Lefenfeld receives 2024 EECE Distinguished Alumni Award
Michael Lefenfeld, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at WashU, was honored for his entrepreneurial spirit and transformative leadership in sustainable manufacturing
A native New Yorker, Michael Lefenfeld had never heard of Washington University in St. Louis before he started his college search. What he learned about its reputation for research excellence led him to take a chance on the school. It paid off.
“My time at WashU catalyzed my career,” Lefenfeld said. “It taught me how to ideate, how to think broadly and disruptively, and ultimately gave me the foundation I needed to do transformative work.”
For his leadership in the sustainable manufacturing of metals and chemicals and his innovative contributions to the field of green chemistry, Lefenfeld recently received the 2024 EECE Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering (EECE) in the McKelvey School of Engineering. The annual award recognizes the academic and industrial leaders who have made substantial contributions to sustainable development of human society or to the advancements of engineering sciences.
Lefenfeld, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from WashU in 2002 and master’s degrees from Columbia University in 2005 and 2007, has built a career using cutting-edge research to find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems — leading to safer industrial environments, enhanced medical technologies and more effective, affordable energy solutions. As president and CEO at Hexion Inc., he heads the company’s efforts to create sustainable solutions in the construction adhesive industry, with an emphasis on reducing energy and water use, waste and harmful emissions; reducing or eliminating exposure to dangerous materials; and enabling production of products with more longevity and durability.
Prior to joining Hexion, Lefenfeld was president and CEO of Cyanco International, where he led the manufacturer of gold and silver extraction materials, while driving the effort to make recovery safer and more efficient. From 2007 to 2017, he was president and CEO of SiGNa Chemistry, which manufactures highly active, environmentally friendly chemicals.
“Michael Lefenfeld has established himself as an outstanding innovator and visionary leader whose work transcends scientific disciplines,” said Joshua Yuan, the Lucy & Stanley Lopata Professor and department chair. “This award celebrates his accomplishments and his wide-ranging contributions to the betterment of our department, our school and our society. He defines what it means to be a distinguished alumnus.”
Lefenfeld holds more than 100 patents and patents pending. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2016, and SiGNa was recognized with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Presidential Green Chemistry Award under his leadership.
He credits his time at WashU with helping him to develop his passion for entrepreneurialism and his purpose as an engineer.
“I was always a go-getter and a learner, but my vision of myself as an entrepreneur started at WashU,” Lefenfeld said. “The faculty played a crucial role in that transformation.”
As a student, he flourished under the guidance of notable professors Ron Cytron, professor of computer science & engineering, and Mike Dudukovic, the Laura & William Jens Emeritus Professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, among others.
“The professors I had made me the success I am today,” he said. “These professors aren’t just there to do their work; they are driven to inspire. They create an atmosphere that is so intimately collaborative, there is always someone there to help.”
Giving back to WashU is a priority for Lefenfeld, who himself received the Stanley & Carol Procter Scholarship as a student. In 2009, Lefenfeld joined the EECE Executive Advisory Board, helping provide strategic direction to the department and mentoring students, and he is an Eliot Society Benefactor supporting an annual engineering scholarship. Lefenfeld also participated in the McKelvey Challenge by investing in scholarships and making a major contribution to help construct an EECE learning lab. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his professional and charity work, including the Engineering Entrepreneurship Award from McKelvey Engineering in 2017, and he serves on the school’s National Council.
Lefenfeld said the best way he can pay it forward is to have a positive impact wherever he can, starting with the students who he said he hopes will experience the same sense of fulfillment in their education and careers that he has.
“Engineers are problem solvers, with an ability to solve the most complex, multivariable problems in our world,” he said, “It is the most diverse degree you can have.”
He suggests they take full advantage of the opportunities the degree provides.
“The time after graduation is the most freedom you will ever have in your life. It’s the time you can take the most risk – and you should,” he said. “As a student, use the optionality you’ve been granted. Be creative — you’re not set on a path just yet.”
