Ram B. Gupta, Ph.D., associate dean for faculty research development and professor in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Gupta, whose research focus areas include batteries, sustainable energy and biofuels, is the first faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University to reach AIChE’s highest grade of membership. The honor reflects a member’s distinctive professional achievements and accomplishments.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition,” he said. “As a fellow of AIChE, I will be serving the global chemical engineering field in the direction of sustainable energy and materials for all.”

Fellow candidates are nominated by their peers. To be considered, candidates must be longtime chemical engineers and AIChE members who have demonstrated significant service to the profession. Gupta will be honored on Nov. 17, 2020, at the organization’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

A former professor of chemical engineering at Auburn University, Gupta served as the director of the Energy for Sustainability program at the National Science Foundation from 2011 to 2014, before joining VCU College of Engineering.