Dr. NM Rao joined Nalco in 1990 after finishing his PhD in chemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Madras University, India and a MS in Chemical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has been involved in innovation related to Water and Energy Optimization throughout his career and has led the development and commercialization of several industry leading offerings including the TRASAR 3000, 3D TRASAR®, and Nalco 360™ Service. Over the years, he has held various R & D and Innovation related positions, including a stint in Asia Pacific and currently serves a multi-faceted role as Division Vice President of R & D, Innovation Marketing, and Automation. His inventions have resulted in 7 patents and he has been widely recognized including the R&D 100 award, the 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Award, and the 2010 Global Water Award.