Earning a doctoral degree is a major accomplishment, requiring years of study, research and dedication. Having a professor as mentor and guide to direct the process is critical to success.
More than 100 doctoral candidates in chemical engineering have found such a mentor in Chuck Eckert. The 74-year-old DeKalb resident has been the guiding light to Ph.D. students at both the University of Illinois and Georgia Tech, where he is a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.
“It’s work, and work I love,” said Eckert. “I’m so fortunate to be in a job I enjoy.”
Raised in St. Louis, Mo., Eckert earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He did post-doctoral research in France before embarking on a teaching career in 1965 at the University of Illinois. During his 24 years there, he shepherded 43 graduate students through the Ph.D. process. In 1989, he moved to Tech and continued his work with graduate students.
As the summer semester draws to a close this month, he is saying good-bye to his 100th, 101st and 102nd Ph.D candidates — and six more are in the pipeline.
“For me, it’s always been about the people,” said Eckert. “It’s great to see students get excited about their work. I want to give them the perspective and the self-confidence to argue with me — and be right some of the time. Seeing students light up is the biggest thrill.”
That enthusiasm resonated with Amy Ethier, Eckert’s 102nd Ph.D. student, who met her mentor four years ago.
“His personality drew me to his group and got me interested in Tech,” said Ethier, a Connecticut native. “He’s been doing this for a very long time, but even after years and years of advising graduate students, he still has vigor and excitement for what he’s doing. He loves his job, and it’s reflected in how he advises us.”
Jackson Switzer, Eckert’s 100th graduate student, found the professor’s style so welcoming and supportive that it eased his transition from chemistry to chemical engineering. The two spent four years working on projects at Tech.
“There’s a significant amount of competition in the research world, but he is honestly one of the few who is in it for the students,” said Switzer, who recently began working as a process engineer for a firm in Louisiana. “That’s where he gets his enjoyment. He loves teaching you how to solve problems on your own, but he’s also there to provide a lot of help.”
Eckert estimates that about a third of his students have gone into teaching and the rest have taken jobs in chemical industries. He used to attend each of their graduations, but recent health issues have forced him to cut back on activities and limit the number of graduate students he works with.
“I’d typically take on two or four a year in conjunction with my colleague Charles Liotta, so we might have 12 to 15 at any time,” said Eckert. “But I’ve stopped taking on (Ph.D.) students now.”
Eckert still heads to the lab and offices to teach and meet with students. In addition to his love of academia, he has developed a particular fondness for Tech.
“I have spent a lot of time at major research institutions, and this is one where the people are so collegial; they want to work together,” he said. “And our relationship with the city is very special. Everybody in Atlanta thinks Tech is great — even if they don’t know exactly what we do.”
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