Four members of the UD community recognized for scientific contributions and service
University of Delaware College of Engineering faculty members Kelvin Lee and Abraham Lenhoff have been named fellows of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Alumni Michael Betenbaugh and Michelle O’Malley are also among this year’s fellows. ACS Fellows are recognized for outstanding contributions to science and the chemistry profession, as well as leadership in and service to the ACS community.
Lee, Gore Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, also serves as director of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). He is recognized for pioneering contributions at the intersection of chemical engineering, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. His research has advanced proteomics tools, systems and synthetic biology, and technologies for improving the production and characterization of biopharmaceuticals. He also is a national leader in advanced manufacturing public policy.
He received the 2019 Marvin J. Johnson Award from ACS’s Division of Biochemical Technology and has been an active contributor to the division.
“I am honored by the recognition,” said Lee. “It reflects the contributions of many students, postdocs, collaborators and partners from industry, academia and government, who have worked alongside me over the years and whose dedication continues to advance biopharmaceutical manufacturing.”
Lenhoff, Allan P. Colburn Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, integrates protein biophysics with chemical engineering principles, including thermodynamics, transport phenomena and colloid science, to advance protein separations and phase behavior. His research examines molecular interactions involving proteins and colloidal particles, advancing technologies for biopharmaceutical process development and protein separations.
He has a long record of engagement and service with ACS, receiving several honors, including the 2011 Marvin J. Johnson Award. Recently, Lenhoff co-organized the 100th symposium hosted by the ACS Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, which took place at UD in June 2026.
“Two of the ACS divisions have provided an outstanding home for my research for decades, and the Division of Biochemical Technology in particular is the principal community with which my research group engages,” said Lenhoff. “I’m honored to be recognized in this way.”
Betenbaugh and O’Malley earned their doctorates in chemical engineering from UD in 1988 and 2009, respectively. Betenbaugh is currently professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins University. His research advances systems biotechnology and metabolic engineering approaches for improving biomanufacturing processes.
O’Malley, a professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, develops tools to engineer microbes and microbial communities, uncovering new pathways for sustainable biomanufacturing, natural product discovery and biotechnology applications.
The 2026 ACS Fellows will be celebrated at a ceremony during the ACS Fall 2026 meeting in Chicago.