Desalters' hall of fame

The researchers, the teachers and leaders, and the veteran field engineers. See the people who have shaped desalination. All members have been active for at least 30 years. If you would like to be nominated please contact us.

Name Activesort icon
Tom Pankratz Jim Stewart The desal godfather 1946–2008
Glasgow Herald Bob Silver Controversial simultaneous inventor of MSF 1952–1962
Tom Pankratz Sidney Loeb Co-inventor of the first RO membrane 1959–2006
Tom Pankratz Abraham Ophir MVC pioneer 1960–2010
Danny Hoffman Danny Hoffman Founded ADAN Technical & Economic Services 1963–
Tom Pankratz Don Bray Runner who fired starting pistol on RO race 1963–1995
Tom Pankratz OJ Morin Won four awards for one plant 1963–2011
Leon Awerbuch Leon Awerbuch 'Mr hybridisation' 1963–
Heinz Ludwig Heinz Ludwig Desal wild card 1964–
Dean Spatz Dean Spatz Took Osmonics from garage to $250 million sale 1964–2003
Klaus Wangnick Klaus Wangnick Inventory keeper, grandmaster of outsize MSF 1964–
Tom Pankratz Dick Smith The voice of the desal industry 1965–2005
Dick Sudak Dick Sudak Veteran of the first working RO plant 1966–2003
Tom Pankratz Floyd Meller Steered the growth of the IDA and Ionics 1966–1995
Jim Birkett Jim Birkett Veteran of the worldwide thermal plant survey 1967–
Neil Wade Neil Wade The consultant’s consultant 1967–2002
Boris Liberman Boris Liberman Russia’s greatest desal export 1968–
Angus MacKinnon Angus MacKinnon Weir and Veolia Veteran since the beginning 1968–
Tom Pankratz Totaro Goto Japanese SWRO trailblazer 1969–2009
MIT Athletic Department David Koch UF pioneer 1970–
Masaru Kurihara Masaru Kurihara A leader in developing Japanese desal 1970–
Klaus Genthner Klaus Genthner Respected desal academic 1971–2009
Pat Burke Pat Burke The queen of the IDA 1973–
Richard Morris Richard Morris UN adviser and early desal engineer 1974–2010
Laura Laine Harris Chip Harris Enthusiastic RO educator 1975–
Hany Said Hany Said World’s most prolific RO constructor 1975–
Tom Pankratz GG Pique Founded ERI’s startling growth 1975–2011
Harvey Winters Harvey Winters The reverse osmosis professor 1976–
Bob Bergman Bob Bergman The desal record-breaker 1977–
Adil Bushnak Adil Bushnak IDA founder who brought SWRO to Saudi Arabia 1978–
Humphrey Gouverneur Humphrey Gouverneur Founder of the Caribbean Desalination Association 1978–2010
Bernie Mack Bernie Mack Membrane mentor 1978–
Tom Pankratz Tom Pankratz Desalination’s generalist 1979–
Paul Choules Paul Choules Desal’s great traveller 1980–
Ken Klinko Ken Klinko Multi-skilled membranes man 1981–
Charles Desportes Charles Desportes Entropie’s former MED master 1982–