Brennecke Receives Professional Progress Award

Joan F. Brennecke, the Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of the Notre Dame Energy Center, has been named the recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) 2006 Professional Progress Award. The award recognizes outstanding progress in the field of chemical engineering and is given to individuals less than 45 years of age who have made significant contributions to the science of chemical engineering through a theoretical discovery or development of a new principle in the chemical engineering field, the development of a new process or product, an invention or development of new equipment, or distinguished service rendered to the field or profession.

A faculty member since 1989, Brennecke is internationally known for her research in the development of solvents, specifically supercritical fluids and ionic liquids. She is only the second woman to receive the award in its 58-year history. Her research interests include supercritical fluid technology, ionic liquids, thermodynamics, environmentally benign chemical processing, and carbon dioxide separation, storage, and usage.

Copyright 2007. University of Notre Dame.