Dr. Ignacio E. Grossmann stands as a preeminent figure in chemical engineering and process systems optimization with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. He currently holds the prestigious R. R. Dean University Professorship in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, the highest academic rank at the institution. Professor Grossmann earned his B.S. degree from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City in 1974, followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Imperial College London in 1975 and 1977 under the supervision of Roger W. H. Sargent. His leadership in the field was further demonstrated through his tenure as Department Head of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon from 1994 to 2002 and his ongoing directorship of the Center for Advanced Process Decision-making, an industrial consortium involving numerous major petroleum, chemical, and engineering companies.
Professor Grossmann's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed the field of process systems engineering through his pioneering work in mixed-integer nonlinear programming, generalized disjunctive programming, and optimization under uncertainty. With an impressive scholarly output exceeding 700 publications and an H-index of 122, his work has established the mathematical foundations for systematic process design, energy integration, and enterprise-wide optimization in chemical engineering. His seminal textbook Systematic Methods of Chemical Process Design, co-authored with Larry Biegler and Art Westerberg, has become a cornerstone reference for researchers and practitioners, while his more recent work Advanced Optimization in Process Systems Engineering continues to shape the field. His optimization frameworks have been widely adopted across the chemical, petroleum, and energy sectors, enabling more efficient and sustainable process design and operations through rigorous mathematical approaches that solve complex industrial challenges.
Throughout his illustrious career, Professor Grossmann has received numerous prestigious honors including the Computing in Chemical Engineering Award, the William H. Walker Award, and the inaugural Sargent Medal from the Institution of Chemical Engineers. His exceptional contributions have been recognized through his election to the National Academy of Engineering and his designation as one of the Hundred Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era by AIChE, alongside honorary doctorates from institutions worldwide. A dedicated mentor, he has guided the academic and professional development of 68 Ph.D. and 37 M.S. students, many of whom now hold leadership positions in major universities and industry. Currently focusing on optimization models for energy systems, water networks, and digital supply chains, Professor Grossmann continues to advance process systems engineering with his characteristic rigor and innovation, ensuring his lasting impact on both theoretical foundations and practical applications in chemical engineering.
