Stephanie Louise KwolekAmerican Polish Engineering Association Honors Two Top Scientists
The American Polish Engineering Association (APEA) presented awards to two Americans of Polish heritage, Stephanie Louise Kwolek and Richard Casimer Prusinski, at the annual "Gold Award" banquet of the Detroit Engineering Society's Affiliate Council.
The Association paid tribute to Kwolek, the inventor of Kevlar.
Kevlar has saved thousands of police officers lives as the material which bullet proofs their protective vests. It is the "steel" in many steelbelted tires. It is used in boats, vehicle brakes, aircraft and more than 200 other applications.
Stephanie Kwolek is a research chemist in the field of polymers and fibers at the Pioneering Research Laboratories at E.I. Dupont de Newmours in Wilmington, Delaware.
Miss Kwolek has been granted 16 United States patents.
She is a recipient of many honors and awards including:
1981 Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute; 1985 University of Akron Polymer Processing Hall of Fame;
1990 DuPont Honoree at the Bicentennial Celebration of the United States Patent and Copyright Laws;
1992 Engineering Science Hall of Fame, Dayton, Ohio;
1995 DuPont Lavoisier Medal for Technical Achievement.
In 1995 she was inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame, Akron, Ohio.
She is the author or co-author of 28 publications.
From: Polish American News, April 1996