Four energy leaders receive engineering award

The University of Colorado at Boulder will present the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award to four influential leaders in the energy industry at the 45th annual Engineering Awards Banquet on Friday, April 23.

Recipients of the 2010 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award:

• Mohamed Al-Mady, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Saudi Basic Industries Corp.
• James Gallogly, chief executive officer of LyondellBasell Industries
• William Reinert, national manager of advanced technology for Toyota Motor Sales, USA
• Michael Wirth, executive vice president for global downstream at Chevron Corp.

Dean Robert Davis will present the awards, which recognize outstanding graduates and friends of the College of Engineering and Applied Science who have distinguished themselves through outstanding personal qualities, knowledge and significant contributions to their fields. The honorees were selected by a committee of the Engineering Advisory Council.

Mohamed Al-Mady, who earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at CU-Boulder in 1973, is receiving the award in the industry and commerce category. He has led the Saudi Basic Industries Corp., based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 1998, transforming it from a small regional player into the world's most profitable chemical products manufacturer and the largest publicly traded company in the Middle East. Al-Mady was awarded the Petrochemical Heritage Award at the National Petrochemical Refiners Association 2009 symposium in San Antonio and he was named the most influential person in global chemicals by the International Chemical Industry Society.

James Gallogly, who holds a law degree from the University of Oklahoma, is receiving the honor in a special category for nonalumni. He serves on the college's Engineering Advisory Council and heads LyondellBasell Industries, one of the world's largest polymers, petrochemicals and fuels companies. The multinational company, created in 2007 through a merger of Lyondell and Basell, is headquartered in the Netherlands, but also has principal offices and a major crude oil refinery in Houston.

William Reinert, who earned his master's degree in civil engineering at CU-Boulder in 1981, is receiving the award in the research and invention category. As national manager of advanced technology for Toyota Motor Sales, USA, in Torrance, Calif., Reinert coordinates Toyota's development activities related to advanced vehicles, alternative-fueled vehicles and emerging technologies. He and his team were responsible for product planning of the current and previous generation Toyota Prius, the world standard for hybrid, fuel-efficient and ultra-low emissions vehicles. They also launched the first hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles in commercial operation in the United States.

Michael Wirth, who earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at CU-Boulder in 1982, is receiving the award in the industry and commerce category. Originally from Golden, Wirth now directs Chevron's refining, marketing, and trading businesses as executive vice president for global downstream at the company's headquarters in San Ramon., Calif. These business units employ about 18,000 people and bring energy in the form of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, alternative fuels and other refined products to consumers in more than 93 countries around the world. Wirth also serves on the college's Engineering Advisory Council and oversees Chevron's involvement with the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels.

Wirth and Al-Mady also are scheduled to make presentations to students about career opportunities in the energy industry. Wirth will discuss "Engineering Energy" from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, in the Discovery Learning Center. Al-Mady will address students from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 23, in the Benson Earth Sciences Auditorium.

More information about these and past awards is available on the college's website athttp://engineering.colorado.edu/alumni/alumni_awards.htm