Kathleen C. Taylor

For other uses, see Kathleen Taylor.
Kathleen C. Taylor
Born1942
Alma materNorthwestern University
Scientific career
InstitutionsGeneral Motors
ThesisThe surface chemistry of chromium oxides catalysts (1968)

Kathleen C. Taylor (born 1942) is a chemist who won the Garvan–Olin Medal in 1989, and is notable for developing catalytic converters for cars.[1]

Education

Taylor attended Douglass College at Rutgers University, earning a bachelor's in chemistry in 1964. She completed her Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1968 at Northwestern University working with Robert Burwell, Jr.[2] on the surface chemistry of catalysts.[1][3] Following her Ph.D., she did postdoctoral research at the University of Edinburgh with Charles Kemball[2] where she worked on the use of deuterium to track reactions on catalysts.[4]

Career

In 1970, Taylor joined General Motors where she is known for her work at General Motors on catalytic converters that helped reduce pollution from car exhaust, following work done earlier by Eugene Houdry.[1] Taylor developed catalytic converters that converted nitric oxide into nitrogen, instead of ammonia, a toxin to humans.[1] In 1987, while at General Motors, Taylor also served as president of the Materials Research Society.[5][6]

When Taylor was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Engineering in 1995, she was cited "for the development of automotive-exhaust catalytic systems and leadership in materials battery and fuel cell research".[7]

In a 2014 interview, Taylor described her work as an engineer and noted that she selected the field because she liked the challenge of engineering and the employment options that would available to her.[8] As of 2017, she was retired from General Motors,[9] but continued to consult at Columbia University and the United States Department of Energy on projects that reduce impacts on the environment.[1]

Selected publications

  • Taylor, Kathleen C. (1993-12-01). "Nitric Oxide Catalysis in Automotive Exhaust Systems". Catalysis Reviews. 35 (4): 457–481. doi:10.1080/01614949308013915. ISSN 0161-4940.
  • Taylor, Kathleen C. (1984), "Automobile Catalytic Converters", Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology, vol. 7, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 119–170, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-93247-2_2, ISBN 978-3-642-75899-7, retrieved 2021-10-01
  • Taylor, Kathleen C.; Schlatter, James C. (1980-05-01). "Selective reduction of nitric oxide over noble metals". Journal of Catalysis. 63 (1): 53–71. doi:10.1016/0021-9517(80)90059-7. ISSN 0021-9517.

Awards

Personal life

Taylor is a painter who works in watercolors on scenes in Florida[14] and Massachusetts.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Kathleen C. Taylor". Chemical Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "GRC 75th Anniversary - Reflections - Transcendental GRC Principles (Lasting Memories)". www.frontiersofscience.org. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  3. ^ Taylor, Kathleen C (1968). The surface chemistry of chromium oxides catalysts (Thesis). OCLC 31673583.
  4. ^ Kemball, C; Leach, H. F; Skundric, B; Taylor, K. C (1972-12-01). "Reactions of 3,3-dimethylbut-1-ene with deuterium oxide or deuterium over oxide catalysts". Journal of Catalysis. 27 (3): 416–423. doi:10.1016/0021-9517(72)90178-9. ISSN 0021-9517.
  5. ^ a b "Kathleen C. Taylor". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  6. ^ "Past MRS Presidents". www.mrs.org. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  7. ^ a b "Dr. Kathleen C. Taylor". NAE Website. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  8. ^ "Kathleen Taylor". EngineerGirl. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  9. ^ "Centennial Speaker: Dr. Kathleen C. Taylor. "Douglass and Beyond" and STEM Research Poster Session | Douglass Residential College". douglass.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  10. ^ "Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  11. ^ "Historic Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  12. ^ "SAE International - mobility engineering". www.sae.org. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  13. ^ "Search for Fellows". Indian National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  14. ^ "December Artwork by Joan Tangren Reynolds & Kathleen C. Taylor" (PDF).
  15. ^ Gallery, Fort Myers Beach Art Association and (2016). "Fort Myers Beach Art Association & Gallery". www.fortmyersbeachart.com. Retrieved 2021-10-01.