The 3rd Saudi International Petrochemical Technologies Conference 2015 (3rd SIPTC) Prof. Jamil Baghdachi Professor and Center Director, Coatings Research Institute, Eastern Michigan University – United States of America Dr. Baghdachi is a Professor of Polymers and Coatings and the Director of Coatings Research Institute at the Eastern Michigan University. He joined the Coatings Research Institute in 1997, after spending 20 years at various technical and managerial capacities at BASF Corporation, DuPont, and ARCO Chemical Company. He received BS and MS degrees from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi in 1982 and has conducted postdoctoral work at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is the author/editor of 7 technical books in related areas and has published 124 papers including eight book chapters and numerous conference proceedings and holds 46 U.S. and international patents. He has given over 200 invited lectures and keynote addresses, with the most recent keynote address being at China Coat 2014. He served as the 2014 Chair of the Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering, continues to chair the science and technology committee of the American Coatings Association and is the recipient of 2015 American Chemical Society’s Roy W. Tess award in coatings. In 2014 he was inducted the Fellow of the American Chemical Society for his scientific and service contributions, 2012 he was recognized by the American Coatings Association for many years of industry service and technical contribution and received the Industry Excellence Award from this Association. At the University level, Baghdachi has received 2007 and 2012 Distinguished Research Excellence Awards, Alumni-level Outstanding Teaching Awards, 2009, and 2014, and the Roon Foundation Best Paper award of the Federation of Societies for Coating Technologies in 2009. In the research arena, he is actively pursuing the expanding field of smart polymeric materials and emerging technologies in coatings and has been awarded over $15 million research funds during his 18 year tenure. His current research interests include applied research and development in the areas of multi-functional polymers and coatings, stimuli responsive materials-self-healing, self-stratifying, thin film optics, biomaterials and in conductive polymers, Nano composite materials, adhesion, and corrosion science and technology. He has been organizing the Smart Coatings Symposium since 2005 and currently serves on the editorial boards of three polymer and materials journals, as well as on the Scientific Advisory Board of Asian Paints, Oxiteno, Paragon Industries, and Mitsui Chemicals.