Joseph Chada

Joseph Chada is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He holds affiliations in Chemical Engineering and focuses on catalysis, reaction engineering, and engineering education innovation. His academic achievements include multiple Outstanding Chemical Engineering Faculty Awards (2019-2021) and a Distinguished Teaching Award from the UCSB Academic Senate.

Dr. Chada earned his PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BS in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University. His research bridges catalytic processes for olefin conversions and transformative approaches to chemical engineering education.

His catalysis work emphasizes heterogeneous catalyst design for light olefin oligomerization and interfacial reaction mechanisms, while his educational contributions include curriculum redesign and active-learning strategies in unit operations. Recent articles highlight innovations in open-ended laboratory experiments and flipped classroom methods.

• Awards:
  • Outstanding Chemical Engineering Faculty Award (2019-'20, 2020-'21, 2021-'22)
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, UCSB Academic Senate
• Advising: Focuses on pedagogical innovation without listed formal advisees.
• Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative catalysis research with industry and academic partners.