Jason E. Bara is the Reichhold-Shumaker Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of Alabama. He received degrees in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University (B.S.) and the University of Colorado (Ph.D.). Bara is one of the founders of ION Engineering, where he served as Vice President of Engineering from 2008-2010. His research focuses on process engineering for energy efficient CO2 capture and gas processing technologies utilizing solvents and/or membranes. Additionally, he is active in the areas of new polymers and liquid crystal architectures, as well as the synthesis and application of ionic liquids and imidazoles in various fields. He has authored more than 35 research publications to date, and is named as an inventor on multiple US and international patents and patent applications.