Hank Ashbaugh Elected Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Dr. Hank Ashbaugh, professor and chair of Tulane University’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the organization’s highest grade of membership.
The distinction recognizes accomplished AIChE members for their professional achievements, contributions to chemical engineering and sustained service to the organization. Fellows are elected by AIChE’s Board of Directors following a formal nomination and review process.
“It’s not, ‘Well, you’ve done it long enough, so ta-da, you get in,’” Ashbaugh said. “You have to be nominated.”
Ashbaugh’s nomination included several letters of support, including letters from members of the National Academy of Engineering, as well as documentation of his professional accomplishments and service to AIChE. While he described the recognition with his characteristic humor as “a feather in your cap,” he also noted that becoming a Fellow brings new opportunities to serve the organization and contribute to the chemical engineering profession.
A member of the Tulane faculty since 2004, Ashbaugh became chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in January 2026 after serving as interim chair beginning in 2024. His research focuses on the multiscale simulation and theory of self-assembly and hierarchical organization in complex fluids, with applications involving surfactant solutions, polymers, biopolymer gels and nanostructured materials.
Throughout his Tulane career, Ashbaugh has also remained committed to teaching, mentorship and strengthening the visibility of chemical engineering. As department chair, he has emphasized the importance of sharing the work of faculty and students while helping broader audiences understand the field’s extraordinary reach.
“Chemical engineering is everywhere,” Ashbaugh said in an earlier interview about his vision for the department. “I cannot look in a single direction in this room and not see something that chemical engineers have impacted.”
Ashbaugh will be formally recognized as a Fellow during the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting, scheduled for Nov. 8–12 in Minneapolis. The recognition is permanent, placing him among a distinguished group of professionals whose leadership, accomplishments and service have advanced chemical engineering and the work of AIChE.