A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemical and biomolecular engineering faculty member and a department alumnus have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Professor of the practice Christopher Burcham (BS 91) and alumnus Robert Dudley (BS 78) are part of the Class of 2026 for the prestigious engineering body. They are among 130 new members and 28 international members elected by their peers, bringing the total U.S. membership to 2,534 and 356 international members, according to a press release from the NAE.
Burcham joined the U. of I. last fall after a celebrated 23-year career in the pharmaceutical process design and development field. As an executive director in the synthetic molecule design and development department of Eli Lilly & Company, Burcham led the particle engineering group, where he oversaw the technical supervision and advancement of both crystallization and absorption enabling platforms.
His research centers on separations sciences, primarily in the discipline of crystallization and other particle formation technologies. Burcham is teaching a separations course this spring along with a new pharmaceutical engineering course he developed.
Among his many awards and honors, Burcham is an American Institute of Engineers fellow and currently serves on the programming committee for the Association of Crystallization Technology. He holds three patents, has more than 50 peer reviewed publications and has delivered over 100 external presentations. Burcham is also an alumnus of Illinois, graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1991 before earning a master's and Ph.D. from Princeton University.
Robert Dudley (BS 78) is the retired CEO of BP, a position he held from 2010 to 2020. Dudley’s career with BP spanned over 40 years, during which he served in a broad range of engineering, commercial, strategic, international and executive roles. In 2018, he was named the Petroleum Executive of the Year by Energy Intelligence. Over his career, he gained experience in strategic planning, risk management, international operations, HSE and operations matters.
Since 2016, Bob has chaired the international, industry-led Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), an industry group committed to taking practical actions on climate change. Related to this and other successes, he was named the 2018 Petroleum Executive of the Year by Energy Intelligence. He is a member of the US Business Council and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in Britain. In December 2009, was awarded an honorary CBE for services to British industry and energy security. In addition to his professional honors, Dudley received a 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from ChBE Illinois, and delivered the keynote address at the department's May 2024 convocation ceremony.
Dudley earned an MBA from Southern Methodist University, an MIM from the Thunderbird School of Global Management (now part of Arizona State University), and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Founded in 1964, the NAE provides independent and objective analysis to the nation, offering leadership and insights to address the complex challenges of the world. The ballot for this class was set in December, and the final vote took place in January.
Burcham, Dudley and the other members of this year's class will be formally inducted at the NAE's annual meeting this fall in Washington, D.C.