Walter has more than 40 years of R&D experience using state-of-the-science equipment to solve applied technical problems on materials for the tire industry. Education includes a B.S. Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago; Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Houston; and Research Associate in Chemistry, Columbia University. His prior experience are Associate Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie-Mellon University; Section Head in Research, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; Senior Scientist in Silica Technology, PPG Industries; and Senior Research Associate in Polymers Technology, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Currently he is a Senior Technology Coordinator, Tire Technology Training Co., Inc., and Co-Chair of the International Exposition and Conference, ITEC 2016.
    He is an inventor with 37 patents and 5 trade secrets, an author of 150+ publications in technical journals and books, and has presented 150+ papers at scientific meetings, universities and government organizations.  Walter has received a National Institutes of Health Research Fellowship; Sparks-Thomas Award and Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award from the Rubber Division, American Chemical Society; Distinguished Corporate Inventor from PPG Industries; Distinguished Service Award and Outstanding Service Awards form the Rubber Division; two Awards of Appreciation from ASTM International Committee F09 on Tires; Global Technology Award and two Butyl Polymers Awards from ExxonMobil Chemical.

    Larry retired as a Research Analyst assigned to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S Department of Transportation. His primary job was analyzing data from NHTSA’s extensive tire and vehicle testing programs. Larry has had a long and varied background in the tire industry. He began his career with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., where he conducted research on rubber compounding and fabric to rubber adhesion for tires and industrial products. He moved on to become Senior Research Associate at PPG Industries, and then Technology Manager for J. M. Huber, Inc., responsible for global research and implementation of silica for the rubber, plastics, and paint industries. Larry has been granted 12 patents and is the author of 60 scientific publications. He has presented at over 70 technical seminars around the world.