Dr. Sourav Sengupta has had a long and remarkable career in DuPont for almost 30 years. In 2020, Sourav was honored as a DuPont Laureate and advanced to the highest technical level in the company. He is recognized as an innovator, a problem-solver, and a leader in many areas of catalysis and chemical engineering. Sourav’s work in heterogeneous catalysis, particularly in hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation, and hydrogen cyanide synthesis, has had far-reaching influence, evident from the sheer volume of his publications and the invited lectures he has given in his long and notable career in DuPont. Some of the articles he has published have received hundreds of citations and have been the basis of new research.
A collaborative leader and a great team player, Sourav knows how to get results. DuPont business leaders have long recognized him for his effective leadership in solving business, plant, and process related problems, and work with cross-functional teams to effectively manage complex technology programs. The technical successes he has had in these areas have positively impacted business results across the company over the years. He has a creative approach to his work, marrying an in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of science with a keen and meticulous sense of detail. Some of his more notable achievements include:
- Several multi-million-dollar contributions to the Water & Protection, Mobility & Materials and other businesses through complex troubleshooting solutions
- Development and demonstration of inherently cheaper, faster, safer and more sustainable manufacturing processes and ingredients
- Break-through fundamental research, modelling and a reputation as the “go to person” for tough technical catalysis problems
Additionally, Sourav is very generous with his time when counselling, coaching, or mentoring younger colleagues, both professionally and personally. He is a great role model and has had a positive impact on the lives and careers of many colleagues over the years.
In addition to his work at DuPont, he is a recognized world class expert in the catalysis community. Sourav is the recipient of the 2015 Catalysis Club of Philadelphia Award, a prestigious award in the field of catalysis in North America. He has more than 80 US patents, provisional patents, publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations in national and international conferences, and invited talks.
Sourav earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Jadavpur University (Calcutta) and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware. He joined DuPont (Conoco) in 1991 and has made lasting contributions across many businesses since that time. He is currently supporting the global Safety & Construction Integrated Operations Manufacturing Technology organization.