For some time it has been recognized, at least implicitly, that catalysis and catalytic reaction engineering, both a mixture of art and science, enjoy a common synergistic basis, within which both the science and applied sciences (engineering) owe a debt to each other. While one might argue with respect to the relative merits of the contributions from one side of the issue or the other, we suggest that a respect for both aspects of this complex subject- the fundamentals (science) and their application (engineering), can only yield benefit to all concerned-the catalytic scientist and the catalytic reaction engineer.