Roy W. Tess Award
The Roy W. Tess Award recognizes outstanding individual achievements and noteworthy contributions to coatings science, technology, and engineering
2025 Award Winner
Prof. Jaime Grunlan
Texas A&M University
Professor Jaime Grunlan is the Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he has worked for 21 years. He holds joint appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on thermal and transport properties of polymer nanocomposites, primarily in the form of coatings. He is a world leader in organic thermoelectric materials, gas barrier layers, and environmentally-benign, flame retardant nanocoatings. He holds 17 issued U.S. patents and several EU patents that have been licensed to more than 10 companies. He has published more than 230 journal papers, with an h-index of 67 and more than 28,000 citations. Dr. Grunlan has graduated 32 PhD students and has mentored more than 50 undergraduate students. His work has been highlighted in Smithsonian Magazine and the New York Times. He is an Editor of the Journal of Materials Science (SpringerNature) and Progress in Organic Coatings (Elsevier), along with being on various boards for several other top polymer journals. Prof. Grunlan is also on the Editorial Board of seven other journals. Prof. Grunlan became a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (FACS) in 2023. In 2024, he became a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (FNAI), along with being named Fellow of the POLY and PMSE Divisions of ACS.
The Tess Award is presented annually by the Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering at the Fall National ACS Meeting in recognition of outstanding contributions to coatings science, engineering and technology. It is funded by a grant to the Division from Dr. and Mrs. Roy W. Tess. The purpose of the award is to encourage interest and progress in coatings science technology and engineering and to recognize significant contributions to the field. The Award consists of a plaque and a $3000 cash prize, and coverage of travel expenses (up to a maximum of $1500). We look forward to recognizing Professor Grunlan at the PMSE/POLY Plenary Lecture and Awards Reception this Fall in Washington, DC.
Award Details
The award recognizes outstanding individual achievements and note-worthy contributions to coatings science, technology, and engineering
History
The award was originally established in 1986 and is funded by a grant to the Division from Dr. and Mrs. Roy W. Tess.
Nominations
Nomination packages should follow package submission guidelines detailed below.
Nominations will be reviewed by members of the Roy W. Tess Award Committee and additional reviewers selected by the committee.
Past Recipients
Nominations and Award Process
Purpose
The Roy W. Tess Award was inaugurated to recognize outstanding individual achievements and note-worthy contributions to coatings science, technology, and engineering. The PMSE Division history started in paints and coatings, and the Division continues long-standing and continuing support and dedication to excellence in the science, technology, and engineering of coatings.
Rules of Eligibility
The nominee(s) for this award must have a documented record of impactful individual achievements and contributions to coatings science, technology, and engineering. Nominees are strongly encouraged to be members of the PMSE Division.
Nominations Package
Nominations are welcome from all sectors of industry, government and academia by September 1 of each year.
The Tess Award Criteria and nomination procedure is available as a [PDF], listing the preferred contents and format for a nomination. Nominations should be submitted to the Chair of the Roy W. Tess Award Committee.
The deadline for applications to be considered for the 2026 – 2029 Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings will be September 1, 2025, to Jaime Grulan [E-mail].
Award Selection
Awardees will be selected based on the following criteria.
(1) Recognition for specific scientific or technological contributions to polymeric coatings or applied coatings science, such as:
- Development of a coatings characterization tool
- Invention of a novel coatings technique
- Discovery of a fundamental concept or principle in coatings science or engineering
- Leadership of, or substantial contribution to, the commercialization or manufacture of a coating or coatings process
- Advancement of the science or engineering of polymeric coatings
- (Co)inventorship of a key patent or (co)authorship of a key paper in polymeric coatings science and engineering
- Contributions to the literature
(2) Impact on field and leadership in coatings science and engineering or applied coatings science, such as:
- Establishment of a new research area or discovery with clear impact on the field
- Recognition of impact in coatings science and engineering (e.g., awards, fellows)
- Substantial outreach or broadening participation efforts in coatings science and engineering
- Establishment of, or strong contribution to, coatings education or public image initiatives
Nominations will be reviewed by members of the Roy W. Tess Award Committee and additional reviewers selected by the committee. Each nomination will be considered viable during four award years following its receipt but must be renewed beyond that time.
