Michael A. Reynolds, adjunct professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University and a Principal Science Fellow at Shell Catalysts and Technologies in Houston, is the recipient of the 2025 Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division Practice Award by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the leading international professional society of chemical engineers. He will receive the award at the 2025 AIChE Annual Meeting in Boston this November.
Presented biennially, the CRE Practice Award recognizes individuals who have made pioneering contributions to the industrial practice of catalysis and chemical engineering reactions.
Reynolds was selected for his outstanding scientific contributions and leadership in developing commercial catalysts and new production technologies for oil and gas recovery, the conversion of crude oils and renewable hydrocarbons into commercial fuel products, and studies on use of renewable hydrogen for future energy storage. He has more than 32 patents for his inventions and has authored 30+ peer-reviewed scientific publications.
“We are thrilled that Mike will receive this prestigious honor from AIChE,” said Sibani Lisa Biswal, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, William M. McCardell Professor in Chemical Engineering and a professor of materials science and nanoengineering. “For years, he has collaborated on catalysis research projects with our faculty and shared his extensive industry experience with our undergraduate and graduate students, teaching them how to approach and solve industry-relevant problems from a real-world perspective.”
Reynolds’ broader research interests center on reducing the environmental footprint of human activities through sustainable energy and water solutions. He is a longtime member of the NSF-funded NEWT consortium, an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional nanosystems engineering research center, as well as Rice’s Carbon Hub. Recently, he was appointed to the Rice WaTER Institute’s industrial advisory board.
As part of a research program sponsored by Shell, Reynolds collaborated with Rice University faculty members, Mike Wong and Pedro Alvarez, on innovative research aimed at treating and improving water quality resulting from hydraulic fracking. Fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of water underground to release oil and gas trapped in unconventional reservoirs such as shale. This collaboration resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and industry-relevant solutions that reduce water usage and prevent accidental contamination of other water sources.
In addition to his research contributions, Reynolds has been a dedicated teacher and mentor, serving as a guest lecturer and external thesis advisor for Rice chemical engineering students.
“I’m humbled to be selected for the AIChE CRE Practice Award,” Reynolds said. “I’ve strived to collaborate and foster lasting relationships with colleagues from both industry and academia. This award is a testament to the importance of teamwork in science and the need to build more bridges between academia and industry because that is how progress is best achieved.”