Prof. Jerry Spivey received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University and his Ph.D. in 1980 from Louisiana State University. After a 20-yr career at the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina, he returned to LSU and is now the James M. Shivers Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering with an interest in C1 catalysis. One of the most challenging aspects of modern day catalysis is the activation of methane. Conventionally, methane is activated indirectly with oxidizing agents to produce syngas, which then reacts to produce high value hydrocarbons. This process is energy inefficient. A more economic process is the direct one-step activation of methane to form value-added chemicals. The challenge is avoid side reactions, including carbon deposition. His research focuses on both direct and indirect processes, both of which require catalysts.
