Biography:

S. Ted Oyama earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and chemical engineering at Yale University in 1976 working with Gary Haller and his doctorate in chemical engineering at Stanford University in 1981 with Michel Boudart.  He currently holds dual appointments in the Chemical Systems Engineering Dept. at the University of Tokyo and the Chemical Engineering Dept. at Virginia Tech.  His research interests are in the areas of catalytic fuel processing, biomass conversion, steam reforming, gas separation membranes, and membrane reactors.  He carries out research on the development of new materials, including novel catalytic materials such as phosphides and advanced inorganic membranes.  He concentrates on studying the mechanisms of reaction and permeance using kinetic tools coupled with in situ spectroscopy.  He is a recipient a 2009 Humboldt Senior Researcher Prize, 2012 Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the 2014 ACS Distinguished Researcher Award, the 2014 ACS Storch Award, and 2016 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  He served as 2009  Chair of the Division of Petroleum Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, and currently is editor of the Journal of Catalysis, a highly-ranked chemical engineering journal.  He has published over 230 refereed papers, 7 edited books, and 1 monograph.