Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has received a trio of awards in honor of her research and teaching.
Park, who took the helm of UCLA Samueli in September 2023, was named one of 12 recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). She also received the Engineers’ Council Distinguished Engineering Educator Award for 2025 and was named a fellow of the Asian American Scholar Forum.
Park’s research focuses on sustainable energy and material conversion pathways with an emphasis on using integrated carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies to address climate change. At UCLA, she leads a research group of more than a dozen students and postdoctoral scholars to investigate direct air capture of carbon dioxide and negative emission technologies, including bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and sustainable construction materials with low carbon intensity. Her recent work includes carbon mineralization integrated with the recovery of energy-relevant critical minerals for clean energy transition.
The biennial IUPAC award recognizes distinguished women in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering for their commitment to research, education and leadership in community service projects. This year’s awardees will be officially recognized at the IUPAC General Assembly and World Chemistry Congress in July.
