ABPDU’s Xueli Chen has been named a recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) 2026 35 Under 35 Award.
The award honors “members who are 35 or younger and have made significant contributions to the profession and the AIChE community.”
Chen is a postdoctoral researcher at ABPDU. His research focuses on upgrading underutilized, complex carbon resources into intermediates for producing fuels, chemicals, and materials. His experience includes feedstock characterization, mechanical preprocessing, deconstruction, and catalysis.
“I am truly honored to receive the AIChE 35 Under 35 Award. This recognition is not only a meaningful milestone in my career but also reflects the incredible support and collaboration I have received from my mentors, colleagues, research teams, and friends,” Chen said. “I am grateful for the opportunities to work with so many amazing people, and this award motivates me to keep learning, growing, and conducting research that can make a positive impact and help advance the bioeconomy.”
The 2026 recipients will be recognized at the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting, taking place November 8-12, 2026 in Minneapolis.