Since joining the company in 1971 as a development engineer, Drnevich has developed and commercialized significant technological advances in waste water treatment, enhanced oil recovery, gas turbine operation, and air separation units for energy, steel, gasification and hydrogen production. He has been the technical leader of some of Praxair’s most complex projects, including the effective integration of large oxygen plants with integrated steel mills and gasifiers. Most recently, Drnevich has been working on catalytic reactors for refinery gas processing, new hydrogen production technologies and hydrogen recovery initiatives. He holds 50 patents with additional patents pending.

Drnevich earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Michigan.

The Praxair Corporate Fellow Program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers for work in their chosen technical fields. There are currently five corporate fellows working on a variety of technologies at Praxair.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2006 sales of $8.3 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.