Jiao named ACS Fellow
Feng Jiao was elected a 2025 American Chemical Society Fellow
Feng Jiao, the Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named a fellow by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Jiao was recognized for his pioneering contributions to the field of carbon dioxide (CO2) use as well as his efforts as program chair in the ACS Division of Energy and Fuels.
Jiao is one of 36 members of the society to be named a fellow in 2025 and one of an elite group of more 1,400 scientists who have received the recognition, which honors members of ACS for outstanding achievements in and contributions to science, the profession and society. He will be honored at a ceremony and reception Aug. 18 during the society's national meeting in Washington, D.C.
The Jiao research group is committed to advancing electrochemical technologies to tackle critical global challenges in energy storage, chemical manufacturing and sustainable food production. Its efforts are centered on transforming carbon utilization by designing and engineering high-performance CO2 and CO electrolysis systems that exceed the efficiency and capabilities of traditional fossil-based technologies. Through innovative reactor development and interface optimization, Jiao’s research pushes the boundaries of electrochemical performance, combatting climate change through clean, sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.
A renowned expert in carbon capture and utilization, Jiao joined the faculty at WashU in 2023. In his role as the Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor, Jiao supports the newly launched Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) initiative aimed at driving transformative change in global food systems. He also serves as the director of the Center for Carbon Management and associate director of the National Science Foundation-funded Carbon Utilization Redesign for (CURB) Engineering Research Center.
Among his many honors, Jaio received the ACS Mid-Career Award in 2025 and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2014. He’s also been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate in both 2023 and 2024 and was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Jiao is an editor of Chemical Engineering Journal and an editorial board member of Materials Today Sustainability. He is an advisory board member of Renewables, Journal of Materials Chemistry, Cell Reports Physical Science and Trends in Chemistry.
Jiao earned a bachelor’s degree from Fudan University in China and a doctoral degree from the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom. He conducted postdoctoral training at University of California, Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.