Dr. Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, a Curators’ Distinguished Professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and nuclear engineering and radiation science at Missouri S&T, recently had a special virtual issue of the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research (I&ECR) academic journal dedicated to his honor.  
 
In an editorial introducing the issue, Dr. Jhoan Toro-Mendoza, I&ECR’s managing editor, wrote that Al-Dahhan’s career has included “groundbreaking research, academic leadership and commitment to training future generations of engineers.” 

The issue’s articles cover topics aligned with Al-Dahhan’s past research. Some of Al-Dahhan’s areas of expertise include multiphase flows, reactors and reaction engineering, which has led to him developing measurement and computational techniques to address challenges in clean energy production, bioenergy and sustainability.  
 
He also established a U.S. Department of Energy-funded research project that focuses on the thermal hydraulics of fourth-generation nuclear reactors, including micronuclear reactors and small modular reactors.  
 
Al-Dahhan, who also serves as S&T’s Wayne and Gayle Laufer Endowed Chair in Energy, says he felt moved to receive this recognition. 
 
“To have my close colleagues, several of whom I have known for decades, work together to create a special publication dedicated to my career is a true honor,” he says. “This means a great deal to me and reflects my impactful work that ultimately helps make the world a better place.” 
 
Al-Dahhan has been a member of the Missouri S&T faculty since January 2009, when he was hired as a professor and chair of chemical and biochemical engineering. In 2017, he was awarded the Curators’ Distinguished Professor rank, and he continued serving as chair of his home department until June 2019. 
 
Before coming to S&T, he was a member of the Washington University faculty from 1994 to 2008, and he also worked briefly as a project manager at Xytel Corp.  
 
Al-Dahhan is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and a member of the American Chemical Society and American Nuclear Society. 
 
He has been published in over 240 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 57 keynote and plenary lectures, 170 invited talks, and 520 conference presentations. He is continually listed in annual analyses published by Stanford University listing the top 2% of researchers cited for his field, and he has mentored over 55 Ph.D. students. 
 
Al-Dahhan earned a doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis, a master’s degree from Oregon State University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Baghdad in Iraq — all in chemical engineering. 
 
He serves as an expert on quality assurance of engineering education for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and often shares his expertise with the International Atomic Energy Agency. He has been a consultant to several companies and research institutions in U.S. and around the world. 
 
For more information about Missouri S&T’s chemical and biochemical engineering programs, visit chbe.mst.edu.