Benny Freeman is the William J. (Bill) Murray, Jr. Endowed Chair in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research is in polymer science and engineering and, more specifically, in mass transport of small molecules in solid polymers, focusing on fundamental research in gas and liquid separations using polymer and polymer-based membranes. His research group currently studies structure/property relations for desalination and gas separation membrane materials and new materials for improving fouling resistance and permeation performance in liquid separation membranes.
He is Director of the Department of Energy’s Energy Frontier Research Center entitled Center for Materials for Water and Energy Systems (M-WET). His research is described in more than 500 publications and 24 US and international patents. His research has served as the basis for several startup companies, including EnergyX and NALA Systems. He is an AIChE Fellow and has won several awards from AIChE, including the AIChE Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology (2008), Clarence (Larry) G. Gerhold Award (2013), Separations Division Founders Award (2022), and the Braskem Award (2023). He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.