Russ College Professor Earns Top Honors

Russ Endowed Chair Jason Trembly, BSCHE ’03, MS ’05, PHD ’07, received the 2025 AIChE Lawrence K. Cecil Award in Environmental Chemical Engineering for his efforts in advancing sustainable engineering at OHIO and beyond.

Trembly’s work sits at the intersection of energy, advanced materials and environmental sustainability. As department chair of mechanical engineering in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and director of its Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment (ISEE), Trembly studies waste conversion, electrochemical processing, sustainable energy systems and the development of carbon-based building materials.

“It’s humbling to be recognized with such a prestigious award and be selected by my peers, whose work I’ve deeply respected for years,” Trembly says. “I’ve never pursued my research with recognition in mind, so it’s a great honor and an unexpected, meaningful affirmation of the research my team and I have put into advancing environmental sustainability.”

The award focuses on Trembly’s efforts in advancing sustainable engineering at OHIO and his contributions to national science and policy efforts through his service on the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Carbon Utilization Infrastructure, Markets, Research and Development.

The Cecil Award is widely considered to be the top recognition in the field of environmental chemical engineering.

Through Trembly’s efforts, OHIO’s ISEE has secured more than $34 million in external research funding, fostering a dynamic environment for cutting-edge research and professional development. This funding allows students to hone their skills in state-of-the-art facilities while engaging in innovative projects. Trembly says the ISEE is a big part of both his research and ability to collaborate widely with OHIO’s other academic institutions and with industry partners.

As a triple Bobcat alumnus, Trembly knows the possibilities students can unlock through an OHIO education. He returned to his alma mater after leading research in the industry with the goal of creating a research program that offered OHIO students the same opportunity that he had early in his career to help create and develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing energy and environmental challenges.

Under his direction, the ISEE has extended its national leadership into new research areas, granting students more pathways to connect engineering and sustainability.

“Helping students connect their technical education to global challenges is one of my key responsibilities. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing students make that connection and then launch their own ideas, developing solutions of their own,” Trembly says. “Students bring energy and new perspectives, and I learn just as much from them as they do from me.”