SESSION IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR JOHN M. PRAUSNITZ

This session is to honor Professor John M. Prausnitz who is among the giants of our profession, especially impacting the Applied Thermodynamics community. Many years ago, he coined the phrase Molecular Thermodynamics to integrate scientific fundamentals and engineering applications to develop reliable thermodynamic models of the properties needed for product and process design.

Professor Prausnitz has published hundreds of papers and several books covering virtually all dimensions of the subject as evidenced by thousands of literature citations.  Over many decades at the University of California (Berkeley), his work shaped our perspectives about fundamentals and guided our implementations into an extraordinary range of energy, chemical, and biological systems.

Professor Prausnitz had a special relationship with Professor Helmut Knapp, the originator of our ESAT meetings.  Professor Prausnitz was born in Berlin and moved to America at a young age.  Yet he maintained his connections to Europe, being fluent in German and returning for many meetings, including ESATs, and for longer periods in residence at universities in several European countries.  Two Italian universities bestowed honorary doctorate degrees on him.

Through his teaching, advising, and research directing, Professor Prausnitz personally influenced the lives of hundreds of students and professionals around the globe to build on their training to achieve even greater advances.  At ESAT 2026, this session will feature plenary lectures to recognize the special professional and personal connections of the speakers with Professor Prausnitz.