American Institute Of Chemical Engineers Names New AIChE Journal Editor

NEW YORK CITY – The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) announced that Michael P. Harold, M.D. Anderson Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston, will become editor of the AIChE Journal, its flagship research and development publication. Harold will replace Stanley I. Sandler, who is retiring with the December issue after more than 10 years in that position.  

In making the announcement, June Wispelwey, AIChE’s executive director, said Harold will “shepherd the AIChE Journal into a new era of growth,” and “assure that it continues to align with the changing needs of the discipline.” “Under Dr. Harold’s leadership,” she said, the journal will “reflect the increasing diversity of chemical engineering research and the expanding global nature of the chemical enterprise.” 

To mark the transition, AIChE President Maria Burka, thanked Sandler for his “vision and outstanding service as editor,” noting that his stewardship of the journal “has raised its profile and impact, assuring its continued position as ‘best in class.’”

Harold plans several initiatives to make the generalist AIChE Journal a place to bring specialized research to the attention of the broad discipline, including high impact, shorter papers with rapid turnaround. Occasional topical issues and festschrifts, honoring distinguished chemical engineers, are among the expected innovations. 

Before joining the University of Houston, where he served as chair of his department from 2000 to 2008, Harold spent several years with the DuPont Company in research and technology management positions. He was also previously a faculty member of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is founder and principal investigator in the University of Houston’s Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center. 

Harold earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Houston. He has published over 110 papers and given over 230 invited lectures and presentations.  His awards include the Fluor-Daniel Outstanding Faculty Award from the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering and the American Chemical Society’s Fuel Division Richard A. Glenn Award for Best Paper.

Recently, Harold has served AIChE as a consulting editor for the AIChE Journal and a member of its Chemical Engineering Technology Operating Council, and earlier as chair of its Publication Committee, and as chair of its Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division.