John Stelter wins chemical technician award

John Stelter, an advanced laboratory technologist at 3M, is the recipient of the 2020 National Chemical Technician Award. The award, administered by the American Chemical Society Committee on Technician Affairs, honors excellence and professionalism among technicians, operators, analysts, and other applied chemical technology professionals. Among Stelter’s accomplishments at 3M is the production of 3M Filtrete, which are smart air filters. Dozens of product concepts have been enabled by Stelter’s knowledge of how to produce useful materials from polymer feedstocks. For example, Stelter has collaborated with product developers on a technology for reducing defects in auto-body paint jobs. He continues to work on new process modifications. His work at 3M has resulted in 24 US patents.