Stephen Thiel

Stephen Thiel is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, where he has held academic positions since 1986, including roles as Research Associate Professor (2006–2011) and Associate Professor-Educator (2011–2015). He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1981), and both M.S. (1983) and Ph.D. (1986) in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

His research focuses on:

• Adsorption processes for environmental remediation (mercury/CO₂ capture)
• Separation technologies including membrane science and ionic liquids
• Thermodynamic modeling of biological and material interfaces
• Catalyst/sorbent design for industrial gas purification

Publications emphasize environmental applications (75% since 2008), with recurring themes in flue gas treatment, protein adsorption thermodynamics, and novel adsorbent materials. Earlier work (pre-2000) established fundamentals in membrane separation processes.

Awards & Honors:

• Distinguished Teaching Professor (2019)
• Neil Wandmacher Teaching Award (2017)
• CEAS Tribunal Professor of the Year (2010)

Grant Leadership: Secured $1.4M+ as PI/co-PI, including:

• DOE projects on CO₂ capture solvents ($679k, 2023–2026)
• Mercury adsorbent development ($250k+, Ohio Coal Development Office)
• NSF S-STEM program for engineering education ($600k, 2014–2019)

Teaches core chemical engineering courses: Thermodynamics, Transport Phenomena, Separation Processes, and specialized electives in Adsorption/Membrane Science.