A 2006 ASTM International Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow recognize the contributions of Dr. John T. Riley, professor emeritus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., to the work of Committee D05 on Coal and Coke. D05 cited Riley for his meritorious service to and outstanding leadership of the committee. The award is the highest ASTM International honor for individual participation in standards activities.

Riley lives in Bowling Green, Ky.

Currently vice chair of D05, Riley has been chair of Subcommittee D05.29 on Major Elements in Ash and Trace Elements of Coal and several D05 task groups in addition to serving as secretary of others. He has made significant contributions to the development of four standards advancing instrumental coal analysis methods, and he has written papers promoting the use of ASTM standards both domestically and internationally.

At Western Kentucky University, Riley was a professor and also director of the Materials Characterization Center. 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 wrote or co-wrote more than 150 papers published in professional journals and proceedings as well as three books.

Outside ASTM International, Riley is a member of the American Chemical Society, where he has been a councilor of the Fuel Chemistry Division for several years. He has also been chair of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Subcommittee 5 on Methods of Analysis, a part of Technical Committee 27 on Solid Mineral Fuels.

A graduate of Western Kentucky University where he earned his B.S. in chemistry and mathematics, Riley earned his Ph.D. in inorganic and analytical chemistry from the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

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