Kenneth Ruschak
Kenneth Ruschak
Dr. Kenneth J. Ruschak received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and is Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. In addition to teaching and research, he is the Director of the Thin Film Mechanics Program
Professor Ruschak teaches a course in math techniques for chemical engineers. He joined the department in fall of 2007. Previously, he had a 33 year career at Eastman Kodak Company in coating technology and achieved the position of Senior Research Associate.
Research Areas
Dr. Ruschak continues to conduct broad research in coating technology. Topics include the modeling of coating dies and processes, surfactants as coating aids, and the rheology of polymer solutions and colloidal dispersions. His recent applications are commercial die design software and improvements in the coating and drying of fuel cell electrodes. He has 31 publications in engineering books and journals and 37 patents. He is a recipient of the John A. Tallmadge Award for Contributions to Coating Technology from AIChE, the C. E. K. Mees Award for Scientific Excellence from Kodak , the Distinguished Inventors’ Award with induction into the Kodak Distinguished Inventors’ Gallery, and the Eastman Innovation Award.
Recent Publications
- S. Shetty, K. Ruschak and S. Weinstein, “Model for a two-cavity coating die with pressure and temperature deformation,” Polymer Engineering and Science, 52, 2012 (1173-1182).
- S. J. Weinstein and K. J. Ruschak, “Coating flows,” Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 36, 2004 (29-53).