Mark Shiflett

Foundation Distinguished Professor, School of Engineering
Director, U.S. NSF EngiNEERING Research Center – EARTH
Director, Wonderful institute for sustainABLE engINEERINg (WISE)

Biography

Mark B. Shiflett is a Distinguished Foundation Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas (KU). Prof. Shiflett is the Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center – Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) and Director of the Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering (WISE) at KU. Prof. Shiflett has appointments in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and the Department of Bioengineering. Prof. Shiflett is also the cofounder and Chief Science Officer at Icorium Engineering Company and cofounder and President at Pvera Tech, LLC. Prof. Shiflett joined the University of Kansas as the final Foundation Professor in August 2016. Prof. Shiflett received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 2001 and 1998. He received his B.S. degree in chemical engineering from N.C. State University in 1989. Dr. Shiflett retired from the DuPont Company after 28 years of service in August 2016. He was a Technical Fellow in the Central Research and Development organization which is located at the Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. Prof. Shiflett was also an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Prof. Shiflett is an inventor on over 50 U.S. patents and has published over 150 articles on his research at DuPont and University of Kansas with over 10,000 citations. He was awarded the DuPont Bolton Carothers award in 2005, the ACS Hero of Chemistry award in 2006 and the University of Delaware presidential citation in 2007 for his development of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant mixtures to replace chlorofluorocarbons which were linked to the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer. Prof. Shiflett was elected in 2014 to be a Fellow in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and in 2016 to be a Division Fellow in the American Chemical Society for his significant professional accomplishments and contributions to the chemical engineering profession. Prof. Shiflett received the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Institute award for Industrial Research in 2016 for the development of non-ozone-depleting refrigerants which have led to the healing of the Earth’s ozone layer, new applications using ionic liquids, an environmentally friendly TiO2 process and mentoring and educating chemical engineers. Prof. Shiflett was elected in 2019 as a Fellow in the National Academy of Inventors. Prof. Shiflett has received three awards at the University of Kansas, the Miller Profession Development Award for Research in 2019, the Gould Award for Advising in 2021, and the Higuchi Research Achievement Award – Irvin Youngberg Award in Applied Sciences in 2023, which is the highest research award given in the State of Kansas for applied research. Prof. Shiflett was also ranked in the Top 2% of Scientists worldwide by Stanford University in 2022. Prof. Shiflett is a licensed professional engineer and his research at KU focuses on sustainable, energy efficient processes and products for the chemical industry.