The McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering was well represented at this year’s American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting in Orlando. AIChE, the premier educational forum for innovation and professional growth draws thousands of chemical engineering students and industry professionals from across the globe every year, and recognizes the industry's most notable work. The following faculty, alumni and friends of the department were recognized:
- Professor Hal Alper – Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering
- Professor Benny Freeman – Braskem Award for Excellence in Materials Engineering and Science
- Professor and Chair Delia Milliron – Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum (NSEF) Award
- Assistant Professor Joaquin Resasco – 35 Under 35
- Alumn Jovan Kamcev, Ph.D. ‘16 – 35 Under 35
- Fabiola Chapa Villareal, David Alfonso Castilla-Casadiego, Isabella Ramirez Velez - LatinX in ChE / IDEAL Star Award
- Alumna Jessica O. Winter, Ph.D. ’04, and Jean Tom, Academy of Distinguished Chemical Engineers, '21 – elected AIChE Board of Directors
- Steve Cramer – Honorary Session for Professor Steve Cramer (Invited Talks)
Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering
Hal Alper is recognized for his “pioneering contributions in the fields of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, and for profoundly impacting the field of industrial biotechnology.” The Andreas Acrivos Award, formerly the Professional Progress Award, honors the chemical engineering profession’s most influential leaders and is voted on by the 2023 Institute and Board of Directors.
“His research in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and protein engineering is expanding the boundaries of what is possible in a cell,” offers author Gordon Ellis in a fall ChEnected mention. Alpers’ accomplishments include rewiring microorganisims to enable new antibiotic and materials applications, the engineering of an enzyme that rapidly depolymerizes PET plastic, developing methods for high-throughput detection of metabolites within oil-water emulsion droplets, and more.
Braskem Award for Excellence in Materials Engineering and Science
Benny Freeman is recognized as a leading researcher for his outstanding contributions to materials engineering and science polymers for gas and liquid membranes, his training of students and extensive service to the industry. He presented his work, “Ion Solubility, Diffusivity, and Transport in Charged Polymer Membranes” during the Materials Engineering and Sciences Division (MESD) plenary session at AIChE.
Freeman also presented, “Fundamental Membrane Science Research Addressing the Water-Energy Nexus” in conjunction with his 2022 Separations Division Founders Award recognizing his “considerable record of service to the Separations Division and for having participated extensively in a variety of division activities.”
Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum (NSEF) Award
Delia Milliron received the NSEF Award for her outstanding contributions to the advancement of nanoscale science and engineering in the field of Chemical Engineering through scholarship, education or service. Milliron presented, “Making optical materials from metal oxide nanocrystals,” offering insight into her work’s real-world implications for the future. Through monitoring the infrared absorption of ITO (indium tin oxide) and other metal oxide nanocrystals, the fabrication of smart windows that dynamically control solar heat gain and visible glare is possible. Ultimately, these nanocrystals have the potential to make solar cells and buildings more efficient, drive selective chemical reactions, harness solar energy, and more.
35 Under 35
Joaquin Resasco, Assistant Professor, recognized for his work in understanding and developing next-generation catalysts for chemical reactions related to sustainability, a field he was inspired to pursue because his father was a professor in the field of catalysis.
Resasco joined UT Austin in 2021 from University of California Santa Barbara, with a focus on catalysis - key to producing fertilizers, converting oil into gas and removing pollutants from the air. He aims to advance sustainable technologies. Resasco recently won the Young Investigator Award from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).
Jovan Kamcev, received his Ph.D. in 2016, with thesis, “Ion sorption and transport in ion exchange membranes: Importance of counter-ion condensation,” under Professors Benny Freeman and Donald R. Paul. His research group, Kamcev Research Lab, focuses on developing structure/property relationships to guide the design of next-generation polymeric materials for water treatment, energy generation, and energy storage applications. He is Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of Michigan.
LatinX in ChE
Texas ChE members of the leadership LatinX in ChE team received the 2023 IDEAL Award which recognizes exceptional people who have shown unwavering dedication and commitment to advancing the values of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, and Learning (IDEAL) in the field of chemical engineering and related STEM fields.
(L to R): Fabiola Chapa Villareal, co-founder of LatinX in ChE and Ph.D. candidate with the Peppas Lab presented her work with Peppas, “Design of a Self-Assembled Polymeric Oral Delivery Platform for Therapeutic Proteins.” David Alfonso Castilla-Casadeigo, a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Professor Adrianne Rosales and UT Austin provost early career postdoctoral fellow. Isabela Ramirez Velez, co-founder of LatinX in ChE and graduate research assistant with Professor Brian Belardi Research Group.
AIChE Board of Directors
Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Ohio State University, Jessica O. Winter, is elected to the AIChE Board of Directors. Winter who earned her Ph.D. from the department in 2004 is a leader in nanobiotechnology. Her primary research interest is in understanding the relationship between nanoparticles and biological elements.
Jean W. Tom, executive director of development engineering and chemistry process development at Bristol Myers Squibb, also joins the board. She was inducted into the department’s Academy of Distinguished Chemical Engineers in 2021as an Honorary member. She served the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering’s External Advisory Council from 2006 to 2016.
Honorary Session for Professor Steve Cramer (Invited Talks)
Steve Cramer, Institute Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, whose lab, Cramer Lab, employs biophysics, multiscale simulations and ligand and protein libraries to provide insights into the design of novel chromatographic systems. Cramer was inducted into the department’s Academy of Distinguished Chemical Engineers in 2023 as an Honorary member. Cramer was also inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2023, for scientific and technological advances leading to new chromatographic materials, processes, and predictive tools for the purification of biopharmaceuticals.
About AIChE
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional society of more than 60,000 members in more than 110 countries. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security.
More on AIChE awards here: www.aiche.org/awards.
