In August, the school was pleased to welcome Dr. James D. Litster. Dr. Litster has a joint appointment in the School of Chemical Engineering and the School of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy.

Dr. Litster received his Ph.D from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Before coming to Purdue, Dr. Litster spent 20 years at The University of Queensland, most recently as head of the School of Engineering and director of the Particle and Systems Design Centre. He also held a faculty appointment at The University of Queensland in chemical engineering, which included five years as chair of the department, and he has held a regular appointment as distinguished visiting professor at the University of Delaware. He spent several years working for BHP at their Newcastle Research Laboratories.

Dr. Litster is an internationally recognized leader in particle science and technology. His main research interests focus on particle design, the production of particles with well controlled size and morphology from sub-micron to millimeter scale. He is particularly well known for his work on granulation and is the author of a recently published text in the area, The Science and Engineering of Granulation Processes. Dr. Litster and Professor Ted White from the University of Queensland have established a major research focus on the recovery and delivery of bioactives for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Dr. Litster has served as a consultant for numerous companies in Australia and the United States, including Merck, Pfizer, Dupont, Proctor & Gamble, and Solae, and has given several plenary lectures at major international conferences. He regularly gives seminars and short courses to industry on a range of topics in particle technology in Australia, the United States, Europe, and South America.

Dr. Litster has a particular interest in education and curriculum development. He led the development and implementation of the project-centered curriculum in chemical engineering at the University of Queensland, which is world's best practice in engineering education. In 2005, this innovation was awarded one of eight prestigious Australian Awards for University Teaching, a federal government award scheme that spans all discipline areas.