Engineering Division

Technical Award and Beloit Prize

The Division Technical Award is intended to recognize outstanding accomplishments or contributions, which have advanced the industry's technology in the awarding Division's field of interest.

Award winner:

J. Peter Gorog, Ph.D.

Houghton Cascade Holdings LLC

Since 2009, Dr. Peter Gorog has worked as managing member of Houghton Cascade Holdings, LLC, providing consulting services in support of rotary kilns within the pulp and paper industry. Peter graduated from Michigan Technological University with a BS and MS (with honors) in Metallurgical Engineering. He continued his education in Canada receiving a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of British Columbia (UBC). After completing a postdoc at UBC on computer modeling of kilns, in 1985 he started his career as Chief Engineer at GeoEnergy Corporation where he designed an award winning high efficiency wet-wall electrostatic precipitator to remove condensed organic compounds in exhaust gas streams of veneer dryers. From 1987 to 2009 he worked as an Engineering Advisor at Weyerhaeuser providing technical support to their pulp and paper manufacturing facilities. While at Weyerhaeuser his work focused on development and marketing of a color IR bed camera for recovery boilers, design of air and liquor systems used to fire recovery boilers, burners and refractories for lime sludge kilns, refractory linings for black liquor gasification, the technology to stop corrosion and cracking of composite tubes in the lower furnace of recovery boilers, and support of major capital projects.

Peter is an active member of TAPPI. He has co-authored a number of papers in TAPPI Journal and TAPPI conferences. He holds five patents related to selection of refractory materials and construction of refractory linings for use in black liquor gasification. In 2007, he received the Canadian NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation for his work linking university research to industry. He is Chairman of the TAPPI Engineering, Recovery, and Recaust (ERR) Lime Kilns and Recaust Subcommittee. Most recently he authored the chapters on chains and refractories in TAPPI’s book on lime kilns and recausticizing.

Leadership & Service Award

The Division Leadership and Service Award is intended to recognize an individual for outstanding leadership and exceptional service to the awarding Division which have resulted in significant and demonstrable benefits to the Division's members.

Award winner:

Paul Krochak, Ph.D.

RISE Research Institute

Pulp Manufacture Division

Leadership & Service Award and Joseph K. Perkins Prize

This award recognizes individuals for outstanding leadership and exceptional service, resulting in significant and demonstrable benefits to the Division’s members.

Award winner:

Carl J. Houtman, Ph.D.

USDA Forest Products Laboratory

After his formal training in Chemical Engineering (University of Minnesota, BChE, MS, University of Delaware, Ph.D., and postdoctoral study in France), Carl joined the Forest Products Laboratory in 1991. His first project was molecular modeling of wood biogenesis under the guidance of Raj Atalla and Noritsugu Terashima. Since that time, Carl’s projects have spanned many aspects of the paper industry including, non-chlorine bleaching, recycling compatible adhesives, bioenergy, solvent pulping, mechanical refining, value prior to pulping, peroxide explosions, and nano cellulose production.

Carl’s service to TAPPI began in 1998 when Said Abubakr convinced him to lead the Contaminants Subcommittee of the Recycling Subcommittee of the Pulp Manufacture Division. Over the years, Carl has served on or chaired many of the subcommittees in the Pulp Manufacture Division and has helped organize the PEERS conferences for years. He has also served on the Quality and Standards Management Committee and continues his work on ISO TC6. In 2015, Carl was acknowledged for his contributions to the industry and TAPPI by being elected as a TAPPI Fellow. Carl continues to contribute to the advancement of the industry by serving as an editor for TAPPI Journal.