ITHACA, N.Y. -- Leon Anziano, former president and chief executive of Arch Chemicals Inc., will give the eighth Raymond G. Thorpe Lecture in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, Feb. 21. His talk, "Transforming a Business with Innovation and Empowerment," will be in 155 Olin Hall at 4:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Anziano, a 1965 alumnus of Cornell, became a visiting professor in the School of Business at the University of New Haven in 2000 following his retirement as president and chief operating officer of Arch Chemicals. The specialty chemicals concern, with interests in microelectronic chemicals, water chemicals and performance chemicals, was spun off from Olin Corp. in 1999.

He joined Olin in 1973 as a section manager, becoming manager of the Doe Run technical center and plant, then director of electrochemicals at Olin's Stamford, Conn., headquarters. Anziano was named vice president and general manager for industrial chemicals in 1980 and for urethanes in 1990. In 1993, he was appointed president of Chlor Alkali Products, and in 1998 he became president of Olin's specialty chemicals business.

Anziano served on the board of directors of the International Isocyanate Institute and the Society of Plastics Industry, and as chairman of the Chlorine Chemistry Council. He is on the board of trustees for Tennessee Wesleyan College and Bradley United Way in Tennessee. He also is a member of the national Engineer Advisory Board of Mercer University in Atlanta.

The Thorpe Lecture was established in 1989 by alumni and friends to honor Thorpe on his retirement after 39 years on the Cornell faculty. Thorpe, now professor emeritus of chemical engineering, twice received the College of Engineering's Excellence in Teaching Award. He continues to serve the engineering college as the senior adviser in the college advising office and as one of the managers for the senior plant design course in chemical engineering.

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