Award Announcement and Nature
Awardees will be notified early in the calendar year of the award, prior to the ACS National Meeting.
The awardee will receive a $3000 prize, plaque, and a $1500 maximum travel allowance to attend the Fall ACS National Meeting. At the National Meeting, an invited symposium is held in the awardee’s honor on topics related to the research field and collaborators that contributed to the award selection. The Awardee will be recognized, along with other PMSE and POLY awardees, at the PMSE/POLY Plenary Lecture and Award Reception.
Full List of Award Winners
| Year | Name | Affiliation | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jamie Grunlan | Texas A&M University | Link |
| 2024 | Wenjun Wu | Arkema Coating Resins | Link |
| 2023 | Peter Zarras | Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division | Link |
| 2022 | Richard Spontak | North Carolina State University | Link |
| 2021 | Shanti Swarup | PPG Industries | Link |
| 2020 | Qinghuang Lin | IBM Almaden | Link |
| 2019 | Ray Fernando | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo | Link |
| 2018 | Christopher N. Bowman | University of Colorado Boulder | Link |
| 2017 | Stuart Croll | North Dakota State University | Link |
| 2016 | Mark Soucek | University of Akron | Link |
| 2015 | Jamil Baghdachi | Eastern Michigan University | Link |
| 2014 | James V. Crivello | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Link |
| 2013 | Gordon P. Bierwagen | North Dakota State University | Link |
| 2012 | Benny D. Freeman | University of Texas at Austin | Link |
| 2011 | Dean C. Webster | North Dakota State University | Link |
| 2010 | Charles R. Hegedus | Air Products and Chemicals | Link |
| 2009 | Christian Decker | National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) | Link |
| 2008 | Clifford K. Schoff | PPG Industries | Link |
| 2007 | L. E. (Skip) Scriven | University of Minnesota | Link |
| 2006 | Jonathan W. Martin | National Institute of Standards and Technology | Link |
| 2005 | J. Edward Glass | North Dakota State University | Link |
| 2004 | Omkaram Nalamasu | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Link |
| 2003 | Rose Ryntz | Visteon Corporation | Link |
| 2002 | Mohamed El-Aasser | Lehigh University | Link |
| 2001 | Frank N. Jones | Eastern Michigan University | Link |
| 2000 | David R. Bauer | Ford Motor Company | Link |
| 1999 | Mitchell A. Winnik | University of Toronto | Not Available |
| 1998 | Loren W. Hill | North Dakota State University (NDSU) | Not Available |
| 1997 | Werner J. Blank | King Industries, Inc. | Not Available |
| 1996 | John K. Gillham | Princeton University | Not Available |
| 1995 | John L. Gardon | Rohm and Haas | Not Available |
| 1994 | Werner Funke | Forschungsinstitut fuer Pigmente und Lacke e.V. | Not Available |
| 1993 | Larry F. Thompson | Bell Laboratories | Not Available |
| 1992 | Ray A. Dickie | Ford Motor Company | Not Available |
| 1991 | Kenneth L. Hoy | Applied Science Consulting Services | Not Available |
| 1990 | Walter K. Asbeck | Sherman-Williams | Not Available |
| 1989 | Theodore Provder | Eastern Michigan University | Not Available |
| 1988 | Zeno W. Wicks, Jr. | North Dakota State University | Not Available |
| 1987 | Marco Wismer | PPG Industries | Not Available |
| 1986 | Williams D. Emmons | Rohm and Haas | Not Available |
| 1985 | Sherwin-Williams Student Award | Harvard University | Not Available |