Raymond Gorte, Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) “for fundamental contributions and their applications to heterogeneous catalysts and solid state electrochemical devices.”

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature,” and to the “pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”

Dr. Gorte’s current research focuses on electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), oxide supports for catalytic metals, and catalysis for conversion of biomass to chemicals. With SOFC, his lab has developed a method to synthesize electrodes with unprecedented control over composition and nanostructure. With oxides for metal-catalyst supports, his group is developing ways to prepare functional supports to enhance catalytic properties. In biomass conversion, they are developing catalysts that are capable of performing selective alkylation and hydrogenation reactions.