellow in 1996. He is a member of numerous chemical engineering education and advisory boards. He retired from WSU in 2012 to enjoy time with his wife, Diane, in the Milwaukee area.