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Materials

ACS Award for Team Innovation: Robert A. DeVries, Philip Garrou, Carol E. Mohler, Theodore M. (Ted) Stokich Jr., and Eric S. Moyer

by Linda Wang
January 2, 2017 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 95, Issue 1

Sponsor: ACS Corporation Associates

Citation: For participating on a Dow Chemical team in the 1990s that developed a high-performance polymeric material, benzocyclobutene, which enabled the microelectronics industry to miniaturize integrated circuit packaging.

What their colleagues say: “These individuals brought together an ensemble of complementary skills from a variety of scientific disciplines including organic chemistry, polymer science, photochemistry, analytical science, and materials science. As a team, their innovations led to the development and commercialization of a photodefinable bisbenzocyclobutene (BCB) interlayer dielectric material, which became an enabling material for the electronics industry for many years, and a foundational product of Dow Electronic Materials’ cyclotene product line.”—David S. Bem, former R&D vice president of advanced materials, Dow; now at PPG

Robert A. DeVries
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Credit: Courtesy of Robert DeVries
Photo of Robert A. DeVries.
Credit: Courtesy of Robert DeVries

Robert A. DeVries

Current position: consultant, R. DeVries Consulting

Education: B.S., chemistry, Michigan State University; Ph.D., organic chemistry, Michigan State University

DeVries on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I get fired up about ideas when a diverse team has defined success and starts brainstorming. I’ve worked in chemistry, biotechnology, polymers, engineering, and catalysis. I am intrigued by emerging medical and biological science that draws from these fields, and I want to continue contributing through consulting and working with startups.”

Philip Garrou
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Credit: Courtesy of Philip Garrou
Photo of Philip Garrou.
Credit: Courtesy of Philip Garrou

Philip Garrou

Current position: sole proprietor, Microelectronic Consultants

Education: B.S., chemistry, North Carolina State University; Ph.D., chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington

Garrou on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Besides my legal work as an expert witness and my weekly blog for Solid State Technology ‘Insights from the Leading Edge,’ I find my work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) the most satisfying. I used to be one of those who complained about the programs that the government was funding and asking who was making those decisions. Now that I am on the inside, as a subject matter expert, I am having my input into the programs that are paid for by all of us.”

Carol Mohler

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Credit: Courtesy of Carol Mohler

Photo of Carol E. Mohler.
Credit: Courtesy of Carol Mohler


Carol E. Mohler

Current position: principal research scientist, Dow Chemical

Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Ph.D., physical chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Mohler on her scientific role model and why: “I have many different scientific role models. They include senior research fellows that I work with who inspire me by their breadth of technical knowledge and ability to synthesize diverse information, my coworkers who are top-notch experts in their technical fields, and academic partners who tackle technical challenges from a different perspective.”

Theodore M. (Ted) Stokich Jr.
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Credit: Courtesy of Ted Stokich
Photo of Theodore M. (Ted) Stokich Jr.
Credit: Courtesy of Ted Stokich

Theodore M. (Ted) Stokich Jr.

Current position: retired scientist, Dow Chemical

Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Minnesota, Duluth; Ph.D., analytical chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Stokich on his biggest research challenge: “There are many. Possibly, I was most obsessively devoted to the development of an algorithm using digital methods, and prime numbers for sampling intervals, for the extraction of systematic signals from extremely high noise environments (e.g., with S/N ratios as low as one part in 10 to the 10th). It worked.”

Eric S. Moyer
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Credit: Courtesy of Eric Moyer

Photo of Eric S. Moyer.
Credit: Courtesy of Eric Moyer


Eric S. Moyer

Current position: senior technology manager, LORD Corp.

Education: B.S., chemistry, Houghton College; Ph.D., polymer chemistry, Virginia Tech

Moyer on his scientific role model and why: “I don’t know if I have a single role model, but rather many role models that have influenced me during my career. However, the person that had the most influence on me becoming a chemist was my high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Sobelman.”

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