Edward R. Kimmel received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Metallurgy from the University of Rochester in 1961 and 1963, respectively. He joined the Engineering Science and Mechanics Faculty in 1966, and earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from The Pennsylvania State University in 1968. In 1977, he took a position at OSRAM Sylvania, Inc. (then GTE Sylvania, Inc.) as a Research Scientist focusing on tungsten, tungsten carbide (WC), and cobalt. He later gained manufacturing experience in the Refractory Chemicals and Powders Business Unit, where he spent ten years initially as Engineering Manager and later as Operations Manager. He retired in 2003 from the position of Director of Research and Engineering, which he held the last six years with OSRAM Sylvania.

During his tenure as Director of Research and Engineering, Dr. Kimmel completed a three-year project to develop a new tungsten and tungsten carbide (WC) production facility in Bruntal, Czech Republic, on an existing site previously used as a zinc refining pilot-plant. In this project, he spent extensive time in Munich and Bruntal working with OSRAM facilities personnel to manage equipment purchase, building design and reconstruction, equipment installation, and start-up. Currently in full production, this plant supplies WC powders to the European market.

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