Inaugural Darsh Wasan Visiting Professor
Príamo A. Melo Jr., full professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, has joined the Illinois Tech Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE) for the fall 2025 semester as the first person selected for the newly established Darsh Wasan Visiting Professorship.
Building on the distinguished Darsh T. Wasan Lectureship Series, which has brought leading scholars to campus since 2008, this expanded professorship now enables visiting faculty to spend two to four months in residence at Illinois Tech delivering the annual Darsh Wasan Lecture as well as short courses and guest lectures, while engaging with students and faculty in a wide range of scholarly activities. The program reflects the CHBE department’s commitment to global collaboration, academic excellence, and the enduring legacy of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Darsh T. Wasan’s leadership in education and research.
“As we look ahead to an exciting new chapter for the CHBE department, we are proud to see the Darsh T. Wasan Lectureship evolve into the Darsh Wasan Visiting Professorship. This new format allows us to welcome world-renowned scholars such as Professor Príamo Melo for extended engagement, offering our students unique global perspectives and fostering deep research collaborations with faculty across the department. Professor Melo’s residency has already enriched our undergraduate and graduate programs through his lectures, short courses, and mentorship, continuing the legacy of excellence and innovation established by Professor Wasan,” says Georgia Papavasiliou, CHBE department chair and professor of chemical engineering.
“It’s a great honor and also responsibility,” says Melo.
Melo's research focuses on mathematical modeling, computer simulation, process control, and the optimization of chemical systems, with particular emphasis on polymerization, petrochemical, and nitrogen-based fertilizers processes.
As the visiting professor delivering the ChBE department’s annual Darsh Wasan Lecture, Melo will present “Hunger for None: Powered by Chemical Engineering,” which will cover the subject of his work on nitrogen-based fertilizers, which are essential for proper crop growth, playing a key role in ensuring global food security. He is set to present this talk on October 22, 2025.
“Chemical engineering plays a key role in this field, as chemical engineers are responsible for the design, operation, optimization, and modernization of nitrogen-based fertilizers in chemical plants,” says Melo.
Melo says he’s been particularly happy to collaborate with faculty in-person. He is also working on two books during his visit, collaborating with S.C. Johnson Professor of Chemical Engineering Fouad Teymour and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Interim Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering Satish Parulekar.
Melo says it’s important for him to establish a strong relationship with CHBE department and Armour College faculty during his visit, creating pathways for further faculty collaborations between Illinois Tech and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
“The point is to make sure we create strong bonds that can build towards a continuation of cooperation and working together,” he says.
He’s also interested in creating pipelines for students to travel between the two universities.
“I’m very happy to be here,” says Melo. “The faculty have welcomed me warmly and given me all the support I need to work, and 鶹APP is a great city.”
