Jimmy L. Humphrey, Ph.D., P.E., passed away December 3, 2024 after a lengthy illness, just a few weeks after his wife, Barbara, passed away from an unrelated illness. Jimmy loved Chemical Engineering and his legacy will be hard to match. He, along with Jim Fair, founded the University of Texas Separations Research Program (SRP) in 1984; this program continues today as the Process Science and Technology Center. Jimmy, along with Jud King, also founded the AIChE Separations Division in 1991.
His expertise included separation processes, smart manufacturing, chemical industry and petroleum refining processes, and biomass/coal conversion to fuels and chemicals.
He has authored or co-authored over 70 papers and two books. His book Separation Process Technology is used as a reference for engineers and scientists worldwide. He held the positions of production manager and energy manager at Eastman Chemical and research manager at Argonne National Lab before joining UT Austin in 1982 to work with Dr. James R. Fair to develop the university’s Separations Research Program (SRP) at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin.
Humphrey was associate head of the SRP, where he supported the operation and conducted separations research. He also taught separations courses as an adjunct professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering.
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