UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Raj Shah, who graduated with a doctorate in chemical engineering from the Penn State College of Engineering in 1995, has received four high honors from a variety of international engineering organizations in the last six months for his contributions to the field of fuels, lubricants and greases.
Shah specializes in the development of laboratory analytical instrumentation used primarily in petroleum laboratories. He currently serves as a director at Koehler Instrument Company, which provides petroleum and petrochemical testing equipment and technical support services to testing laboratories worldwide. The recent recognitions are for his inventions and efforts in creating standardized petroleum and petrochemical test methods for use worldwide by the American standard of testing materials.
Last fall, Shah was honored by the Energy Institute (EI) with the title of Chartered Petroleum Engineer. He was one of six Americans to be recognized and the first engineer from Penn State. The EI is a professional organization for engineers and other professionals in energy related fields, with an international membership of more than 20,000 people representing more than 200 companies.
In addition, Shah was elected last fall as a fellow of the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC), a rare honor for an American engineer.
The InstMC is recognized by the United Kingdom’s Royal Charter as the professional body for scientists and engineers working in measurement, automation and control. Being inducted into its fellowship is the organization’s highest honor.
In January, Shah was elected a fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, United Kingdom (IChemE). The IChemE is a multi-national institution that advances chemical engineering's contribution worldwide for the benefit of society. The organization has more than 35,000 members in more than 100 countries and is the leading professional society for chemical engineers in the world.
In February, Shah was invited for induction as an eminent engineer into Tau Beta Pi, the oldest engineering honor society in the United States. An eminent engineer status is afforded via peer recommendation with the criteria of both outstanding performance in their chosen engineering field as well as exemplary character.
These honors are just the latest for Shah in his 25-year career. He is now an elected fellow of the International Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI), the American Institute of Chemists, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the InstMC, the IChemE and the EI. He has received multiple other awards for his work, most recently the PM Ku medal and the John A. Bellanti Sr. Memorial Award. The PM Ku medal is one of STLE’s prestigious honor, and Shah is the youngest recipient ever. The John A. Bellanti Sr. Memorial Award is awarded by the NLGI and acknowledges meritorious service on the organization’s technical committee projects or to the industry in general.
“I have to credit my four years at Penn State for a lot of what I have been able to achieve,” Shah said. “Especially, the late chemical engineering professors Elmer Klaus and Larry Duda for teaching me not only how to be part of a team but also the importance of working toward a goal with laser vision on what is needed to be achieved.”