The Department of Chemical Engineering distinguishes itself with the achievements of its professors, students and research staff. The department’s spirit of innovation, leadership and excellence are reflected in the various projects and contributions illustrated here.
Members of our department contribute to the advancement of engineering and science knowledge through their scientific publishing.
To find out more about research in the Chemical Engineering Department.
2024–2025
- Professor Bruno Blais received the SIAM/ACM Prize in Computational Science and Engineering from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
- Professor Marie-Claude Heuzey received the Award for Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
- Associate Professor Jamal Chaouki received the John R. Grace Award from the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering.
- Retired Professor Réjean Samson received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
2009-2023
- Professor Abdellah Ajji: Fellow of the SPE — the Society of Plastics Engineers.
- Professor François Bertrand: 2019 Excellence Award from the North American Mixing Forum (NAMF), named Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada in 2019, and elected Member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2020
- Professor Anne-Marie Boulay: 2023 ACLCA LCA Leadership Award.
- Professor Patrice Chartrand : Synergy Award for Innovation from the NSERC and the Metal Chemistry Award from MetSoc (Metallurgy and Materials Society) of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
- Professor Marie-Claude Heuzey: 2024 Fellow of the Society of Reology.
- Professor Pierre Lafleur : Member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and 2024 OIQ President’s Award
- Professor Gregory Patience: Honoris Genius - OlQ Social Engagement Award, Technical Achievement Alumni Award - University of Calgary - Schulich School of Engineering
- Professor Arthur Pelton : Synergy Award for Innovation from the NSERC
- Professor Michel Perrier : Member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering
- Associate Professor Jamal Chaouki : 2018 Innovation in Engineering Award, R.S. Jane Memorial Award from the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation from Polytechnique Montréal, 2021 Honorius Genius – Technological Innovation Award from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, 2021 Kalev Pugi Award from the Society of Chemical Industry.
- Associate Professor Miroslav Grmela: Stanley G. Mason Award from the Canadian Society of Rheology.
- Associate Professor Philippe Tanguy: Member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Excellence in Teaching Award
Patrice Farand, the department’s master of education, received the Polytechnique Montréal 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award, in recognition of the quality of his teaching, his dedication to his students and his competence.
Other recipients of this award from the Department:
- 2016 : Professor Robert Legros
- 2010 : Professor François Bertrand
- 2005 : Professor Michel Perrier
PRIZES AWARDED BY STUDENTS
Meritas Gala 2024-2025
- Best Undergraduate Lecturer in Chemical Engineering: Alfa Arzate
- Best Undergraduate Course Lecturer in Chemical Engineering: Katherine Vézina
- Best Undergraduate Lab/Tutorial Instructor in Chemical Engineering: Iman Bouara
- Best Graduate Lecturer in Chemical Engineering: Ivan Viveros Santos
- Best Undergraduate Lab/Tutorial Instructor in Biomedical Engineering: Andréa Skaf
- Best Graduate Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering: Professor Gregory De Crescenzo
- Best Lecturer in Complementary Training (CAP): Patrice Farand
Meritas Gala 2023-2024
- Best Undergraduate Professor in Chemical Engineering: Nick Virgilio
- Best Undergraduate Course Lecturer in Chemical Engineering: Douaa Hassan
- Best Undergraduate Lab/Tutorial Instructor in Chemical Engineering: Camille Rincent
- Best Graduate Teaching in Chemical Engineering: Bruno Blais
- Best Undergraduate Lab/Tutorial Instructor in Biomedical Engineering: Laura Ahunon
OTHER TEACHING AWARDS
- Professor Emeritus Michel Perrier received the Engineering Education Excellence Award from the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA).
- Research Associate Wendell Raphaël is the 2024 recipient of the PRIMA Québec Recognition Award.
- Master of Teaching Alfa Arzate received a 2024 Journey Award for Québec.
- Research by Jaber Darabi and Professor Gregory Patience was published by the prestigious journal Chemical Society Reviews, a journal with an impact factor of 40.18.
- Professor Jason Tavares has been recognized by the Collège André-Grasset as a graduate with a track record of excellence in the natural sciences.
Whether it be with their studies, comprehensive projects, internships or extracurricular activities, chemical engineering students stand out.
Discover their achievements in our students' showcase.
To learn more about chemical engineering, watch our videos.
New packaging to reduce the impact of our consumption — Research by Professor Abdellah Ajji
Intensification of processes to transform biomass — Research by Professor Daria Boffito
Towards an era of organic and flexible electronics — Research by Professor Fabio Cicoira
L’électrification du système énergétique — a seminar by Philippe Tanguy, Polytechnique Montreal’s Chief Executive Director.
Chemical engineering students showcase their research in photography competitions.
![]() Chimie verte en orPhoto by Olivier Gazil, Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering, 2019 finalist in the La preuve par l'image competition. “This network of cells belongs to a simple polyurethane kitchen sponge … which is entirely plated with gold! Specifically, nanoparticles of pure gold. This metal, yet unalterable, becomes very reactive at the nanoscale. It can then serve as a catalyst in ‘green’ chemistry processes. This is a nice trick, because the porosity of the sponge allows the molecules to react with the multitude of contact surfaces of the cells. In short, a golden idea!" |
![]() Shining pearls in a blue moonlightPhoto by Faezah Sabri, Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering, 2019 finalist at the Science Exposed competition. "This image shows large droplets of oil dispersed in water and, within the oil droplets, tiny droplets of water. A system of stabilized oil droplets in water is called an emulsion; in this case, it is a double emulsion. … Such double emulsions, in which you have a droplet within a droplet, can be used in food and pharmaceutical products. They protect sensitive compounds and induce their triggered release. …. This image is one of a series taken to confirm the formation of multiple droplets as well as to better understand the mechanism involving in the formation." |
![]() Une fleur empoisonnéePhoto taken by Clémence Abriat, PhD student in Chemical Engineering, 2019 finalist of Polytechnique Montreal’s competition Le génie en image de Polytechnique Montréal. “Within this flower are billions of bacteria responsible for cholera (Vibrio cholerae). Just like humans, bacteria live mainly in communities protected through a barrier from the environment. These structures called biofilms increase the resistance of pathogens, such as V. cholerae, to antibiotics during infections. Characterizing the components of the biofilm protective barrier is therefore essential in order to target the biofilm’s weaknesses when developing new antimicrobial strategies.” |
The Department of Chemical Engineering holds an annual science communication video competition for graduate students.
Participants are invited to create a video, in French or English, that explains and communicates their research project to a general audience.
The winner receives a $750 prize to cover expenses for attending a conference of their choice.
2024–2025
- First Prize: Georg Seitfudem
- Second Prize: Elvis Boampong