John T. Riley, professor emeritus, Western Kentucky University, has been appointed chairman of ASTM International Committee D05 on Coal and Coke.  The 315-member committee is responsible for more than 75 international standards related to the effective industrialization of coal, including classification, sampling and  preparation.

A resident of Bowling Green, Ky., Riley has been a member of ASTM International since 1980. He is active in Committee D05, who honored him with the R.A. Glenn Award in 1997 and the Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow in 2006.

At Western Kentucky University, Riley was a professor and also director of the Materials Characterization Center.  He taught advanced analytical, coal and materials chemistry courses.  In addition to his teaching, Riley conducted research in coal characterization and analysis, the development of analytical and instrumental analysis methods, and the analysis of major, minor and trace elements in materials. He was the project director for many externally funded studies and is the author or co-author of four books and 167 papers published in professional journals and proceedings.

Outside of ASTM International, Riley is a member of the American Chemical Society, Sigma Xi and the Kentucky Academy of Science.  He holds a Ph.D. in analytical and inorganic chemistry from the University of Kentucky in Lexington and a B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from Western Kentucky University. 

Release #7905