Bruce Palmer graduated with honors from the Colorado School of Mines in metallurgical engineering and obtained a PhD in metallurgy from the University of Utah.  After graduation, he joined the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology where he held the positions of Assistant, Associate, and (tenured) Full Professor.  Dr. Palmer gained Middle East teaching and research experience when he joined the Petroleum Institute (Abu Dhabi, UAE) in 2004 as Full Professor of Chemical Engineering. He also served as Chemical Engineering Program Director (Acting) and Assistant Provost at the Petroleum Institute.  In his teaching career, Dr. Palmer taught thermodynamics, capstone design, economics, physical chemistry, designed experimentation, statistical process control, heterogeneous kinetics, electrochemistry, surface chemistry, and chemical processing.  His research areas are gas processing, corrosion, surface chemistry in natural resource processing, heterogeneous kinetics in chemical processing, and ceramic phase equilibria.  Presently he leads three gas-processing projects sponsored by the GASCO and ADGAS operating companies of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Dr. Palmer's industrial experience started at Elf Aquitaine (1982) where he was Senior Engineer and Research & Development Supervisor focusing on process development and optimization.  In 1985, Dr. Palmer moved to the Kerr-McGee Technology Division to manage basic research, process research, services and quality.  He conducted research on oxide surface chemistry, new battery materials, and aerosol processes in high-temperature combustion synthesis.  Dr. Palmer then advanced to Kerr-McGee Global Chemical Operations where he managed the development and implementation of continuous improvement initiatives. 

His publications include 68 technical papers, patents and presentations.  He received the following awards: Colorado School of Mines' van Diest Gold Medal which recognizes distinguished young engineers, the ASM Bradley Stoughton Award for outstanding professors, the AIME Arthur F. Taggart for an outstanding research paper, and the AIME Publications Committee Award for an exceptional book. 

Dr. Palmer is a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society.  Dr. Palmer also is a member of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers and served as Chairman of the UAE NACE chapter (2006-2007).  Presently he serves on the Advisory Board for the Sour Oil and Gas Advanced Technology Conference (SOGAT), the Steering Committee for the 2010 SPE Applied Technology Workshop, "Best Practices and Challenges in the Development of Sour Gas Fields," and is Chairman of the Marcus Evans 2009 Chemical and Process Engineering Forum.