The rank of Fellow is AIChE’s highest grade of membership and is achieved only through election by the Board of Directors. Candidates for AIChE Fellow are nominated by their peers, and must have significant chemical engineering experience (generally 25 years), have demonstrated significant service to the profession, and have been a member of AIChE for at least 10 years. Here are some of the recently elected Fellows. More Fellows will be introduced in future issues of CEP.
Jeffrey R. Errington
Jeffrey R. Errington is Chair and Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University at Buffalo. He received a BS in chemical engineering from the University at Buffalo and a PhD in chemical engineering from Cornell University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University. His research focuses on atomistic molecular simulation methods to study phase and interfacial behaviors of complex fluids. Errington previously served as Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Buffalo. At AIChE, he served as Chair of the Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum and as a Trustee of CACHE. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, NYSTAR Watson Investigator Award, CoMSEF Impact Award, and State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award.
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Jeffrey S. Kanel
Jeffrey S. Kanel is the founding CEO of J. S. Kanel & Associates, focusing on liquid extraction technology and intellectual property generation. He received an MS and PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Kanel previously founded Renewable Algal Energy, leading its technology innovation through its acquisition by Neste Oyj, and spent three decades guiding R&D organizations at Eastman Chemical, Dow Chemical, and Kalsec, Inc. Named an inventor on 51 patents and applications, he was a founding member and Director of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council. He serves on the Engineering Advancement Council and Industry Advisory Board at the University of Akron, is a member of the AIChE Separations Div., and was an instructor for the AIChE liquid extraction course.
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Devinder Mahajan
Devinder Mahajan is a professor at Stony Brook University, where he established the undergraduate Chemical and Molecular Engineering (CME) degree and subsequent MS and PhD programs. He received early career experience as an Assistant Scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory focusing on process efficiency and liquid fuels. At Stony Brook, Mahajan served as ABET coordinator and AIChE Club Faculty Advisor. Partnering with AIChE through the Institute for Sustainability and RAPID, he helped to promote renewable natural gas, hydrogen, and modular systems for deployment, which led to seven conferences and two special volumes in Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy. These activities are complemented by training over 200 chemical engineering graduates and undergraduates in process engineering. The training also includes student participation in AIChE conferences and other activities.
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Philip A. Marrone
Philip A. Marrone is a Principal Chemical Engineer at Leidos Engineering, LLC, bringing 28 years of technical consulting expertise in sub- and supercritical-based hydrothermal treatment technologies. He previously held positions at Arthur D. Little, FOCIS Associates, and SAIC. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Supercritical Fluids, has authored 29 publications on supercritical water oxidation, and organizes relevant conference sessions. He has led independent engineering reviews and validation programs to advance first-of-a-kind commercialization in renewable fuels, waste recycling, and waste-to-energy processes. Marrone has been an active AIChE member for 35 years, and has served as a volunteer and officer in the Boston chapter for 20 years, six years as a president and 12 as programming committee chair.
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Il Moon
Il Moon is a professor of chemical engineering at Yonsei University. He earned his PhD in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and has authored more than 180 publications and holds 40 patents. His work has contributed to advancing engineering education, safety, and research innovation in Korea and internationally. Moon has been an active member of AIChE since 1992, organizing and chairing numerous technical sessions. He has played a key role in fostering engineering education through leadership positions, including President of the Korean Society of Engineering Education, and established partnerships with organizations such as the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He has actively promoted chemical engineering safety culture through the Yonsei Safety Center and through participation in AIChE, Chevron, and Texas A&M safety workshops. His honors include the Presidential Award for Engineering Industry Promotion and multiple national awards recognizing his contributions to education and research.
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Rebecca Kuntz Willits
Rebecca Kuntz Willits is Chairperson and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University, with an affiliated appointment in Bioengineering. She previously served on the faculties at Saint Louis University and The University of Akron. Her research spans nerve regeneration, tissue engineering, mechanobiology, and biomaterials, working collaboratively with medical and surgical faculty. Funded by the NIH and NSF, Willits is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), having served on the Board of Directors for Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN), AIMBE, and BMES. She also serves on chemical engineering advisory boards for her alma maters. At Northeastern, she co-founded a workshop series for department chairs and leads NSF-funded initiatives, workshops, and publications promoting faculty workforce development, mentorship, and inclusion.
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Mark R. Prausnitz
Mark R. Prausnitz is Regents’ Professor, Regents’ Entrepreneur, and J. Erskine Love, Jr. Chair in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research centers on biophysical drug delivery using microneedles, lasers, ionic liquids, and microdevices for transdermal, ocular, and intracellular applications. Prausnitz has published over 360 journal articles, holds over 75 U.S. patents, and has co-founded 10 start-up companies, including Micron Biomedical, Clearside Biomedical, and Alys Pharmaceuticals. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Inventors, his foundational work advances non-invasive drug and vaccine delivery systems while translating academic innovations directly into scalable medical technologies across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
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This article originally appeared in the Institute News column in the September 2026 issue of CEP. Members have access online to complete issues, including a vast, searchable archive of back issues found at www.aiche.org/cep.
