The Dr. Russell A. Livigni Graduate Chemistry Fellowship

Dr. Russell A. Livigni, a native of Akron, Ohio, graduated from Kenmore High School in 1952. He was the winner of the Bausch & Lomb Award in Science. After graduating, he worked at the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company’s control laboratory of its Synthetic Rubber Development facility.

Dr. Livigni graduated from The University of Akron with a B.S. in chemistry in 1956 and a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry in 1960. As an undergraduate, he worked as a research assistant in the Institute of Rubber Research. He was the recipient of the Merck Award for undergraduate chemistry majors, and was awarded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company’s Fellowship in his first two years of graduate studies. He was on a National Science Foundation Fellowship his last two years of graduate school.

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Livigni held positions at the Ford Scientific Laboratory of the Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., then joined General Tire and Rubber Company (which later became GenCorp) in 1961. He joined the company as a Senior Research Chemist. In 1962 he was promoted to Group Leader Polymer Characterization, then Section Head Materials Chemistry & Polymer Characterization, Manager Polymer & Analytical chemistry, Associate Director GenCorp Research, and Vice President & Director, GenCorp Research. He became Vice President of Corporate Technology in 1995, and retired in 1996. He has consulted for GenCorp and OMNOVA since his retirement.

Dr. Livigni is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Chemical Society, Society of Plastics Engineers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has served in officer’s positions with many of these organizations. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Award of the Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies (ACESS) in 1991. Dr. Livigni holds 35 U.S. Patents and numerous technical publications and presentations. He was co-discoverer of a crystallizing elastomer licensed to Repsol Quimica of Spain. Dr. Livigni was awarded the Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society in 1997 for exhibiting exceptional technical competence by making significant and repeated contributions to rubber technology.

The Dr. Russell A. Livigni Graduate Chemistry Scholarship was created to assist outstanding graduate students in chemistry. Dr. Livigni believes that a good education and mentoring are the two most important ingredients in a successful career. He established this fellowship to allow students to learn through research while pursuing their degree.