Warren D. Seider — Photo credit: Meghan Eberson
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) will present awards to 14 leaders and innovators in chemical engineering, at a ceremony to be held in connection with the 2023 AIChE Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida (November 5–10). The awards ceremony is slated for Sunday, November 5.
AIChE’s highest honor, the Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Chemical Engineering, will be presented to Dr. Warren D. Seider, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Seider is being recognized for his pioneering, breakthrough contributions in chemical engineering research and education spanning six decades — encompassing process modeling, simulation, synthesis, optimization, and control. He is also cited for his authorship of landmark textbooks.
Seider is known for his research contributions to the fields of process analysis, simulation, design, and control. In process design, he is the coauthor of books including “FLOWTRAN Simulation: An Introduction” (with J. D. Seader and A. C. Pauls), “Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Computer Calculations,” (with A. L. Myers), and “Product and Process Design Principles: Synthesis, Analysis, and Evaluation” (with J. D. Seader and D. R. Lewin). In addition to seven books, Seider has documented his research in 175 journal articles. An early adopter of computing technologies in engineering research and education, in 1969 Seider helped to organize the Computer Aids for Chemical Engineering Education (CACHE) Corporation.
A Fellow and former director of AIChE, Seider’s past honors include AIChE’s Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education and the Computing in Chemical Engineering Award. He was selected by AIChE as one of “Thirty Authors of Groundbreaking Chemical Engineering Books.” He earned his BS from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and his MS and PhD from the University of Michigan — all in chemical engineering. Seider is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In addition, AIChE will honor these chemical engineers:
Dr. Phillip R. Westmoreland, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University, will receive the F. J. and Dorothy Van Antwerpen Award for Service to AIChE. The award is sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company.
Dr. Sujit Datta, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University, will receive the Allan P. Colburn Award for Excellence in Publications by a Young Member of the Institute. The award is sponsored by DuPont.
Dr. Zhen-Gang Wang, the Dick and Barbara Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology, will receive the Alpha Chi Sigma Award for Chemical Engineering Research. The award is sponsored by the Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation and the Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity.
Dr. Hal S. Alper, the Kenneth A. Kobe Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, will receive the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering. The award is endowed by The AIChE Foundation.
The Prime RO (Reverse Osmosis) Team at Dupont Water Solutions will receive the Energy and Sustainability Award. The Award is sponsored by Air Products.
Dr. Maria Wang, Director of Product Management at PPG, will receive the Industrial Progress Award.
Dr. Ranga Godavarti, Vice President of Bioprocess Research and Development at Pfizer Inc., will receive the Industrial Research and Development Award. The Award is sponsored by AbbVie.
Dr. Christopher W. Jones, the John F. Brock School Chair and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, will receive the Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology. The award is sponsored by Linde.
Dr. John (Jack) P. Dever, Chief Technology Officer at AVN Corporation, will receive the Lawrence B. Evans Award in Chemical Engineering Practice. The award is endowed by The AIChE Foundation.
Dr. Jennifer S. Curtis, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, will receive the Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement by a Woman Chemical Engineer. The award is sponsored by Pfizer.
Dr. Mike Harold, Cullen Engineering Professor at the University of Houston will receive the R. H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering. The award is sponsored by ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company.
Dr. Jeffrey A. Reimer, Emeritus Warren and Katharine Schlinger Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering and Emeritus C. Judson King Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, will receive the Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education. The award is sponsored by ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company.
Dr. Ioannis G. Kevrekidis, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University, will receive the William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature. The award is sponsored by John Wiley & Sons.
“AIChE is proud to showcase the contributions of these exemplary chemical engineers at this year’s Annual Meeting,” said Billy Bardin, AIChE’s 2023 President. “These honorees serve as a model for future generations of engineers, and their accomplishments represent some of the most distinguished work being performed in our profession.”
For more information about AIChE awards, visit www.aiche.org/awards.
About AIChE: AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 members in more than 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. 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 information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.