David, Dr. Todd, or DBT, was until his passing the Senior Process Consultant of PPI, the Polymer Processing Institute. He was the oldest member of the PPI family, our

“guru”, with deep and extensive knowledge on the “why’s” things worked. Yet, he was also our youngest member because, in the words of a dear and close industrial collaborator and friend, Tom Veariel, “…David had had a young boy’s insatiable curiosity about “how” things worked.

During his 23 years at PPI he was DIRECTLY involved in many industrial seminars, “SPREADING THE WORD” in his inimitably simple and enlightening way – the last delivered in December 2011 on DEVOLATILIZATION. He was involved “knee deep” in most of the important industrial and government projects and programs of PPI. More often than not, his participation was CATALYTIC in producing INNOVATIVE and, at times, BREAKTHROUGH SOLUTIONS.

Equally, and perhaps most important, was his MENTORING ROLE of all the new (and ..old) technical staff of PPI, as well as visiting scientists, and literally scores of graduate and undergraduate students both at Stevens in the 1990’s and more recently NJIT, where he also held the position of Research Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Before joining PPI at the invitation of the late Prof. Joe Biesenberger, he had already distinguished himself as an industrial engineer and technical manager at:1. The Shell Development Company, where he

headed a Process Engineering Group2. The Baker Perkins Company, where he became its Technical Director, and3. APV, where he served as VP for TechnologyThroughout his long and rich career his work has been primarily in the fields of PROCESS EQUIPMENT DESIGN, and all ASPECTS OF POLYMER PROCESSING, where he was and will for sometime be considered “primus inter pares”, first among equals.

Prof. Tadmor, past president of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, a superb polymer processing engineer himself, an educator, and an old and dear friend, wrote about David:

“Throughout my career I met very many engineers and researchers in the field of Polymer processing in industry and academia. Some of them were superb practicing engineers and others outstanding scientists in academia. But, precious few could be both. David had this exceptional talent. This is not a simple task, because it requires the capability to extract the essence from the muddy complex practical reality and translate it into a well founded theoretical framework. David was a master of this process. At my university we appoint from time to time experienced engineers after many years of practice to full professors, provided they can formulate their practical experience into a teachable body of knowledge grounded in theory. One finds such people in the schools of medicine and they are called Clinical Professors. David Todd

was the only “CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF POLYMER PROCESSING” that I know.

One important by-product of a person who is capable of fusing practice with theory is innovation. Indeed, David Todd has a very long and impressive list of innovative contributions to the field.His ingeniously innovative, simple, and clear approach to dissecting complex technical problems helped advance our field and influenced profoundly the way many industrial and university practitioners approach their R&D work.

This is the main reason that he was amply recognized by his peers:• In 1993, SPE presented him with its International Award for Engineering Technology. • In 1997, the SPE’s Extrusion Division awarded Dr. Todd its Distinguished Service Award. • In 1998, he received the NAMF Award for “Sustained Contributions to Mixing Research and Practice” from AICHE. • In 2002, the SPE Extrusion Division presented Dr. Todd with the “Heinz Herrman Award for Excellence in Twin Screw Extrusion”. • In 2008 he received the “SPE Heinz List Award for Achievements in Reactive Processing”. • He is a 2012 nominee for the James L. White Innovation Award for the Polymer Processing Society.

This in a nutshell sketches out David Todd, the superb engineer.

But to us, who had the unique fortune of working with and knowing him, he was also:

A beautiful mind A beautiful person

A man of character and integrity Because of all these attributes, his vast and reliable knowledge and wise technical counsel we “felt safe and secure” with him at PPI. We also felt proud by association with such a unique and respected colleague.

He was the Gold Standard, and the “touchstone” for all of

us, and PPI’s Good Housekeeping Seal, as our Mariann would often remind us.

I quote the word of my dear friend, Prof. Costas Gogos who rendered this beautiful tribute during the the ceremony “A Celebration of the Life of Dr. David Burton Todd” held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, on March 10, 2012“So, of course, we and I miss him dearly already. In more than one project review meetings this past month

I could hear myself saying “What would Dave ask, what would his comments be?” I honestly believe, though, that we will keep functioning professionally as if he was still with us. This is the ultimate collective tribute we will be paying to his memory and legacy for a long time to come.” Amen.