Devinder Mahajan and Alexander Orlov, professors in Stony Brook University’s Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, were recently elected Fellows of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) by its board of directors.
The grade of Fellow is awarded to members in recognition of significant professional accomplishments and contributions in engineering and is AIChE’s highest grade of membership.
Mahajan is the inaugural director of the Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology. Cited for seminal contributions to both education and research in chemical engineering, he held postdoctoral and scientific staff appointments and a joint appointment at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL).
Mahajan started his career at BNL, working on chemical process efficiency in skid-mounted units for monetizing remote natural gas by conversion to liquid fuels. At BNL, his research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, industry, and the Electric Power Research Institute for fuels production for the power sector using nano-sized slurried catalysts to enhance space-time yield and manage reaction exothermicity.
In 2002, he moved to Stony Brook University to set up a new chemical engineering program, formally offering a bachelor’s degree in chemical and molecular engineering in 2004. Mahajan served as the inaugural undergraduate program director and inaugural graduate program director. He also served as the ABET coordinator for the program and the faculty advisor to begin the university’s AIChE Club.
A strategic partnership with AIChE (through the Institute of Sustainability (Ifs) and RAPID Manufacturing Institute) to promote renewable natural gas, hydrogen, methanol, Hydrocarbons via Fischer-Tropsch, and modular systems for deployment led to seven conferences and two special volumes in Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy.
Mahajan earned a doctoral degree and a Master of Science with honors in applied chemistry from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and a Bachelor of Science with honors in chemistry from Panjab University, India.
“I am grateful to the Institute for elevating me to the Fellow status by recognizing my contributions to promote chemical engineering as a profession, both in education and research,” said Mahajan. “Process engineering will continue to play a critical role in managing finite global energy resources and their complete utilization by minimizing process waste would help make the world energy resilient. We continue to focus our effort in training future workforce that can contribute to the technological advancements in energy and keep the United States globally competitive.”
“Devinder’s election as an AIChE Fellow is a fitting tribute to a career defined by pioneering research and foundational academic leadership,” said Dilip Gersape, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “His groundbreaking work in process engineering and large-scale hydrogen storage, paired with his deep commitment to AIChE and student mentorship in the Department, exemplifies the high standard of innovation and service this fellowship represents.”
Mahajan has published more than 300 papers, delivered over 140 invited lectures and holds 17 patents. He was elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2025 and has won numerous awards, including: Jefferson Science Fellow, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State; Fulbright Specialist Scholar, Low Carbon Energy, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; Class of 2024 Award SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund; Marie Curie Senior Researcher, 201-17, Joint NSF-European Commission project; and the Innovation Achievement Award, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Orlov is a faculty member of the Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Research and is affiliated as a faculty member with the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University.
His principal research and teaching activities are in the development of novel materials for energy generation, structural applications and environmental protection. Most of his research focuses on synthesis of novel catalytic nanomaterials and tuning their properties for environmental and energy-related applications.
Orlov serves as vice chair of the AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum and past chair of the AIChE Environmental Division and Research and New Technology Committee. He received several AIChE awards, including the AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum Education Award, AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum Industrial Practice Award, and Dr. Peter B. Lederman Environmental Division Service Award for his outstanding service to the AIChE Environmental Division.
Orlov earned a doctoral degree and a Master of Philosophy in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, UK, a Master of Science in engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Science in engineering from the National Technical University in Ukraine.
“Sincere thanks to my Stony Brook and AIChE colleagues — including two AIChE past presidents — for supporting my nomination. With the chemical profession influencing 25 percent of the U.S. GDP, contributing to AIChE’s sustainability mission is especially meaningful to me,” said Orlov.
“Alex’s recognition as an AIChE Fellow recognizes his outstanding leadership at the intersection of materials science, green technology and global sustainability. His research in catalytic nanomaterials directly addresses critical environmental and energy challenges, while his extensive service across AIChE’s Environmental and Sustainable Engineering divisions demonstrates a deep dedication to the broader chemical engineering community and to the department,” Gersape said.
AIChE will recognize Fellows in attendance with a pin and plaque at either its 2026 Annual Meeting in Minnesota on November 8-12, or at its 2027 Spring Meeting and 23rd Global Congress on Process Safety in Oklahoma March 21-25, 2027.
AIChE is the world’s leading organization for chemical engineering professionals, with more than 52,000 members from more than 110 countries. Candidates for AIChE Fellow are nominated by their peers and must have significant chemical engineering experience (generally 25 years), have demonstrated significant service to the profession and have been a member of AIChE for at least 10 years.
— Debra Scala Giokas
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