HOUSTON, TEXAS—Dr. Dah-Chieh Otto Cheng, who graduated from Michigan State University in 1977 with a Ph.D in Organic Chemistry, will be honored by the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) for his contributions to the worldwide synthetic rubber industry, James McGraw, IISRP Managing Director & CEO, has announced.
A native of Taiwan, Dr. Cheng will be awarded the IISRP’s 2003 General Award, one of the two highest honors granted by the IISRP, at the Institute’s 44th annual meeting in Beijing, China, May 19-22, Mr. McGraw said.
Dr. Cheng, 55, has served the IISRP as a Director Representative and as a member of the Performance Review and Executive Committees for seven years. He was elected International President in 1998 and presided over the association’s 40th annual meeting in Taipei in 1999.
His major contribution to the international synthetic rubber industry took place in 1999 when he made IISRP history by successfully recruiting a synthetic rubber producer in the People’s Republic of China to membership. The recruitment represented the first time since the IISRP’s founding in 1960 that it could list a Chinese synthetic rubber producer as an official member. Since then, another Chinese producer has joined.
Dr. Cheng was graduated from Fu-Jen Catholic University in Taipei with a B.S. degree in chemistry in 1970. After two years of army service in Taiwan, he was offered a teaching assistantship at MSU in 1972. He accepted and enrolled in MSU’s graduate program.
After earning his Ph.D, Dr. Cheng joined Tennessee Eastman Company in Kingsport, TN, as a senior research chemist. In 1980 he returned to Taipei to join Taiwan Synthetic Rubber Corporation where for 17 years he served the company in technical and marketing positions. He has also been employed in executive positions with a food company, a chemical corporation, and a petrochemical firm. He is now President of Taita Chemical Company in Taipei.
Although he lives with his wife Kathy and their one son in Taipei, more than 10,000 miles from East Lansing, Dr. Cheng keeps involved with the University as an executive member of the MSU Alumni Club in Taiwan.
The IISRP is an international not-for-profit association with 49 corporate members domiciled in 21 countries who produce 95 percent of the world’s supply of synthetic rubber. Incorporated in 1960 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the Institute supports offices in London and Tokyo.
