- 3010 North Engineering Research Center
- Phone (205) 348-6619
- Faculty Website
Dr. James D. Sheehan
Assistant Professor
Contact
- 3010 North Engineering Research Center
- phone (205) 348-6619
- Faculty Website
Education
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, 2014
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2019
James D. Sheehan, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of Alabama. His research program investigates interfacial engineering of bio-polymeric composites, thermocatalytic biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass, and chemical upcycling of waste plastics. His group evaluates supercritical fluids (dense, compressible, and tunable fluid phases) as media for processing polymeric materials and evaluates the effects of plasticization and swelling on interfacial modification and chemical reactivity of synthetic and biogenic macromolecules. His research has applications for creating sustainable food packaging, biochemical platform molecules, and biogenic carbon-based fuels.
Affiliated Areas
Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymers and Soft Materials Research Center
Selected Publications
- Ekeoma, B. C.; Agwu, K.A.; Muojama, O.E.; Arduengo, A.J.; Bommarius, A.S.; Sheehan, J.D. “Green Chemistry Benchmarking of Lignin Biorefining: A Perspective”. ACS Sustain Chem Eng. 2026, 14, 5, 2266–2288, DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c07847
- Ekeoma, B. C.; Bara, J.E.; Sheehan, J.D. “Synergizing Catalyst and H-Donor Design for Selective H2-Free Reductive Catalytic Fractionation Using Glycerol-Derived Ethers”. ACS Sustain Chem Eng. 2026, 14, 3, 1312–1330, DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c09655
- Muojama, O.E.; Hutton-Prager, B.; Sheehan, J.D. “Supercritical Fluid Impregnation Enables Rapid Sorption of Hydrophobic Additives into Cellulose for Fabricating Sustainable Packaging Substrates”. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2025, 64, 28, 14122–14133 DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.4c04474
Awards and Honors
- Rick and Barrett Brock MacKay Award for Research Excellence, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama (2026)
- Secretary and Programming Committee Chair, Forest Bioproducts Division, AIChE, 2025 to 2027
- ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator (2023)
- Early Career Board (ECB) of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (2023-2024)
- RSC Advances Outstanding Peer Reviewers 2x (2022, 2023)
Dr. Sheehan's Impact
NSF-funded Summer Program Grants Research Experience to Local Students and Educators
This summer, Dr. Steven Weinman hosted a six-week summer program for undergraduate and graduate students from Stillman College, Shelton State Community College, The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Lawson...
Bama Abroad: Chemical and Biological Engineering Faculty Travel to Nigeria for Recruiting Trip
With an enrollment number of more than 5,000, the UA College of Engineering is home to students from countless states and countries across the globe. As such, one of the...