Gelest Founder and CEO elected to NAE

Dr. Barry Arkles, Gelest, Inc. Chair, Founder and CEO, is elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Election to the NAE is “among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.” Dr. Arkles is recognised for his contributions to organosilicon materials and organometallic and biochemical reagents.

Dr. Arkles contributed scientific advances and inventions with positive impacts extending beyond the professional community to the global public. His record of innovation and accomplishments in applied materials science, surface chemistry and biotechnology is demonstrated by his contributions to medical devices, such as contact lenses, and semiconductor fabrication, particularly ILD (interlayer dielectrics) and interconnect metallisation.

NAE membership recognises outstanding individuals who have contributed to engineering research, practice, or education, including … significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

Dr. Barry Arkles

Gelest's technology, led by Dr. Arkles, combines organic and inorganic chemistry and has great potential as an approach to various problems that could not be solved by organic or inorganic chemistry alone.   Dr. Arkles formed Gelest Inc. in 1991 to develop and manufacture silicon and metal-organic based chemicals and polymers for applications in microelectronics, optoelectronics, diagnostics (including DNA array devices), medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Prior to launching Gelest, he was Vice President, Corporate Development at Hüls America / Evonik. Dr. Arkles came to Hüls with the company’s acquisition of Petrarch Systems, a company he founded to develop advanced silicon and silicone products for medical devices. Early in his career at LNP Engineering Plastics (now part of SABIC) he was Manager of Advanced Development of thermoplastic composites, a materials technology introduced into many consumer items, including cameras and photographic equipment, tool and appliance housings, and sports equipment. Examples included Polaroid Cameras, Black & Decker drills and Wilson racquetball rackets, among many others.

Dr. Arkles is a recipient of the American Chemical Society 2020 Frederic Stanley Kipping Award in Silicon Chemistry and a Fellow of the British Royal Society of Chemistry. He holds a B.S. in chemistry and Ph.D. in biochemistry at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Dr. Arkles is one of 106 newly elected NAE members and 23 international members. The recent election brings the total U.S. membership to 2,355 and international membership to 298.

Gelest, headquartered in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, is an innovator, manufacturer, and supplier of silicones, organosilanes, metal-organics, and specialty monomers for advanced technology end markets including medical devices, life sciences, microelectronics, and personal care. As a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Gelest has access to the expertise, research and development support, and resources of one of the world's largest and most successful chemical companies. Gelest, Inc. helps customers succeed by assisting them to develop and supply the chemistry to solve their most challenging materials science problems and to enable their new product technology. For more information please visit www.gelest.com.