NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Kansas City, MO, July 10, 2025: Dr. Raj Shah, Director at Koehler Instrument Company in Holtsville, New York, was awarded the ASTM Award of Merit—ASTM International’s highest individual recognition—at the organization’s annual meeting held last week in Kansas City. The prestigious award also confers the title of ASTM Fellow, an honor granted to only a select few among the 30,000 technical experts representing 140 countries within the organization.
ASTM International, a leading global standards organization, praised Dr. Shah for his three decades of contributions to product testing and standardization. Accepting the award with humility, Dr. Shah reflected on his 30-year journey with ASTM, noting that it began with his first meeting as a newcomer and culminated in this recognition at his 60th ASTM event.
This latest honor follows a remarkable streak of accolades for Dr. Shah in the scientific and engineering communities. At the annual meeting of the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI), he became the first person to receive both the Clarence E. Earle Memorial Award and the Golden Grease Gun Award in the same year. These awards recognized his editorial leadership in the new NLGI grease handbook and his broader contributions to the advancement of grease technology.
Earlier, the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) named Dr. Shah an AOCS Fellow in recognition of his outstanding scientific and industrial achievements in the field of oils and fats. In addition, the Institute of Physics (IOP) in the UK, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), and the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) have all inducted him as a Fellow—honors that reflect his cross-disciplinary impact.
Dr. Shah is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Energy Institute, and the Chartered Management Institute. His unique distinction includes holding six elite professional certifications: Certified Professional Chemist, Certified Chemical Engineer, Chartered Engineer, Chartered Chemist, Chartered Scientist, and Chartered Petroleum Engineer—making him the only individual globally to hold all six.
An accomplished author with over 700 publications, Dr. Shah also serves as an adjunct professor at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, and sits on advisory boards at multiple engineering institutions, including Penn State and Auburn University. His work has been influential in both academic and industrial sectors, particularly in the development of petroleum laboratory instrumentation.
Dr. Shah was previously honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University.
Outside of his professional accomplishments, Dr. Shah is actively involved in philanthropic efforts, especially within the special needs community. He lives in Long Island, NY, with his wife of 30 years, Dr. Niloufar Faridi, and their son Kian.
