L. Bruce McClung

Biography

L. Bruce McClung (F’90) was born in Rupert, West Virginia, on 26 June 1937. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University in 1960. Later that same year, he joined the Union Carbide Corporation. In 1997, he became the first electrical engineer to be named a corporate Fellow there.

A leader in developing electrical safety standards, L. Bruce McClung spearheaded the application of electrical technologies to achieve and maintain reliability in electrical distribution systems and to improve safety for employees exposed to electrical hazards in the workplace, and has achieved exceptional results in reducing accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

In over four decades working for the Union Carbide Corporation, Mr. McClung’s work in advancing technology, standards, and work practices has dramatically improved electrical safety. Safety-enhancement technologies he helped to develop include high-resistance grounding, arc-resistant switchgear, and low toxicity insulating compounds for wire and cable, and thermal protective clothing. Widely respected as a technical leader in the application of electric power systems on an industrial scale, Mr. McClung has provided electrical technology support for the design, construction, and maintenance of large chemical and plastic plants.

Mr. McClung has provided leadership in the advancement of IEEE standards, having served as chair of the Industry Application Society Standards Department for 11 years, during which time he strengthened industry participation, and helped to harmonize international standards. His work on the National Fire Protection Association’s standard NFPA 70E (Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces) is also considered monumental.

L. Bruce McClung is a Fellow of the IEEE with citation “For pioneering application of technology and standards leading to improved safety of industrial electrical systems”. Mr. McClung belongs to the IEEE Industry Applications Society, the Power Engineering Society, the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society, and is a Member of the IEEE Standards Association.

Mr. McClung has authored or co-authored 26 technical papers, 16 of which have made IEEE-IAS Transactions Status, while 8 earned IEEE-IAS or IEEE-IAS-PCIC prize paper awards. He received the IEEE Standards Medallion, the IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award, IEEE-PCIC Electrical Safety Excellence Award, IEEE Medal of Engineering Excellence and IEEE-IAS Outstanding Achievement in 2001. He also received Union Carbide’s Chairman’s Award, and has been elected a member of West Virginia University Academy of Electrical and Computer Engineers.