Mahdi Malmali has been honored with the 2025 Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Award
Mahdi Malmali, associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering at Texas Tech University, has been honored with the 2025 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Research Award.
The award is among the highest accolades bestowed by the Texas Tech University System, recognizing faculty who demonstrate exemplary research contributions and significant impacts in their fields.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Chancellor’s Council Research Award,” Malmali said. “This recognition is a testament not only to the value of the work being done in our field, but also to the support and collaboration I’ve received from colleagues, students and the broader Texas Tech community. I’m proud to be part of an institution that invests in research and innovation, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to our shared mission of discovery and impact.”
Since joining Texas Tech in January 2018 as a tenure-track assistant professor, Malmali has been promoted to associate professor with tenure. In that time, he has significantly advanced research in reaction engineering and separations—two core areas of chemical engineering that had seen limited activity at Texas Tech for nearly two decades.
Malmali leads two high-profile research projects on membrane-based separations for the treatment of hypersaline brine streams and assessment and recovery of critical minerals from oil & gas produced water, supported by the Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office. The work has direct applications in managing water produced from oil and gas exploration in Texas and New Mexico.
Rajesh Khare, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering, praised Malmali's accomplishments.
“Malmali has excelled in research and professional service, and the recognition of his achievements by this university-level award will further increase his and Texas Tech’s external visibility,” Khare said.
Another major focus of his research is the development of low-energy, distributed chemical production systems powered by renewable energy—offering a potential path forward for storing solar thermal heat and decarbonizing the fertilizer industry. He has been also supported by various grants from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy - Solar Energy Technologies Office to transform the way we store thermal head and produce ammonia in distributed, remote locations with abundant solar energy.
Malmali has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles—40 since joining Texas Tech—and holds six patent applications. Beyond his research, Malmali is an active mentor, having advised nine Ph.D. students, six master’s students and two postdoctoral researchers. He holds leadership roles in professional organizations such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and recently served as chair of the 33rd North American Membrane Society meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Malmali’s work bridges fundamental science and practical application, developing innovative technologies to address environmental challenges and energy efficiency in industrial processes. His efforts underscore Texas Tech’s commitment to impactful research that benefits both academia and industry.