2017 Prestigious Award Winners

 

Another benefit of industry awards—they encourage us to consider those who have made a difference in our own professional lives—and to appreciate those whose efforts continue to strengthen our industry and benefit others  For many TAPPI Awards, nominations are open until August 1. 

 

 

TAPPI’s Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award, Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award, and the Paul W. Magnabosco Outstanding TAPPI Local Section Member Awards are the highest honors our Association can bestow upon individuals for contributions and service to the world’s pulp, paper, board, and forest products industries. We encourage TAPPI members to review the nomination guidelines today, and then nominate a deserving colleague.

 

This year’s winners are:

 

 

Honghi Tran, Ph.D., has been named winner of the prestigious Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award. Dr. Tran is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto in Canada, and is also the university’s Frank Dottori Chair in Pulp and Paper Engineering and director of its Pulp & Paper Centre. He has been a member of TAPPI since 1980.

 

"Professor Tran’s research is of extraordinary quality and has progressively impacted the kraft pulping industry," said Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO. "His past and present contributions to the industry have made him exceptionally deserving of this award."

 

Tran is one of the world’s leading experts on kraft chemical recovery processes and an authority on recovery boiler plugging and fouling. His global research work, publications, and consulting activities have played a major role in advancing recovery technology and the debottlenecking of pulp mills. He has initiated and successfully led 10 large consecutive research consortia on energy and chemical recovery at Toronto since 1987, with the support from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and more than 50 pulp and paper related companies from eight countries.

 

Tran’s research group was responsible for the development of high-intensity sootblowing nozzles, which greatly enhanced cleaning ability in recovery boilers, as well as the low pressure sootblowing technology and partial borate autocausticizing technology. His work defined the role played by chloride and potassium in recovery boiler fouling and corrosion and resulted in guidelines now used by many, if not most, mills. Additionally, his contributions to the kraft pulping industry have facilitated the continued operation of existing mills without the need for massive capital investments.

 

Tran served as inaugural editor-in-chief of the Journal of Science and Technology for Forest Products and Processes (J-FOR), Program Chair of the 1995 ICRC, and conference chair of the 2008 ICRC. He has been an instructor of the TAPPI Kraft Recovery Course since its establishment in 1986 and has chaired it since 2006. Tran has supervised/co-supervised more than 100 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and authored/co-authored 270-plus refereed papers and has eight patents. Tran was named a TAPPI fellow in 2000. He is also a recipient of the 2003 TAPPI Research & Development Technical Award and William H. Aiken Prize, the 2006 TAPPI Engineering Beloit Award, the 2013 PAPTAC John S. Bates Gold Medal, the 2014 International Chemical Recovery Conference (ICRC)’s Lifetime Achievements and Contributions Award, and nearly 20 Best Conference Paper Awards.

 

 

Tom Rodencal has been named winner of the prominent Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award. Rodencal is president of Tom Rodencal & Associates, an industry consulting firm.  He has been a member of TAPPI for more than 35 years.

 

"Tom’s dedication and service to TAPPI have made him an invaluable asset," said Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO. "His contributions to the Association have resulted in significant improvements to conferences, divisions, and committees that will last for generations to come."

 

Rodencal began his participation with TAPPI in 1980 as a speaker at the Papermakers Conference. He has been a part of organizing TAPPI conference committees for more than 20 years and has served as conference chair for several high-level events on numerous occasions.

 

In 2001, Rodencal proposed a union between individual conferences that led to the conception and formation of PaperCon, the world’s largest technical conference for the paper and packaging industry. His idea became reality in 2008 and in that year he was conference chairman.

 

Rodencal also serves as an historian, helping organize the 50 and 60 year TAPPI Papermakers Committee anniversary events as well as spearheading the effort to reinstate the TAPPI Information Resource Library, which was officially reestablished in 2016.

 

In 2006 Rodencal was awarded the Paper and Board Leadership and Service Award and Oscar May Prize. In 2009 he was elected a TAPPI Fellow. He received the Paper and Board Technical Award and Harris O. Ware Prize in 2014. He is past chair of both the Papermakers Committee and the Paper and Board Division, and served as a member of the TAPPI Board of Directors from 2009-2011. He has written several articles for TAPPI and is an author of numerous Technical Information Papers (TIPs). He also was an instructor for many years at the Wet End Operations and Pressing and Drying courses.

 

Glenn Hanson has been named winner of the distinguished Paul W. Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Award. Hanson is currently in technical sales for the Industrial Kiln & Dryer Group, providing aftermarket services on rotary equipment in pyro and grinding applications across North America. He has been a member of TAPPI since 1991.

 

"Glenn’s commitment to TAPPI’s Local Sections is extraordinary," said Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO. "His expertise and contributions to our regional membership have attracted participants from across the country and internationally."

 

Hanson has been a member of 10 different TAPPI Local Sections since 1997, serving in a number of capacities such as executive member, secretary, treasurer, vice chair, chair, past chair, and Local Sections Officers Team. An active membership advocate for more than two decades, his recent leadership of the 2015 Gulf Coast TAPPI meeting drew attendees from the southern U.S., Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the U.K. and Australia. His extraordinary efforts resulted in the largest number of attendees in several years.

 

In addition, Hanson has developed and presented more than 50 Lime Recovery Kiln Process and Operations Seminars. He has also authored and co-authored numerous papers and presentations for TAPPI technical meetings and major conferences, including the International Chemical Recovery Conference.

 

Mark W. Kowlzan has been named winner of the esteemed TAPPI/PIMA Executive of the Year Award.  Kowlzan is chairman and chief executive officer of PCA. He has been a member of TAPPI since 1979.

 

"Under Mr. Kowlzan’s leadership, PCA continues to grow and strengthen," said Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO.  "During his time as CEO, PCA has strongly supported our student activities, including Maine Paper Days and TAPPI Student Summit."

 

Kowlzan has served as PCA's chairman since January 2016 and as CEO and a director since July 2010. From 1998 through June 2010, he led the company’s containerboard mill system, first as VP and GM, and then as SVP–containerboard. From 1996 through 1998, Kowlzan served in various senior mill-related operating positions with PCA and Tenneco Packaging, including as manager of the Counce linerboard mill. Prior to joining Tenneco Packaging, Kowlzan spent 15 years at International Paper Co., where he held a series of operational and managerial positions within its mill organization.

 

Kowlzan received an undergraduate degree in natural science from Assumption College, an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and pulp and paper engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, a graduate degree in pulp and paper engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and an MBA from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He is a member of the board of directors of the American Forest & Paper Association.