As he began reaching out to former students of Professor Hatsuo “Ken” Ishida, PhD ’76, Jim Miller, PhD ’86, noticed a pattern. He kept hearing back from leading scientists, entrepreneurs and professors.

“Most of his student have been quite successful,” said Miller, who took the lead in organizing a spring symposium honoring Ishida and his research. “That made it a lot of fun.”

Miller and other Ishida proteges plan to return to campus April 19 for “A symposium in honor of Professor Hatsuo Ishida: Polybenzoxazines, Composites, and Spectroscopy.” Speakers are coming from around the country and Europe and Asia, attesting to Ishida’s international impact. They will deliver lectures in areas where Ishida made noteworthy contributions.

A distinguished research professor and the Peter A. Asseff Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Case School of Engineering, Ishida is a pioneer in the synthesis of polybenzoxazines, interfacial chemistry in composites, and vibrational spectroscopy applied to polymers.

Meanwhile, he has guided generations of students and researchers, many of whom have become leaders in their fields. In his 45 years on the Case faculty, Ishida has mentored 69 doctoral students, at least 20 of whom became college professors, Miller noted.

The new year will be Ishida’s 50th at Case, where he began as a doctoral student in 1974.

“I think it’s a good time for the department (of macromolecular science and engineering) and the university to recognize his scientific contributions,” said Miller, a polymer scientist who co-founded Cool Polymers, now Celanese, where he is a senior engineer.

At the symposium, alumni plan to introduce the Professor Hatsuo Ishida Scholarship, which will support undergraduate students studying polymer science. There will also be a poster session where current students will display their research.

For more information on the Ishida symposium, the Ishida scholarship, and to register for the symposium, go to casealumni.org/professor-hatsuoishida- symposium