COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Nov. 10, 2008 – Babatunde A. Ogunnaike, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, will discuss his research on control systems Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 12-13) as the inaugural speaker of the McFerrin Lectures at Texas A&M University.
Ogunnaike is scheduled to present “Elucidating the Control Mechanism for DNA damage repair with the p53-Mdm2 system: Single Cell Data Analysis and Ensemble Modeling,” Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Rm. 106 of the Jack E. Brown Building. The following day he will present “Design, Development and Implementation of An Alternative Structure for Next Generation Regulatory Controllers” at 3 p.m. in Rm. 256.
Ogunnaike, the William L. Friend Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, is the first visiting lecturer to have the McFerrin title bestowed upon him. His presentations are sponsored by Texas A&M’s Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering.
“Babatunde Ogunnaike is a pioneer in control systems and systems biology, and we’re very excited to have him join us and inaugurate the McFerrin Lectures,” said Michael V. Pishko, Charles D. Holland ‘53 Professor and head of Texas A&M’s chemical engineering department.
“The McFerrin Lectures represent a golden opportunity for our students and faculty to interact with the some of the world’s leading researchers,” Pishko added.
Ogunnaike’s research interests include modeling and control of industrial processes; the application of process analytical technology for control of pharmaceutical processes; identification and control of nonlinear systems; the interaction of process design and process operability; applied statistics; biological control systems; and systems biology with application to neuronal responses and cancer.
He is the author or co-author of three books including a widely used textbook, “Process Dynamics, Modeling and Control,” published by Oxford University Press. He also serves as associate editor of the journal “Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.”
Ogunnaike is the recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 1998 CAST Computing Practice Award, the 2004 University of Delaware’s College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching award, the 2007 ISA Eckman Award and the 2008 American Automatic Control Council’s Control Engineering Practice Award.
Named in honor of Arthur R. “Artie” McFerrin, Jr., a 1965 graduate of Texas A&M and an avid supporter of both the department and university, the McFerrin Lectures were established to enable prominent chemical engineering researchers from throughout the world to visit Texas A&M and interact with students and faculty through lectures on their given areas of expertise.
The McFerrin Lectures are made possible by the generosity of McFerrin, who serves as chairman and CEO of KMCO, Inc. and in 2005 committed $10 million to establish an endowed fund in support of chemical engineering at Texas A&M.
McFerrin is an Outstanding Alumnus of the chemical engineering department and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award – the highest honor bestowed upon a former student of the institution.
