Ana Inés Torres

Ana Inés Torres is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering. She leads an active research group focused on sustainable process systems engineering, with affiliations at the Center for Advanced Process Decision-Making and the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. Her work bridges chemical engineering with sustainability challenges, particularly in decarbonization and circular economy applications.

Dr. Torres earned her educational credentials from Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay and the University of Minnesota:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota (2013)
• Diploma in Chemical Engineering, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (2005)
• B.S. in Chemistry, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (2003)

Her research interests span process systems engineering with a sustainability focus, particularly in chemical industry decarbonization through electrification and biomass utilization, circular economy network analysis, and environmentally-friendly rare earth element recovery processes. She integrates modeling, analysis, and optimization to design clean and sustainable chemical processes, with growing emphasis on machine learning applications in process optimization.

Analyzing her recent publications reveals a strong focus on decarbonization strategies for existing industrial infrastructure, particularly oil refineries, and circular economy network design. Her work demonstrates increasing integration of machine learning with traditional process systems engineering approaches to tackle complex sustainability challenges across multiple scales, from molecular recovery processes to entire supply chain networks.

Dr. Torres has received several prestigious recognitions:

• NSF CAREER award (2024)
• Dean's Early Career Fellowships award (2025)
• Consultant for United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (2024)
• Associate editor of Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

She actively mentors a diverse group of graduate students working on cutting-edge sustainability challenges, with recent projects focusing on circular economy networks, rare earth element recovery, and bio-refinery design. Her research has attracted significant funding, including the NSF CAREER award, and she participates in multiple collaborative initiatives through CMU's energy research centers. Dr. Torres also serves as an invited speaker at major conferences including FOCAPD and FOCAPO/CPC.

Dr. Torres leads the Torres Research Group at CMU, which maintains strong connections with industry partners and international organizations including UNIDO. The group operates within CMU's robust energy research ecosystem, collaborating with the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation and the Center for Advanced Process Decision-Making to address complex sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary approaches.