Jay (BSChE '74) and Cynthia Ihlenfeld will contribute $1.5 million over a three-year period towards the establishment of an endowment  to name the Chemical Engineering Headship, while the College of Engineering will provide $500,000 in matching funds.  When matured, the total $2 million gift will provide approximately $100,000 annually “to be used for the benefit of the School of Chemical Engineering, as determined by the Head of the School with the approval of the Dean of the College of Engineering.” From now on, the Chemical Engineering Head will carry the title “Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Head of Chemical Engineering.”

While at Purdue, Mr. Ihlenfeld was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He was a Co-Op student and was active in several organizations in the School of Chemical Engineering. After graduating from Purdue, Ihlenfeld married Cynthia Ames. In 1978 he obtained a PhD degree from the University of Wisconsin and joined as a senior engineer in the Telecomm Products division of 3M, a company where he has worked to this day.

Throughout his outstanding career at 3M, Ihlenfeld has held numerous positions, including research specialist, technical manager, laboratory manager, business director, general manager, Division Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, and has been posted overseas in Germany, Belgium and Japan. His current position is Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific. In this role, he is based in Hong Kong, but his travels take him throughout Asia on a regular basis.

In 2001, Jay Ihlenfeld received the Outstanding Chemical Engineer Award and also the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from Purdue. He has previously served on the Board of Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) of the National Academy of Sciences and he has recently been elected a member of the Board of Directors for Celanese. In his free time, he enjoys golf, music, opera and serves on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Ihlenfeld’s wife Cynthia, also a Wisconsin native, graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Business and received her MBA from the University of Minnesota. She also worked with 3M for many years and now is active in community affairs in the Twin Cities. The couple splits their time between Minnesota, Hong Kong and their home in Southern California.

The School of Chemical Engineering is grateful for this generous contribution which will benefit the School in perpetuity, and is proud of the outstanding accomplishments of its alumnus Jay Ihlenfeld.