Joe Powell

Joseph B. Powell is fellow and former director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and served as Shell’s first chief scientist – Chemical Engineering from 2006 until retiring at the end of 2020, culminating a 36-year industry career where he led R&D programs in new chemical processes, biofuels, enhanced oil recovery, and advised on R&D for energy transition to a net-zero carbon economy. He is co-inventor on more than 125 patent applications (60 granted), has received AIChE / ACS / R&D Magazine awards for Innovation, Service, and Practice, and is co-author of Sustainable Development in the Process Industries:  Cases and Impact (2010).  He chaired the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) and was elected to the U. S. National Academy of Engineering (2021) after serving two terms on its Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology.  He holds a PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison, BS from University of Virginia, both in chemical engineering.