Prof. Bela Torok received his Ph.D. from the University of Szeged, Hungary and completed his postdoctoral training with the 1994 Nobel Laureate George Olah at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He has held various faculty appointments at the Michigan Technological University and the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where he is currently a Professor of Chemistry. From 2011 to 2012, he was a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology working with the 2005 Nobel Laureate Richard Schrock on the development of new alkene metathesis catalysts. His main research focus is on the design of new green chemistry processes for the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The major tools applied in his research are heterogeneous catalyses (both metal and solid acid), and nontraditional activation methods such as microwave and ultrasonic irradiation and high hydrostatic pressure.