Welcomed by over 80 of their peers and guests in attendance, seven alumni of the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering were inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers on April 14. The academy's annual banquet was held at TheatreSquared in downtown Fayetteville and featured a student poster session and the recognition of an outstanding high school teacher and mentor, in addition to the induction ceremony.

Academy members and their guests, along with members of the department's faculty and staff, began the evening's festivities with a welcome event featuring students presenting posters throughout the two lower levels of TheatreSquared. The showcase of undergraduate and graduate research, chemical engineering student organizations, faculty research group overviews, and the 2022 Chem-E-Car team allowed alumni to connect to the students and learn about many of the current projects in the department.

The evening progressed to the upper level of the theatre for a private reception for Academy members and their guests, as new members were informally welcomed into the organization, before a dinner service and the formal induction into the Academy. The banquet's program was carried out by Academy President Greg Nesmith, Academy Vice President Mike Mourot, and Department Head and professor Keisha Bishop Walters. The induction of new members was conducted by Academy Secretary and professor Tom Spicer.

The 2023 Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers inductee class includes:

• DaLesia Hills Boyd, Esq., B.S.Ch.E.'93, of League City, Texas
• Kelly D. Bryant, B.S.Ch.E.'94, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas
• Joey Cranston, B.S.Ch.E.'89, of Magnolia, Arkansas
• Katie Rupp Howerton, B.S.Ch.E.'02, of Metairie, Louisiana
• Monica Jimenez, B.S.Ch.E.'01, of Austin, Texas
• Johnny Key, B.S.Ch.E.'91, of Little Rock, Arkansas
• Robert K. "Bob" Poag, B.S.Ch.E.'83, M.S.Ch.E.1984, Ph.D.1987, of Osceola, Arkansas

Brief biographies for each inductee can be found below.

The Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers was established in 2005 for the purpose of recognizing outstanding chemical engineers and providing support for the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering. In addition to hosting its annual induction banquet and supporting the Distinguished High School Mentor honor, in recent years Academy members have helped organized the Chemical Engineering Mentor Program, served as course instructors, and have been guest speakers in the department's seminar series.

The Academy's 2024 banquet and induction ceremony will be on Friday, April 19.

2023 Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers Inductees

DaLesia Hills Boyd, Esq., B.S.Ch.E.'93

Hills began her career with Kimberly-Clark Corporation at their Conway, Arkansas, facility as a process engineer. After receiving her M.S.O.M.'97 from the University of Arkansas, she accepted a manufacturing manager position with DuPont, where she held several other positions of increasing responsibility, including engineering operations consultant for a DuPont/Dow JV and global manager for DuPont Engineering's Chemical Equipment Sales and Redeployment Group, where her responsibilities included the U.S., Asia and Europe.

In 2003, Hills left DuPont to attend law school at the University of Virginia to pursue a career as a registered patent attorney. After graduating from law school, DaLesia was an associate attorney at Woodcock Washburn LLP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She moved to Houston, Texas, in 2012 and is now senior intellectual property counsel for Air Products and Chemicals Inc. Her technology areas include but are not limited to chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical, oil and gas technology, and medical device technology. Hills is a native of Waldo, Arkansas. She and her husband, Cedric, currently reside in League City, Texas, with their daughter, Kaya Ihilani. Hills is very active in the community and has served in leadership positions on numerous non-profit boards and community organizations. DaLesia is a lifelong learner and is currently pursuing her Master of Laws in health law from the University of Houston Law Center. She is a Life Member of the University of Arkansas Alumni Association and a member of the University of Arkansas' Engineering Dean's Advisory Council.

Kelly D. Bryant B.S.Ch.E.'94

Bryant began her career as a process and environmental engineer for Stratcor/U.S. Vanadium Corporation in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In that role, she was active in design, pilot testing, and troubleshooting for a project to reduce ammonia levels in plant effluent and providing plant environmental support. Bryant was later promoted to environmental manager and also provided support to the site in Niagara Falls, New York. In 2004, she joined International Paper (later Evergreen Packaging) in Pine Bluff as the environmental group leader with primary responsibility for air and solid waste compliance.

Since 2015, Bryant has been the senior environmental manager for Clearwater Paper Corporation in Arkansas City, Arkansas, and is responsible for compliance with all state/federal environmental regulations and permits. She is a registered environmental manager. Bryant has held leadership roles in several professional and community service organizations such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Arkansas Environmental Federation Board of Directors, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (Diamond Life Member), The Links Inc., National Society of Black Engineers, Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce, the University of Arkansas Alumni Association (Life Member), and the University of Arkansas Black Alumni Society Board.

Joey Cranston B.S.Ch.E.'89

Cranston began his career with Ethyl Corporation in Magnolia, Arkansas as a research and development engineer. In 1993, Cranston was promoted to the position of process technician in the Operations group.  Soon after, Ethyl spun-off its chemical division and created Albemarle Corporation. In 1998, Cranston represented Magnolia Operations during the development, design and construction of a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art, production facility – later becoming plant superintendent. In 2001, Cranston was promoted to the newly formed position of process safety advisor.

