Award winning IChemE members inspire public engagement with engineering at the British Science Festival

IChemE President Dr Ollie Foyalan and four IChemE medal and prize winners took part in the Future Chemistry Hub, part of the British Science Festival 2026 hosted by the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Southampton. Through talks, interactive activities, laboratory tours and demonstrations, the two-day programme brought researchers, engineers and industry professionals together with members of the public to explore how chemistry and chemical engineering shape everyday life and address the global grand challenges including sustainability, energy and healthcare. 

As part of the event, a selection of IChemE award winners shared their personal journeys into chemical engineering, helping visitors explore the wide range of opportunities within the profession and the huge impact chemical engineers have on society. Each speaker demonstrated the breadth of achievement recognised through IChemE awards, including pioneering research in nanostructured particles by Professor Markus Kraft (Geldart Medal), global leadership and significant impact in the advancement of sustainable electrochemical energy storage by Professor Guanjie He (Nicklin Medal for early-career researchers), outstanding research contribution to the field of molecular systems engineering and process design by Professor Claire Adjiman (Sharma Medal), and innovative engineering solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturing by Gisoo Pasha Moghaddam (Young Engineers Awards for Innovation and Sustainability). 

Dr Rachel Bibby, IChemE Director of Member Experience & Knowledge recognises this event as an important part of our public engagement activity: “Public engagement is an important part of IChemE's work to make our member’s voices heard and increase understanding of chemical engineering and inspire future generations. Events such as the British Science Festival provide an opportunity for people who may never have met a chemical engineer before to learn more about the profession, discover the variety of careers available and explore how engineering solutions improve everyday life.” 

IChemE President, Dr Ollie Foylan enjoyed meeting so many young people, “This was a great opportunity to speak to future chemical engineers and to talk to them about my career path. It hasn’t been the most straightforward journey, and I think it is something others can resonate with.” 

Alongside the speaker programme, a range of IChemE staff engaged visitors in conversations about chemical engineering careers, professional development and the role of IChemE in supporting the profession.  

The event provided a valuable opportunity to celebrate the achievements of IChemE members and award winners while demonstrating the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and career paths within chemical engineering. Through their talks, the speakers showed how the profession combines creativity, innovation and problem-solving to tackle some of society's most pressing challenges.  

Nominations for the IChemE Medals and Prizes 2027 are now open. The achievements of the British Science Festival speakers show the many forms excellence can take - from inclusive leadership and pioneering research to sustainable innovation and exceptional communication. IChemE is encouraging the chemical engineering community to nominate individuals and teams whose work is advancing the profession and making a real difference. Nominate an outstanding colleague, collaborator or team by 30 November 2026.

What is chemical engineering?

Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, mathematics and economics in the process of turning raw materials into everyday, and more specialist, products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Energy, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the industry sectors and products where chemical engineering plays a central role.

IChemE

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) advances chemical engineering's contribution for the benefit of society. We facilitate the development of chemical engineering professionals and provide connections to a powerful network of around 32,000 members in more than 100 countries. 

We support our members in applying their expertise and experience to make an influential contribution to solving major global challenges, and are the only organisation permitted to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration.