The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) has announced Dr. Leslie Jay Cohen, senior vice president of new business development and strategic technology with HITCO Carbon Composites Inc. as the newest recipient of the SAMPE George Lubin Award.

George Lubin, an originator of reinforced plastics and pioneer in the development and implementation of advanced composites for primary structures had a long and distinguished career. Lubin was quick to realize the importance of SAMPE in the mid 1960s and founded the SAMPE New York Chapter. Through his efforts and worldwide recognition, he led early international meetings including the first US-USSR non-metallics fair for which he was awarded a service medal by the then U.S. President Richard Nixon.

Upon Lubin’s death, the SAMPE organization was quick to recognize his more than 50 years of composites development work by establishing the George Lubin Award. This award is given to recognize others who have made significant contributions in the field of material and process engineering and is the society’s highest honor. Since its inception in 1986, only 14 people have received the distinction. Dr. Cohen is the first to receive the award since 2006.

Dr. Cohen will be presented with the award at the SAMPE Fellows Banquet on Monday evening, May 21, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. This event will take place during the SAMPE 2012 Conference and Exhibition in Baltimore, May 21-24, 2012.

For more information about the SAMPE Fellows Banquet or the SAMPE 2012 Conference and Exhibition, visit www.sampe.org.