CEBC Director Bala Subramaniam inducted as AAAS Fellow
Bala Subramaniam, CEBC Director and Dan F. Servey Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, is among the 2023 class of AAAS fellows. The fellows are recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.
Subramaniam was recognized for seminal contributions in sustainable catalysis and engineering research via publications of high impact, licensed technologies and professional leadership, including the founding of KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis.
Subramaniam has invented technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of chemical processes used to make products for everyday life, such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, detergents and adhesives. Many of these technologies employ plant-based biomass and end-of-life plastics as feedstocks to promote a circular economy. Several chemical companies collaborate with Subramaniam and CEBC to implement sustainable technologies that minimize adverse impacts on the environment and human health.
Subramaniam earned a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the A.C. College of Technology, Chennai, India, and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He also has held visiting professorships at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and Institute of Process Engineering, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
The 2023 class of AAAS fellows comprises 502 scientists, engineers and researchers across many disciplines. To become a fellow, a researcher must be nominated by either one of the AAAS’s 24 steering groups, the organization’s CEO or three previously elected fellows. Nominations are referred to a relevant steering committee, which sends a list of finalists to the AAAS Council for selection.