Donna Davis
ExxonMobil Chemical Company
Inducted 2018
Donna Davis (1953 – ) has been a collaborator, innovator, researcher, and educator. She has worked as a Chemical Engineer for the ExxonMobil Chemical Company in process design and in the development of polyolefin products, from early gas-phase technology through metallocene-catalyzed polymers.
After receiving B.S. and M.S. Degrees from The University of Tennessee, Donna joined Exxon Research and Engineering Company, where she began her career in Refinery Catalyst and Process Development. Following additional studies at Louisiana State University, she joined Exxon Chemical Company and worked in Polymers Technology.
She worked with the process design team on their earliest gas-phase polyethylene plants and subsequently moved to product technology, where she managed the differentiated polyethylene copolymers group and the first commercial metallocene-catalyzed polymers – EXACT™ plastomers.
Donna also served as president of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) from 2003 to 2004, where she was involved in many strategic activities that have impacted SPE and the plastics industry. She was an early champion of the perennial world-class SPE Polyolefins Conference. Donna has also chaired the SPE FlexPackCon™ and the Technical Program and General Operating Committees for SPE’s Annual Technical Conference.