Lou Edwards Endowed Chair for Chemical Engineering

Donations to the University of Idaho College of Engineering help recruit and maintain highly-skilled faculty members, offering a world-class education.

Endowed chair funding provides resources beyond what the university alone can offer, including: 

• A stable and permanent revenue source for excellent faculty
• Hiring and retention of top faculty members who emulate Edwards’ excellence in leadership, teaching and research

The College of Engineering is one of the leading engineering programs in the Northwest. To attract gifted students to our programs, we need faculty who are leaders in their field of study.

“For 50 years, Lou has been inspiring the futures of students and professionals around the world. Our alumni constantly remind me of the positive impact he has made of the years. Lou’s reputation in the paper industry and that of the university are inseparably linked.” Larry Stauffer Dean, College of Engineering

Lou Edwards, who received several awards for his contributions to teaching and research, was one of those talented faculty members who made a difference for many U of I students.

Originally from Montana, Lou earned a bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer Engineering and a master’s at the University of Delaware. He first came to Idaho in 1961 and was one of the Department’s first Ph.D. students, receiving his doctorate in 1966. His career is marked by numerous awards for his research and teaching. During his career, he published more than 100 technical papers and served as a consultant to over 30 pulp and paper companies worldwide.