The William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature is named for William Hultz Walker (1869–1934), a founder of the chemical engineering discipline who established the School of Chemical Engineering Practice in 1916 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Walker Award is given to a member of AIChE who has made outstanding contributions to the field’s literature. The award is sponsored by John Wiley & Sons.
The recipient of the 2026 Walker Award is Dr. Dionisios Vlachos, Unidel Dan Rich Chair in Energy Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware. He is being recognized for pioneering advances in multiscale modeling, reaction mechanisms, new catalysts, and novel electrified processes for a circular economy and sustainable manufacturing.
He and the other Institute and Board of Directors’ Award recipients will be honored at the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting, November 8–12 in Minneapolis.
About Vlachos and his research
Vlachos’s research connects molecular-level understanding with technologies addressing some of manufacturing’s most difficult sustainability challenges. His work spans catalysis, multiscale modeling, process intensification, electrification, and the conversion of biomass and waste into valuable products.
In biomass conversion, Vlachos helped move the field beyond trial-and-error approaches by identifying the reaction mechanisms and catalyst properties that control complex chemical transformations. His research has contributed to processes for producing renewable lubricants, detergents, adhesives, fuels, and chemical building blocks. Several resulting technologies have been licensed or used to establish startup companies.
More recently, his group has developed catalysts and processes that convert plastic waste into fuels, lubricants, and small olefins used to manufacture new materials. This work includes methods that reduce processing times, limit unwanted light gases, and address mixed plastics, additives, textiles, and other difficult waste streams.
Vlachos has also explored microwave and rapid Joule heating as ways to electrify chemical processes. By combining these technologies with computational modeling and experiments, his group is developing new approaches to catalyst design, reactor operation, and more energy-efficient manufacturing.
Leadership and mentorship
Vlachos directed the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation from 2009 to 2024. Under his leadership, the multi-institutional center developed new catalysts and pathways for converting biomass into renewable chemicals and products. He also directs the Delaware Energy Institute and has helped lead interdisciplinary initiatives in plastics recycling and modular manufacturing.
His publication record includes more than 680 peer-reviewed papers, with more than 49,000 citations at the time of his nomination. His honors include AIChE’s 2011 R. H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering, the 2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the 2025 Neal R. Amundson Life Achievement Award.
Vlachos has supervised more than 70 doctoral students and 70 postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now hold positions in academia and industry. His colleagues describe him as a leader in reaction engineering and a generous mentor whose intellect, integrity, and example continue to influence the next generation of chemical engineers.
Read about other recipients of 2026 AIChE Institute and Board of Directors' Awards.
