Jovan Kamcev receives AIChE 35 Under 35 Award
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers Foundation recognizes young professionals who have made an impact in the field of chemical engineering before the age of 35.
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Jovan Kamcev, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and principal investigator of the Kamcev Research Lab has been selected for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) 35 Under 35 Award in the Chemical and Materials category.
Kamcev joins an elite group of AIChE members, all under the age of 35, who have made substantial contributions to the realm of Chemical Engineering and AIChE as a whole.
“I owe immense gratitude to the mentors throughout my career who have shaped my understanding of what it takes to excel as a scientist and engineer. I’m also grateful for the students I’ve had the privilege to mentor during my time at the University of Michigan, as their dedication and hard work have been instrumental to this achievement.”
Jovan Kamcev
Assistant Professor of chemical Engineering
“I am deeply honored by this recognition from AIChE. It underscores my commitment to advancing the chemical engineering profession, particularly in the field of membrane science,” Kamcev said. “I owe immense gratitude to the mentors throughout my career who have shaped my understanding of what it takes to excel as a scientist and engineer. I’m also grateful for the students I’ve had the privilege to mentor during my time at the University of Michigan, as their dedication and hard work have been instrumental to this achievement.”
The AIChE Foundation categorizes these accolades into seven distinct areas, highlighting the diversity and impact of accomplishments within the field. Kamcev’s recognition falls under the “Chemical and Materials” category, which spotlights achievements in the creation, design and assessment of chemical products and practical materials systems. This encompasses an array of domains, including organic and inorganic chemical products, composite materials, polymeric systems and nanomaterials.
Kamcev’s research spans from improving the fundamental understanding of transport phenomena in membranes to the development and testing of new polymeric materials for water treatment, energy generation and energy storage applications. His work involves innovating and improving sustainable and energy-efficient separation processes using an interdisciplinary combination of polymer physics, physical chemistry and materials science.
Kamcev’s recent projects include a collaboration that aims to develop a carbon-neutral fertilizer production method. This process, known as co-reduction, not only eliminates carbon dioxide emissions but also reduces harmful nitrate pollutants. The innovation pioneers the next generation of urea production and can be powered using renewable energy sources, amplifying its net-zero emissions impact. Kamcev is also working on addressing the grand challenge of brine waste management, which holds back the widescale implementation of water desalination technologies. New, more efficient membranes developed by Kamcev could enable the energy efficient treatment of this difficult-to-manage waste, thereby expanding the scale of membrane-based water purification.
Kamcev’s research has earned recognition through several prestigious national awards including the NSF Career Award (2023), the DOE Early Career Research Award (2021), the North American Membrane Society Young Membrane Scientist Award (2021), and the Henkel Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science and Engineering (2019), among many others.
He will be formally recognized as an AIChE 35 Under 35 Award recipient during a reception at the AIChE Annual Meeting this fall.