Former Northwest Alumnus of the Year Visits Senatobia Campus

Dr. Ron Chance (left) of Naples, Florida recently toured the campus of Northwest Mississippi Community College and visited with Robin Robison, division director of the Natural Sciences Division. Chance, who is a native of Sardis, was named Northwest Alumnus of the Year in 1998. He is currently on the leadership team of Algenol Biofuels, serving as Executive Vice President and Senior Scientific Advisor. (Photo submitted)

Northwest Mississippi Community College alumnus Dr. Ron Chance of Naples, Florida recently toured the Senatobia campus and visited with Robin Robison, Director of the Natural Sciences Division.

He was impressed with the changes he saw during his visit. “The progress on all fronts at Northwest is certainly impressive,” Chance said.

A native of Sardis, Chance was the 1998 Alumnus of the Year. He is currently on the leadership team of Algenol Biofuels, serving as Executive Vice President and Senior Scientific Advisor. Algenol is a global, industrial biotechnology company that is commercializing its patented algae technology platform for production of ethanol and other biofuels.

Chance began his career with Honeywell Corporation, where he served in a number of research positions including Research Manager for Electronic Materials. In 1986, he joined Exxon as the Director of the company’s Polymers and Fluids Laboratory, later serving as Division Manager for the Paramins Technology division, and as Distinguished Scientific Advisor in ExxonMobil’s Corporate Strategic Research Laboratories.

Chance retired from ExxonMobil in 2006 and joined the Georgia Institute of Technology as a faculty member with a joint appointment in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He also served as Distinguished Scientific Advisor Emeritus at ExxonMobil from 2006-2009.

Chance has organized several international scientific meetings and served on numerous university advisory boards, including currently for chemical engineering at the University of Southern California and materials science at the University of Stockholm. He received his doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

“I was a first-generation college student, and I still remember fondly my years at Northwest, especially the instruction I received from Bobby King. He provided a great foundation,” Chance said.

For more information on Northwest, visit the college’s website at www.northwestms.edu.