2026
2026
August
Alumni earn Rising Star Professorships
Two ChemE alumni from the Ph.D. program's class of 2021 have been recognized with Rising Star Professorships at Purdue University. Can Li develops optimization and machine learning methods for applications in energy, chemical and biological systems. David Bernal Neira applies mathematical and computational methods to large-scale optimization problems in process systems and energy engineering. Both are assistant professors in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue.
Engineering faculty awarded for academic and research achievements
The 2026 Engineering faculty award winners have been selected by the Engineering Faculty Awards and Recognition Committee for their exceptional achievements in academics and research. These include: Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award: Katherine Flanigan (CEE); David P. Casasent Outstanding Research Award: Tzahi Cohen-Karni (BME/MSE); Distinguished Professor of Engineering Award: Peter Adams (CEE/EPP); George Tallmann Ladd Research Award: Noelia Grande Gutiérrez (MechE), Philip and Marsha Dowd Fellowship: Patrick Tague (iii); Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research: Valerie Karplus (EPP) and Chris Pistorius (MSE); and Outstanding Mentoring Award: Kaushik Dayal (CEE), Kathryn Whitehead (ChemE), and Keith Cook (BME).
July
Surprenant earns ACS Leadership in Mentoring Award
The American Chemical Society (ACS) has honored Ph.D. student Sunny Surprenant with its Leadership in Mentoring Award, which recognizes outstanding efforts and impact in research and safety mentoring. Surprenant is part of Assistant Professor Daphne Chan's research group.
Gordon explains how climate change is increasing rainfall
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
ChemE’s Hamish Gordon was quoted in a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article on how climate change is increasing rainfall in the Pittsburgh region.
Jen quoted on air quality concerns from wildfire smoke
Chemical Engineering
ChemE′s Coty Jen was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the causes and effects of the smoke and how it worsened air quality in the Pittsburgh region, as haze from North American wildfires spread east. Jen was also covered in CNN and MSN.
Sevenler Q&A in Drug Delivery Leader
Drug Delivery Leader
ChemE’s Derin Sevenler was interviewed by Drug Delivery Leader in a Q&A titled “Red blood cell-based delivery: Promising steps forward.” Sevenler’s lab uses a microfluidic approach to perform efficient “surgery” on individual cells. This work has applications in treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases, and aims to address the challenges of scalable manufacturing.
Kitchen, Laird discuss AI in education at FOPAM 2026
FOPAM 2026 Conference
ChemE’s John Kitchin and Carl Laird will present “Designing the Future Engineer: How AI Is Transforming Learning, Work, and Discovery” at the Foundations of Process/Product Analytics and Machine Learning (FOPAM) 2026 conference taking place July 26-30 in Decatur, GA. The session will include a discussion on responsible AI.
June
Donahue serves on international organizing committee for Nobel Symposia
Nobel Symposia 206
ChemE’s Neil Donahue served on the international organizing committee for the Nobel Symposia 206 From Molecules to Climate: A Fundamental Understanding of Chemistry in Earth’s Atmosphere. During the conference, which took place June 29 - July 2, 2026 at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Donahue spoke about the chemistry and physics that couple organic oxidation to particle formation and growth.
Grossmann co-chairs conference on North American supply chain
U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Tecnológico de Monterrey Education Group
ChemE’s Ignacio Grossmann is serving as co-chair of From Resilience to New Opportunities: Building the North American Supply Chain of the Future. The conference, co-organized by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Tecnológico de Monterrey Education Group, takes place October 27-28 in Mexico. Grossmann will also be speaking at the international event.
Ramnath provides industry insights into low-outgassing adhesives
AZoM
Rohit Ramnath, who received his master’s in ChemE from the College of Engineering in 2011, was recently interviewed on outgassing and why its minimization is essential for adhesives used in space. Outgassing is the gradual release of chemical compounds and can interfere with sensitive instrumentation such as cameras and telescopes.
Chan discusses protein nanofibrils at MTSM Conference
Midwest thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 2026
ChemE’s Daphne Wui Yarn Chan is giving an invited talk at the 35th Midwest Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (MTSM) Conference at the University Minnesota on June 16. Her presentation topic is self-assembled protein nanofibrils for renewable materials.
Aitbekova awarded for innovative research
C&EN
ChemE’s Aisulu Aitbekova was recently honored as one of Chemical and Engineering News’ Talented Twelve. The award recognizes scientists tackling major challenges through chemistry, with Aitbekova selected from more than 500 nominations. She was chosen in part for her research into the catalytic potential of light.
