William (Bill) Liechty is the University Collaboration Scientist in External Technology, Core R&D at the Dow Chemical Company. Bill provides strategic oversight of Dow’s University Partnership Initiative, an investment in collaborative research projects with leading U.S. universities. He is responsible for ensuring a robust pipeline of innovation projects by identifying promising technologies, scouting new partners, and by selecting, shaping, and executing collaborative projects to deliver value to Dow.
Bill joined Dow in 2013 and was responsible for process development in the novel Designed Particle Morphology (DPM) platform technology in the METHOCEL™ cellulose ether product line. Bill led the process to deepen understanding of relationships between process, particle properties, and product application performance for new cellulose ether products with novel size and shape combinations, including METHOCEL™ DC2 and WELLENCE™ SmartFry. He also collaborated closely with cross-functional business teams to drive a new portfolio of innovation and asset flexibility opportunities in the DPM platform.
Bill is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and is a recipient of the “35 Under 35” AIChE Award. Bill received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 2013, attended Cambridge University as a Gates Scholar in 2008, and received a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 2007.