News
Sep 21, 2026
Fall 2026 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Fall 2026 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Sep 21, 2026
Rebecca Kuntz Willits Named AIChE Fellow
Rebecca Kuntz Willits, chairperson and professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern University, has been named a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the organization’s highest membership grade. The distinction, awarded through election by AIChE’s Board of Directors, recognizes Willits’s extensive experience in chemical engineering and her sustained service to the profession.
Aug 13, 2026
Celebrating Four Engineering Innovators Named in Women Who Empower Awards
Four Northeastern University College of Engineering alumnae and students were recognized in the 2026 Women Who Empower Innovator Awards, celebrating bold leadership, creative problem-solving, and entrepreneurial impact across medical technology, health, and wellness.
Aug 10, 2026
ChE Research Featured on Cover of ACS ES&T Engineering
Research conducted by chemical engineering students Sana Heydarian, PhD, and Lawrence Ajayi, PhD ’27, on “Electrochemical Nutrient Recovery for the Food–Energy–Water Nexus at Municipal Wastewater Facilities: Multivariate Analyses of Seasonal Sampling and Reactor Performance” was featured on the cover of ACS ES&T Engineering.
Jul 22, 2026
Studying the Formation of Socially Responsible Chemical Engineers
ChE Teaching Professor Courtney Pfluger, in collaboration with Kirsten Davis from Purdue University, was awarded a $159,103 grant for “Exploring Learning Pathways in the Formation of Socially Responsible Chemical Engineers” from the National Science Foundation’s Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (RIEF) program.
Jul 15, 2026
Zhao’s Research Featured on Cover of Journal of Materials Chemistry A
ChE Assistant Professor Qing Zhao’s research on “Ru-doped single-atom alloys for ammonia decomposition via first-principles simulations” was featured on the back cover of the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
Jul 09, 2026
Zhao’s Research Featured on Cover of Nanoscale
ChE Assistant Professor Qing Zhao’s research on “Computational progress of designing single-atom alloy catalysts for methane activation” was featured on the back cover of Nanoscale.
Jul 01, 2026
Turning Industrial Wastewater Into a Sustainable Supply Chain for Green Energy
Chemical Engineering Assistant Professor Damilola Daramola and PhD student Qudus Rafiu published a study in Joule revealing that extracting critical minerals like lithium and magnesium from industrial wastewater could cleanly power the green energy transition.