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Hugo I. de Lasa, B.Eng., M.E.Sc., Ph.D., P.Eng

Professor and Director, Chemical Reactor Engineering Centre (CREC), University of Western Ontario

Dr. Hugo de Lasa, as the founding director of the Chemical Reactor Engineering Centre (CREC) at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Western Ontario, has been instrumental in establishing world-wide recognition for the Southwestern Ontario research and consulting laboratory in developing new reactor technologies. Since its inception in 1987, CREC has been awarded $9.7 million in grants and industrial contracts to work in collaboration with about 40 national and international companies, universities and government research agencies from roughly 20 countries worldwide. His scientific legacy will be ensure for years to come, since his former graduate students are well represented among the senior technical experts and managers in the large chemical, petroleum and petrochemical companies. For his excellence in research, Dr. de Lasa has been awarded the Fellowship of the Chemical Institute of Canada (2000) and the prize for Excellence in Research from UWO Faculty of Engineering Science (1997). Professor de Lasa also has remarkable achievements as an educator. He has one of the highest records of successful student supervision at UWO, having completed supervision of 16 PhD and 21 MESc graduate student theses. He currently leads a research team that includes 11 graduate students and research associates. Professor De Lasa’s published work includes 125 refereed publications, three books and 11 United States and Canadian patents. Dr. de Lasa plays a prominent role in raising the profile of the Canadian scientific community worldwide. His activities have included: organizing and chairing national and international research conferences including the 1998 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference (London, Ontario), the NATO Advanced Study Institute Conferences in 1985 and 1991(London, Ontario) and the 1997 US Engineering Foundation conference (Banff, Alberta). He has also been a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board (2000), Advance Oxidation Technologies, and the International Symposium Chemical Reaction Engineering Board (1984 to present). With UWO Dean of Engineering Science Franco Berruti, he is co-chairing the 2001 Engineering Foundation Conference, Novel Reactor Engineering for the New Millennium to be held in Barga, Italy. He is acting as chair of the 2002 International Circulating Fluidized Bed Conference to be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Dr. de Lasa has made a distinguished contribution to Chemical Engineering through his high level of commitment to his research. CREC’s world class reputation in reactor engineering is to a great extent the result of his dedication to sound science, industrial relevance and the practicality of his work.