Professor Diwakar Shukla has received the 2026 Computational Molecular Science & Engineering Forum (CoMSEF) Impact Award for Modeling and Simulation from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AlChE). This award recognizes outstanding research in computational molecular science and engineering, encompassing both methods and applications. It is the highest honor bestowed by CoMSEF, consisting of a plaque and honorarium.
Shukla was selected as an award recipient based on his contributions to the field of computational molecular science and engineering, specifically relating to the area of biomolecular dynamics and their applications to plant biology.
"This milestone would not have been possible without the tireless dedication, creativity and brilliance of the students in my research group, nor without the guidance and support of my mentors over the years," said Shukla. He was the recipient of the CoMSEF young investigator award in 2018 and CoMSEF graduate student award in 2011.
“Diwakar has made innovative contributions towards integrating modern computational molecular science & engineering approaches to the aspects of biological sciences that have not seen the transformative impact of these tools," said Baron Peters, professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering and a former recipient of CoMSEF Impact award in 2019.
The award will be presented at the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting in Minneapolis from November 8 – 12, where Shukla will deliver a lecture during the CoMSEF plenary session.
Shukla is a James W. Westwater Professorial Scholar in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Illinois, where he also holds faculty appointments in The Grainger College of Engineering’s Department of Bioengineering; Chemistry and Plant Biology in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB); the Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA) and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).