Prof. Rajamani (Raj) Gounder received his BS in Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin in 2006, where his interest in catalysis was sparked while performing research under Jim Dumesic. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from UC-Berkeley in 2011 under the guidance of Enrique Iglesia, and then completed a postdoctoral stay at Caltech with Mark Davis. He started his faculty career at Purdue in 2013, and is currently the R. Norris and Eleanor Shreve Professor in Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Purdue Catalysis Center.

Raj's research group studies the kinetic and mechanistic details of catalytic reactions, the design of zeolites and porous materials with tailored site and surface properties, and the development of methods to characterize and titrate active sites in catalytic surfaces. His research group has been recognized by the PECASE award, the Sloan Research Fellowship, the Early Career in Catalysis Award from the ACS CATL Division, and the Rutherford Aris Award from ISCRE.

Raj has also served as president and director of the Catalysis Club of Chicago, and co-organized technical programs for the North American Catalysis Society Meeting and the AIChE CRE Division.

Prof. Michele L. Sarazen is an Assistant Professor at Princeton University in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and an associated faculty with the DOE Princeton Plasma Physic Laboratory. Her research group couples synthetic, kinetic, and theoretical investigations of porous crystalline materials as catalysts and adsorbents for sustainable fuel and chemical production with an emphasis on reaction and deactivation mechanisms. She earned her BS in Chemical Engineering, summa cum laude, at the Pennsylvania State University and her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley under Enrique Iglesia. Before arriving at Princeton, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology with Christopher Jones. Her recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, ACS CATL Division Early Career in Catalysis, Robert Augustine Award of the Organic Reactions Catalysis Society, and AIChE 35 under 35. She currently serves as a D&I Task Force member for AIChE in Catalysis and Reaction Engineering, Director of the Catalysis Society of Metropolitan New York, Associate Editor for Applied Catalysis B, and past ACS CATL Division Spring Program Chair.

Prof. Carsten Sievers is a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. Prof. Sievers’ expertise spans heterogeneous catalysis, reactor design, applied spectroscopy, and the synthesis and characterization of solid materials. By bridging fundamental science with applied engineering, his research aims to develop innovative catalytic processes for producing fuels and chemicals, especially from renewable resources like biomass. In his fundamental studies, Prof. Sievers uses advanced spectroscopic techniques to uncover how catalysts work on a molecular level. This insight guides the design of more effective and robust catalysts. His applied research focuses on optimizing catalytic processes in continuous reactor systems, with applications ranging from biomass conversion to selective oxidation of methane. Prof. Sievers has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and has significantly contributed to catalysis in petroleum refining, fine chemical synthesis, and renewable energy. He also serves as Editor of Applied Catalysis A: General and has held numerous leadership roles in major professional societies including ACS, AIChE, and the Southeastern Catalysis Society, as well as Chair of the 29th North American Catalysis Society Meeting.