ChemE alum named dean
Today at Elon
John Walz, a 1992 doctoral alumnus of CMU's Department of Chemical Engineering and former president of the Milwaukee School of Engineering, has been named the inaugural dean of Elon University’s new School of Engineering and Computing. In 2004, Walz gave the first Dennis C. Prieve Endowed Lecture at CMU in honor of Dennis Prieve, the Gulf Professor of Chemical Engineering Emeritus who had served as Walz's advisor. Walz and another former student had lead an effort to raise funds for an endowed lecture in homage to Prieve.
Two engineering alumni receive Fulbright Awards
CMU News
ChemE alum Keenan Norton and MechE alum Jeanie Xu were recipients of the 2026-27 Fulbright Award. Norton will continue his research in improving the Americas’ water quality and access in Ecuador. Xu will be an English teaching assistant in Taiwan, broadening both her own knowledge and that of her students.
Grossmann and Torres contribute to book on optimization
ChemE faculty Ignacio Grossmann and Ana Torres and alumna Seolhee Cho are among the contributors to a new book, Optimization of Sustainable Process Systems: Multiscale Models and Uncertainties. Grossmann and Cho wrote the chapter titled “Optimization Models and Algorithms for Design and Planning of Sustainable Processes and Energy Systems.” Torres and her international collaborators authored the chapter titled “Repurposing a Conventional Oil Refinery for Biomass Processing to Aviation Fuel: Process Design and Techno-Environmental Evaluation for a Real Operating Plant.”
Two ChemE scholars earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
U.S. National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year include two scholars from CMU's Department of Chemical Engineering.
Rebecca So, a Ph.D. student in Professor James Schneider's research group, is studying the mixing dynamics of biomolecular condensates. She is co-advised by CMU's Department of Biological Sciences' Assistant Professor Huaiying Zhang.
Bilal Chaudhry completed his senior honors research project in Schneider's group last year, focusing on surfactant solubilization methods to assess the stability of lipid nanoparticles. Today, he is a Ph.D. student in Associate Professor Martin Wuhr's research group at Princeton University.
May
Junior Naz Esmer named finalist
Rising junior Naz Esmer was selected as a finalist in the Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Her essay, titled "In Another Life" embodied the contest's theme of silence, conscience, and responsibility. Esmer, a chemical engineering student, is pursuing an additional major in computational and applied mathematics.
ChemE graduate quoted in PR Newswire
PR Newswire
Recent ChemE alum and Fulbright scholar Keenan Norton was quoted in PR Newswire, describing how CMU has prepared him to be an “engineer of the future” in response to the inspiring commencement speeches by Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, and Simi Olusola-Ajayi, a graduating master’s student. Alongside his ChemE degree, Norton also graduated with degrees in environmental and sustainability studies and Hispanic studies.
ChemE team wins best design at TechSpark Engineering Exposition
April
Tiltons' generosity recognized by Order of the May
Professor Robert Tilton and Facilities Manager Julie Tilton were inducted as lifetime members to Carnegie Mellon University's Order of the May. The Tiltons' were recognized for 25 continuous years of philanthropic support to the institution, including the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association (ChEGSA), and the University Libraries. The Order of the May celebrates loyal and outstanding individuals whose consistent support to Carnegie Mellon inspires others to make a similar impact.
Gellman Receives ACS award in surface chemistry
American Chemical Society
March
Alumnus delivers winning pitch to capture 2026 NETL SLAM
National Energy Technology Laboratory
Alumnus William Strahl, who earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 2024, was selected as the 2026 NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory) SLAM Champion. His three-minute presentation “PRIMO – The Well Plugging Optimizer” won the contest in which early-career researchers explain complex projects in clear, easy-to-understand language.
February
Torres highlighted for research on optimal recycling plants
Rare Earth Exchanges
ChemE’s Ana Torres and her Ph.D. student Chris Laliwala were highlighted for their research on designing optimal recycling plants for various materials. They and their colleagues developed a superstructure optimization model to compare end-of-life magnet-recycling routes and determine the most economical pathway before building billion-dollar facilities, testing it on hard disk drives versus EV/HEV motors.
Single Celled Parasites Take Red Blood Cells for a Drive
The Scientist
Chemical engineering researchers discovered that the parasite Babesia microti uses red blood cells to migrate. It may be a way to evade the immune system and find new space to multiply.
January
Laliwala awarded honorable mention for TechConnect World abstract
ChemE Ph.D. student Chris Laliwala received an honorable mention for the 2026 TechConnect World Best Student Abstract Award. His abstract is titled "Design and Optimization of Processing Pathways for Rare Earth Element Recovery from End-of-Life Products." Laliwala works with ChemE's Ana Torres.