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CHE Department History - Department Chairs
Dr. Ray W. Fahien - (1964-1968)
 Ray
Fahien was one of a kind. A single fellow, he was an idealist, living the
intellectual and spiritual life, having many friends, belonging to many
organizations, active in his church, and above all, deeply involved in the
teaching of chemical engineering. He earned his B.S. (1947) from Washington
University in St. Louis, his M.S. (1950) from the University of Missouri, and
his Ph.D. (1954) from Purdue. Before coming to Florida he worked at the Purdue
Institute, was a process engineer for the Ethyl Corporation, and a Professor at
Iowa State. He served a stint as a Science Faculty Fellow at Wisconsin and as a
Fullbright Lecturer at the University of Brazil and a second one in Venezuela.
His major interests in chemical engineering were transport phenomena and
chemical reaction engineering.
While he was Chairman of the Department (from 1964 to 1968) the number of
graduate students increased considerably, thanks to the Department being awarded
the National Science Foundation's Center of Excellence Grant. In the six years
after receiving this grant the number of graduate students increased from 22 to
70 and the number of undergraduates doubled. In addition, Fahien hired many new
faculty members (see Faculty List), increasing
our prestige and ranking among CHE departments nationally.
Fahien's term as chairman was short because he had other things he wanted to do
and the duties of administration did not give him the time to do them. One good
example of his accomplishments was the international journal, Chemical
Engineering Education, which he served as editor. It gave the Department
international recognition in chemical engineering circles, and was the official
publication of the Chemical Engineering Division of the ASEE. Another
accomplishment was his concept of a self-teaching textbook in transport
phenomena where the students could study the material at their own pace, taking
the exams when they felt they had mastered the material.
Fahien continued to be involved in the affairs of the Department even after his
retirement, never missing a faculty meeting, serving on committees, and writing
long letters to the chairman and faculty on subjects which he considered of
great concern to the Department. He was literally a father to the Department in
that he was called on to approve all new, to-be-hired faculty. His opinion on
all major Departmental decisions was very influential.
Tragically, Ray had Parkinson's disease, and it became progressively worse over
the years, limiting his activities. Yet he gamely persisted, coming to work
every day and attempting to carry on as usual. In 1991, he was made a Fellow of
the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and in 1992 he received the
AIChE's highest honor, the Warren K. Lewis Award for distinguished lifetime
service to the profession. When he died, in 1995, his ashes were spread over the
ground in front of the Chemical Engineering Building, a fitting symbol of his
devotion and service to this Department.
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