Between 2001 and 2008, he was responsible for OSHA PSM compliance at three sites in southern Arkansas. In 2008, Cranston was tasked with managing and developing the global Process Safety program, as well as the company's Process Safety Technology Center.  Over the last decade, Cranston has participated in the ACC's process safety committee and actively participates on several ACC subcommittees. In 2022, he was promoted to Distinguished Advisor in Process Safety while maintaining his global management role. Cranston is a registered professional engineer and in 1995 was honored with the Fred M. Carter Award by the Arkansas Board of Professional Engineers. He also holds a CCPSC process safety certification. Cranston and his wife, Angel, still reside in Magnolia, but their two daughters are currently in Fayetteville (U of A) and Fort Worth, Texas. They are passionate, amateur Razorback fans who intend to become professional fans upon retirement.

Katie Rupp Howerton B.S.Ch.E.'02

Howerton began her career with Dow Chemical in 2002 as an advanced control and optimization engineer supporting the Dow's Ethylene Oxide technology implementing Dynamic Matrix Control and Real Time Optimization models. Howerton's role included supporting assets based in Louisiana, Texas, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Howerton has served in manufacturing roles such as operations support engineer and operations leader. In these roles, Howerton focused on safe and reliable operations for various technologies within Dow. Howerton has had specific emphasis with process safety while serving in these roles.

Howerton has also pursued a career with a supply chain emphasis. In these roles, Howerton has executed regional and global supply chain, logistics, and business process lead. These roles entailed work process design, tool development, inventory management, on time shipping as well as transportation safety requirements. Today, she works as a commercial portfolio manager providing contract accountability and service delivery for Dow on-site customers and the Site Logistics Portfolio. Howerton is Six Sigma Certified.

Monica Jimenez B.S.Ch.E.'01

Jimenez began her career with Trinity Consultants in Dallas, Texas, as an environmental engineer. There she led several projects that involved conducting mass balances across pharmaceutical sites around the world. After two years with Trinity, Jimenez accepted a position with BP Chemicals in an Acrylonitrile Plant. There she acted as process engineer of the Cyanide Unit, PSM lead, and Incident Command officer. In 2012, she moved to Austin, Texas, and joined Samsung Austin Semiconductors as the gas, chemical and slurry engineer and helped implement the smallest circuit manufacturing line at the time (14 nanometers) in the fabs.

Jimenez met a group of entrepreneurs in 2017 and decided to join the startup company Ei. At Ei, she has been at the forefront of the digital twin creation and design for many super majors through the process of digitizing refineries and chemical plants around the world. Jimenez is a registered professional engineer in Texas. She is a native of Mexico City. Jimenez and her two daughters currently reside in Austin. They are active members of Hill Country Bible Church and enjoy spending time with friends and family, as well as traveling as much as they can.

Johnny Key B.Ch.E.'91

Key most recently served as the secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education. Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Key to this post on May 22, 2019. Key also served the state as the commissioner of the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, a position he held since 2015. Under Key's leadership, the agency concentrated on student-focused education with the mission of providing leadership, support, and service to schools, districts, and communities so that every graduate is prepared for college, career, and community engagement.

Before being named commissioner, Key served as associate vice president for university relations at the University of Arkansas System, a position he held since August 2014. Key was employed as a quality engineer at Baxter Healthcare Corporation in Mountain Home from 1991 until 2003. He began his career in public service in 1997 when he was elected to serve as a justice of the peace on the Baxter County Quorum Court. He was elected in 2002 to the Arkansas House of Representatives, followed by a tenure in the Arkansas Senate that began in 2008. While in the Senate, Key served and chaired multiple committees, including Senate Education Committee; Administrative Rules and Regulations; Retirement and Social Security; and Arkansas Lottery Oversight. Key and his wife, Shannon, live in Little Rock and have one son, Ryan, and one daughter, Rachel.

Robert K. "Bob" Poag, B.S.Ch.E.'83, M.S.Ch.E.'84, Ph.D.'87

Poag joined C. F. Picou Associates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after completing his Ph.D. There he began a career implementing process control applications for a wide variety of processes in refineries, chemical plants, and polymer plants in the U.S. and abroad. In 1997, he moved to Osceola, AR, and established R. K. Poag, P.A., as a professional corporation. There he has continued his work as a private consultant to the present time.

Over the course of his career, Poag has gained a reputation as an expert in the field of advanced process control. His experience and expertise cover a variety of process control hardware and software systems as well as virtually all phases of process control system implementation. Poag is a registered professional engineer in Arkansas and Louisiana. He is married to Lisa Brown Poag (M.S.Ch.E.1987) and has a son, Alex, who is currently pursuing an engineering degree at the University of Arkansas. In his spare time, Bob bird hunts and fishes.

About the Department of Chemical Engineering: Chemical engineering has been a part of the University of Arkansas curriculum since 1903. Today, the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering has an enrollment of over 300 students in its undergraduate and graduate degree programs and houses five endowed chairs and eight endowed professorships to support its faculty. Faculty expertise includes cellular engineering, chemical process safety, advanced materials, and membrane separations. A wide range of fundamental and applied research is conducted in the areas of energy, health, sustainability and computational chemical engineering. The department is also home to the Chemical Hazards Research Center and is one of three national sites for the Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology (MAST) Center. The Department of Chemical Engineering is named for alumnus Ralph E. Martin (B.S.Ch.E.'58, M.S.Ch.E.'60) in recognition of his 2005 endowment gift.