EPP faculty honored with College of Engineering awards

The Department of Engineering and Public Policy is proud to celebrate two faculty members who have received top honors from Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering.

Distinguished Professor of Engineering

Peter Adams has been named a Distinguished Professor of Engineering in recognition of his exceptional achievements. This distinction honors Adams’ outstanding, sustained contributions to atmospheric science, air quality engineering, and engineering education. 

Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research

Valerie Karplus, alongside Chris Pistorius from Materials Science and Engineering, has been awarded the Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research. Their joint research focuses on industrial decarbonization, applying a systems approach to address critical challenges in reducing global industrial emissions.

“Advancing this research agenda together with Chris Pistorius and our collaborators and partners has led to insights none of us could have generated alone—insights that could ultimately underpin new ways of thinking about how industrial production can meet multifaceted societal needs,” said Karplus.

The joint award highlights the College of Engineering’s robust culture of crossing disciplinary boundaries to solve difficult real-world problems.

"Collaborating with Valerie Karplus in teaching and research has greatly expanded my view on the technical, economic, and societal details to changes in industrial processes," Pistorius noted. "Combining a system view with deep technical detail has been challenging, and has enriched the underlying research."