The Rice Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is excited to host the annual Chevron Lecture on Energy on March 23, 2023.
About the 2023 Chevron Lecture
This year's Chevron lecture:
"New Directions for Chemical Engineering"
Jose G. Santiesteban PhD, NAE
ExxonMobil
Thursday, March 23, 2023
6pm - Lecture, Keck 100 Auditorium
7pm - Reception, Sid Commons
About the Lecture
Over the past century, the work of chemical engineers has helped transform societies and the lives of individuals, from the synthetic fertilizers that helped feed the world to the development of novel materials used in fuels, electronics, medical devices, and other products. Chemical engineers’ ability to apply systems-level thinking from molecular to manufacturing scales uniquely positions them to address today’s most pressing problems, including climate change and the overuse of resources by a growing population.
New Directions for Chemical Engineering details a vision to guide chemical engineering research, innovation, and education over the next few decades. This report calls for new investments in U.S. chemical engineering and the interdisciplinary, cross-sector collaborations necessary to advance the societal goals of transitioning to a low-carbon energy system, ensuring our production and use of food and water is sustainable, developing medical advances and engineering solutions to health equity, and manufacturing with less waste and pollution. The report also calls for changes in chemical engineering education to ensure the next generation of chemical engineers is more diverse and equipped with the skills necessary to address the challenges ahead.
About the Speaker
Dr. Santiesteban is currently a Council Member and Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He retired from ExxonMobil, where he served for more than 30 years in a number of technical leadership and management roles. His last assignment was as a strategy manager for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. In this role, he led a team for developing strategic technology direction, providing research guidance, and ensuring the robustness of the research and development portfolio. His expertise in heterogeneous catalysis includes design, synthesis, physical-chemical characterization of novel catalytic materials, and reaction mechanisms and kinetics. Dr. Santiesteban is an inventor or co-inventor on more than 85 U.S. patents and the editor of two special catalysis journals. He has led and made significant technical contributions to the discovery, development, and commercialization of more than 20 novel catalyst technologies deployed worldwide for the production of high-performing lubricants, clean fuels, and petrochemicals. Dr. Santiesteban was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2016, and The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) in 2018. He has received multiple awards, including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 2018 Innovator Award and technical and leadership awards within ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company and Mobil Research and Development Company. Dr. Santiesteban is a board member of the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and a senior member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the North American Catalysis Society. He has served on the advisory board of various academic and research institutions around the world. Dr. Santiesteban served as a member of the committee on “Chemical Engineering: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century”, a study sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)
He received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Chihuahua (1979, summa cum laude), an M.S. degree in chemical engineering (1981) from the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Madero, and a Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from Lehigh University (1989), Bethlehem, PA.
- Past Chevron Lectures
-
2022 - We Can Use Carbon to Decarbonize - and Get Hydrogen for Free
Matteo Pasquali, PhD
A.J. Hartsook Professor
Rice University
2021 - Corporate-academia partnership for driving innovation in Energy
Akshay Sahni
General Manager, Strategy and Technology for Chevron Technology Ventures2020 - Outlook for Energy: A Perspective to 2040
T.J. Wojnar
Exxon Mobil Corporation2019 - Houston: Challenges and Opportunities
Ed Emmett, Ph.D.
Professor in the Practice
Rice University2018 - The View 2018
Janeen Judah, JD
Chevron Corporation2017 - Enhancing Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery
George Hirasaki, PhD
A.J. Hartsook Professor Emeritus and Research Professor
Rice University2016 - The Uncertain Energy Future
Kenneth B. Medlock III
James A. Baker III, and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, James A. Baker III Institute2015 - America’s Prosperity Through America’s Energy: Our Sustainable 21st Century Opportunity
John Hofmeister
Founder and Chief Executive of Citizens for Affordable Energy
Former President Shell Oil Company2014 - The Role of Oil and Gas in the Global Energy Picture
Carlos Aguilera
Vice President and General Manager, Business Development
Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company2013 - Transforming Energy in the Twenty-First Century
Franklin M. Orr Jr.
Director, Precourt Institute for Energy
Stanford University