Jeffrey M. Zalc

Jeffrey M. Zalc is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), affiliated with the Armour College of Engineering. He has been teaching courses on chemical plant design, process simulation, and energy-economics interrelationships since 2015. Zalc holds a B.S. (1995, Magna Cum Laude), M.S. (1998), and Ph.D. (2000) in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley (2003–2004).

His research focuses on process modeling for refining operations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in mixing systems, catalysis for fuel processing, and advancing chemical engineering education. He is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois and a Principal Engineer at bp’s Solutions group, where he develops detailed refining process models for optimization and decision-making.

Zalc has been recognized with the Hamid Arastoopour Excellence in Teaching Award (2021–2022 and 2024–2025) and was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2022). His work bridges academia and industry, emphasizing practical applications of fluid dynamics, catalysis, and sustainable energy systems.