Michel Molaire

Michel (Mike) Frantz Molaire is an American senior research associate scientist at Eastman Kodak Company.

When Michel F. Molaire came to the U.S. from St Marc, Haiti in 1971, he couldn’t speak English well. Three years later, he joined Eastman Kodak as a technician with a two-year degree from New York Technical College. Taking advantage of Kodak’s tuition aid program- and studying at night-Molaire earned a BS degree in chemistry (1977), a MS in chemical engineering (1982), and a MBA from the University of Rochester (1986), while working full-time at Kodak’s research labs.

By 1982, specializing in polymer science, he straddled the line between pure and applied research. In 1984, Molaire received the Eastman Kodak Company Research Laboratories C.E.K. Mees Award for excellence in scientific research and reporting for his work in “Novel Organic Molecular Glasses” That research helped to create materials used in commercialization of Kodak’s 14-inch optical recording media, a forerunner of today’s DVD media. The same research produced materials for Kodak thermal print media.

In 1994 he was inducted into Kodak’s Distinguished Inventor’s Gallery (Inventor Hall of Fame) for reaching the milestone of 20 or more patents. Today, Molaire holds 49 U.S. patents and more than 110 foreign patents. His research experience includes polymer synthesis, photo polymerization, molecular glasses, optical recording materials, organic photoreceptor formulation, infrared sensitive pigments, electrophotographic transfer materials, photoelectrographic formulations, and dip coating technology. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and has presented numerous papers at scientific conferences.

A graduate of Leadership Rochester, and the United Way African American Leadership Program (AALDP), he was president of AALDP Alumni group (1996-1998), board member of Threshold for Alternative Youth Services Inc. (1993-1996), corporate member of Hillside’s Children Center (1995-2000), member, Kids on Track committee, United Way of Rochester (1997-2005), Corporate Member, United Way of Rochester (2000-2005), Alternate Councilor, American Chemical Society Rochester Section, Vice President Programs, Society for the Imaging Science & Technology, Rochester section (since 2007), President Society for the Imaging Science & Technology, Rochester section (since 2008).

Molaire was inducted into the African Scientific Institute Fellowship in November 2006. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, and the Society for Imaging Science & Technology.

Molaire started writing poetry at the age of twelve in French and Haitian Creole. His first collection of poems, "La Vie Des Oiseaux Morts" ("The Life of The Dead Birds”) was published in 1965. He published a second one in 1968, "Plus Pres" ("Nearer"). He published his first English poetry book, "Shadow of Dreams" in 1995 (Norex Publications). He is the author/publisher of "African American Who’s Who, Greater Rochester Area, Past & Present", 1996 (Norex Publications), and "African American Who Was First, Greater Rochester Area", 1996 (Norex Publications).

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