معرفی
Benny Freeman is a Professor and the William J. (Bill) Murray, Jr. Endowed Chair in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Chemical Engineering. His research focuses on polymer structure-property relationships, particularly in membrane separations for gas, liquid, and vapor applications. He leads the Membrane Research Lab, addressing challenges in water purification, controlled drug delivery, and sustainable energy systems. Freeman holds affiliations with the Center for Materials for Water and Energy Systems (M-WET), the Center for Research in Water and the Environment (CWE), and the Texas Materials Institute (TMI).
Education: Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley (1988); B.S., Chemical Engineering, NC State University (1983). Postdoctoral work at École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de Paris (1988-1989).
Research Interests:
- Gas and liquid separations via polymer-based membranes
- Membrane fouling mechanisms and mitigation
- Ion transport in charged polymers
- Environmental and energy applications (e.g., desalination, carbon capture)
- Biomimetic membrane design
Awards: Over 20 major honors, including the Braskem Award (2023), National Academy of Engineering election (2023), and NAMS Fellowship (2017). Editorships in Journal of Membrane Science, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, and Polymers.
Grant Activities: Recipient of NSF, DOE, and industry grants. Collaborations with CSIRO, Kyushu University, and others. Advises on membrane technology development and commercialization.
Labs/Teams: Membrane Research Lab (Austin, TX), Freeman Lab Group, and international collaborations via WPI-I²CNER (Japan). Focus on translational research bridging fundamental science and industrial applications.
