Alumni Advisory Board Member Donates to the CBE Centennial Endowment Fund

CBE Alumni Advisory Board member Joe Royer (Ph.D. ‘00) and his partner, Julie McCormick (Ph.D. ‘02), make a generous donation to the CBE Centennial Endowment Fund as the department kicks off its centennial anniversary celebrations.

Joe and Julie received their undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, respectively. They independently decided to attend NC State for graduate school in chemical engineering because of the research opportunities and both matriculated in August 1995.  Both Joe and Julie were co-advised: Joe by Profs. Khan and DeSimone and Julie by Profs. Khan and Hall.  Their fondest memories revolve around the friends that they made, the multiple intramural softball championships won in the late 90s and early 2000s, and the many happy hours!  

After his Ph.D, Joe continued to perform research in the department as a postdoc as part of the NSF Technology Center related to Environmentally Friendly Solvents, which was led by his advisors and Prof. Roberts.  After Julie finished her degree, the pair left NC State and moved to South Carolina where Joe began working with Milliken Research and Julie with Michelin, specifically the Michelin Americas Research Center (MARC). Throughout his career, Joe has worked across many different interdisciplinary fields and has successfully interfaced with mechanical, materials, and civil engineers – a skill he attributes to his chemical engineering degree and knowledge. Currently, Joe is the Director of Innovation and Technology for Henkel Adhesives Technology and Julie is working in tire research and development at MARC. 

Joe and Julie’s contribution will be given over two years and is donated in the spirit of the department’s centennial. When asked why the pair decided to donate to the CBE Centennial Endowment Fund, which was initiated by fellow CBE Alumni Advisory Board members Ana and John Davis, Joe said “I have been an Alumni Advisory Board member for over a decade. I have seen firsthand the challenges the department and the university faces that the CBE Centennial Endowment Fund is focused on improving. Specifically, the fund will provide the department head with needed flexibility to start new initiatives and resolve problems. We felt like this was the best way we could contribute and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the CBE department.”

The department is grateful for our dedicated alumni like Joe and Julie for their continued support of the program. Thank you for being an integral part of our department’s journey. Here’s to the past 100 years and to the limitless possibilities of the next century!