Dawn Mason, the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Partnerships and adjunct faculty member in CBE, and Jim Pfaendtner, the Louis Martin-Vega Dean of the College of Engineering and professor in CBE, have been nominated for prestigious positions at the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), respectively. 

Dawn Mason

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Partnerships
CBE Adjunct Faculty

Prior to joining NC State, Mason held a variety of leadership positions within Eastman over the past 20 years. Most recently, she oversaw Eastman’s global external innovation initiatives, including serving as the primary liaison for the company’s partnerships with universities and leading the Eastman Innovation Center on Centennial Campus. As assistant vice chancellor for partnerships c, Mason works to expand collaborations across disciplines and develop strategic opportunities. She also teaches the CBE Safety and Professionalism course to first-year Ph.D. students in the department. Mason earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri and her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Texas A&M. 

She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and is seeking election for President-Elect. ACS is a non-profit organization founded in 1876 and is committed to improving all lives through the transforming power of chemistry. Their mission is to advance scientific knowledge, empower a global community, and champion scientific integrity. 

“I am running because I am uniquely prepared for the challenges the Society is facing at this time. We need to foster innovation. When we innovate, we improve the economy and have a  story to tell that can influence the reputation of science and can be used to engage the community,” Mason explains.

ACS members can  vote in the election here. Voting closes on October 10, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET.

Jim Pfaendtner

Louis Martin-Vega Dean of the College of Engineering
CBE Professor

Pfaendtner is the Louis Martin-Vega Dean of the College of Engineering and a professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He came to NC State from the University of Washington where he served as chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. Pfaendtner has received numerous honors, including an NSF CAREER Award (2012), the UW Distinguished Teaching Award (2013), and the Impact Award (2022) from AIChE’s Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum (CoMSEF). He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2025) and a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences (2023). His research focuses on computational molecular science, particularly machine learning and AI for molecular design, which he has documented in more than 150 publications. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Northwestern University.

He is nominated for the AIChE Board of Directors. He has long been committed to training and mentoring the next generation of chemical engineers and researchers. In his current role as Dean of the College of Engineering at NC State, he is equally dedicated to advancing the field through vision-setting and advocacy for science and engineering.

Pfaendtner shared, “If elected to the AIChE Board of Directors, I will: champion the continued advancement of our profession by supporting technical education and conferences; lead digital transformation efforts, ensuring that AIChE is at the forefront of ML/AI and related technologies; and advocate tirelessly for chemical engineers, strengthening public support for our field.” 

Dean Pfaendtner also values the opportunity to continue NC State’s tradition of leadership within AIChE. Recent examples include Prof. Phil Westmoreland ’73, who served as President in 2013; Prof. Christine Grant, President in 2022; Dr. Billy Bardin ’95, President in 2023; Ana Piqueras Davis ’91, Treasurer from 2024–2026; and Mary Kathryn Lee MS ’84, Secretary from 2022–2024. In addition,  Prof. Stephen Beaudoin PhD ’95 (2025–2027), Prof. Carol Hall, and Prof. Ron Rousseau served on the AIChE Board of Directors. 

AIChE members can vote here. Voting closes on October 8, 2025.