Eranda Nikolla receives 2024 Excellence in Catalysis Award
The award celebrates individuals whose work has significantly impacted the field of catalysis and has demonstrated excellence in research, innovation and academic leadership.
Eranda Nikolla, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, has been honored with the Catalysis Society of Metropolitan New York’s 2024 Excellence in Catalysis Award.
Sponsored by ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, the prestigious award recognizes individuals or research teams from North America for their impactful contributions to catalysis science, whether in applied or basic research in homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis.
“I am deeply honored that my group’s contributions to catalysis science have been recognized with the 2024 Excellence in Catalysis Award,” said Nikolla.
“”I am deeply honored that my group’s contributions to catalysis science have been recognized with the 2024 Excellence in Catalysis Award.”
Eranda Nikolla
Professor of Chemical Engineering
The award honors Nikolla’s pioneering research in developing heterogeneous catalysts for chemical and energy conversion. Her approach integrates controlled synthesis, advanced characterization, kinetic measurements, and quantum chemical calculations to uncover the mechanisms that govern catalytic performance and leverages this understanding to design more efficient catalysts.
Nikolla’s research group at U-M applies state-of-the-art techniques to engineer catalytic structures with applications in fuel cells, electrolyzers, and batteries, as well as catalytic processes for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable chemical conversion.
Her collaborative work with the NSF-funded Center for Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS) at the University of Michigan has further propelled her contributions, providing insights into the design and optimization of catalysts for sustainable technologies.
In addition to this honor, Nikolla has been recognized with awards including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Department of Energy Early Career Research Award, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, Young Scientist Award from the International Congress on Catalysis, ACS Women Chemists Committee (WCC) Rising Star Award, and the ACS Catalysis Lectureship for the Advancement of Catalytic Science. In 2023, she received the Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos Award for Creativity in Catalysis.