OREANDA-NEWS. Eastman Chemical Company chemist Ted Germroth has received the 2016 American Chemical Society National Award in Industrial Chemistry, one of the industry’s most prestigious awards and one that recognizes outstanding contributions to chemical research in the industrial context.

Germroth received the award Tuesday night as part of the ACS Spring National Meeting in San Diego. He also was awarded a $5,000 stipend, which Germroth is donating to a non-governmental organization that empowers women in Tanzania, Africa, through education.

Since he moved to Kingsport and began working at Eastman in 1979, Germroth has fashioned an outstanding career marked by continual technology discovery. As a senior technology fellow – one of the highest positions a scientist can achieve at Eastman – Germroth has long been a vital contributor to Eastman’s reputation for world-class technologies and its ability to innovate and deliver new processes and products.

“It would be impossible to calculate the value that Ted Germroth has contributed to Eastman, because he has been a vital part of so many successful and innovative projects throughout his career,” said Steve Crawford, Eastman senior vice president and chief technology officer. “Ted has also been generous with his knowledge and insights by serving as a mentor for a long list of scientists and engineers including myself. ACS chose a truly worthy recipient of this prestigious award in Ted Germroth. I’m proud and honored that Ted is a part of the Eastman team.”

A native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Germroth has had an integral role in a long list of Eastman projects and technology breakthroughs that resulted in significant commercial applications. Just a few of them include Eastman Tritan™; Titan™ liquid crystal polymer, Eastar™ Bio copolyester; and the development and design of the Primester™ yarn ester process.

“I am humbled and honored to be recognized by my peers with such an esteemed award,” Germroth said. “I’m grateful to Eastman for consistently providing me with opportunities that keep me energized and place me in a position to contribute to impactful, practical solutions for customers.”

Germroth, who earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, is now a program leader and technical contributor to two key Eastman programs, new polymer commercialization for liquid crystal display compensation film and Eastman Crystex® new process/product development. More than 30 years after he joined the company, Germroth is still at the forefront of perpetuating Eastman’s reputation as a world leader in innovation.

“I get energized by tough problems,” said Germroth, “especially if I believe that a better molecular level understanding of the chemistry and mechanism can lead to a solution. The more practical the impact, the more this type problem attracts and energizes me.”

The award is sponsored by the ACS Division of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. The complete list of 2016 National Award winners is available at the ACS website. Germroth will be donating his ACS award stipend to Moyo wa Afrika Foundation, a non-profit organization that connects remote Tanzanian villages – especially girls and young women in those villages – to education and health services.

Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. As a globally diverse company, Eastman serves customers in approximately 100 countries and had 2015 revenues of approximately $9.6 billion. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA and employs approximately 15,000 people around the world.