IChemE’s Prestigious Davis Medal Presented to World’s First Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering

Summary

Professor Adisa Azapagic MBE has been presented with the Institution for Chemical Engineer’s (IChemE) most prestigious medal today, prior to her keynote lecture delivered at the European Congress of Chemical Engineering in Berlin. Azapagic is a professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester.

The IChemE Davis Medal honors George E Davis, the founding father of the profession, and is awarded to an eminent individual who has rendered exceptional service to chemical engineering. It is not given more frequently than every three years; the previous medal was awarded in 2016.

In the photo above, IChemE Past President David Bogle is presenting Professor Azapagic with the medal. Bogle said, “I am proud to present Adisa with the Davis Medal on behalf of IChemE in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the profession and the enormously positive impact of her achievements. Sustainability and systems thinking are central to the modern discipline of chemical engineering, and her work exemplifies this instrumental approach.”

Globally, Adisa was the first appointed Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering. Based at the University of Manchester, she is pre-eminent for her work on sustainable production and consumption and is particularly known for her leadership in, and contributions to, carbon footprinting, life cycle assessment and sustainability, for which she was awarded an MBE in 2019.

She has published more than 200 journal papers and three books. She has delivered numerous plenary and keynote lectures worldwide. With two honorary doctorates and an H-index of 76, her work has significantly impacted industry and has helped to inform national and international policy. She founded the IChemE journal Sustainable Production and Consumption (SPC), of which she has been Editor-in-Chief (EiC) since its inception in 2015. Under her editorship, the journal reached an impact factor of 12.1 and has become one of the world’s leading journals.

In her many public and media engagements, she has acted as a role model, helping to inform consumers about what they can do for sustainability, as well as demonstrating how chemical engineers contribute to sustainable development in practice, building a positive public perception of the discipline.

Professor Azapagic said: “I am delighted that my work on sustainable chemical engineering has been recognized by this high accolade named after the founder of our discipline, George E. Davis. This award is particularly dear to me as Davis held his first lectures in chemical engineering at Manchester. I am also thankful to my group Sustainable Industrial Systems at the University of Manchester and many academic and industrial collaborators who contributed to and supported my work over the years.”

About IChemE

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) advances chemical engineering's contribution for the benefit of society. We facilitate the development of chemical engineering professionals and provide connections to a powerful network of around 30,000 members in more than 100 countries.

We support our members in applying their expertise and experience to make an influential contribution to solving major global challenges, and are the only organisation permitted to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration.