- 3037 NERC
- Phone (205) 348-0813
- Fax (205) 348-7558
- Faculty Website
Dr. James W. Harris
Assistant Professor, Hewson Engineering Faculty Fellow
Contact
- 3037 NERC
- phone (205) 348-0813
- fax (205) 348-7558
- Faculty Website
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2017
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, 2012
Harris joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at The University of Alabama as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2019. His research group is involved in ongoing projects related to the responsible use of energy carriers for production of fuels and chemicals. Professor Harris is particularly interested in catalysis occurring over metal surfaces whose properties evolve as a function of their environment, and over sites confined within the pores of zeolites.
Professor Harris has recently been awarded the Oak Ridge Affiliated Universities 2021-2022 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, the University of Alabama Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference’s Top Faculty Mentor award, and the American Chemical Society’s Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) Doctoral New Investigator Award (2022).
His group’s research is supported by the ACS PRF, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Harris currently serves as a programming co-chair for the AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division, as an alternate councilor for the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology, and as the President of the Southeastern Catalysis Society (SECS).
Affiliated Areas
Center for Water Quality Research, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymers and Soft Materials Research Center
Selected Publications
- Shivangi Borate, Nohor “River” Samad, Junyan Zhang, Michael J. Cordon, Andrew D. Sutton, Zhenglong Li, James W. Harris*, “Quantification of Active Sites in Yttrium Containing Dealuminated Beta Zeolites During Conversion of Ethanol and Acetaldehyde to Butadiene,” Journal of Catalysis, 433, 2024, 115468
- Adam T. Twombly and James W. Harris*, “Kinetics of Hydrogen Release from Ammonia Borane and Role of the Support for Supported Ru Catalysts in Methanol Solvent.” Journal of Catalysis, 445, 2025, 116041.
- Alexander P. Minne, Treycen D. Garton, Ethan P. Iaia, Eli Stavitski, James W. Harris*, “Promoting the Oxidative Coupling of Methanol and Dimethylamine using Group 1 Alkali Metals on Palladium-Gold Nanoparticles.” Applied Catalysis B, 378, 2025, 125533
- Young Gul Hur, Deng Yang Jan, Rajamani Gounder,* James W. Harris*, “Expanding the Phase Space for Crystallization of Boron and Aluminum Containing Beta Zeolites.” Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 405, 2026, 114076
- Ethan P. Iaia, Ademola Soyemi, Kayla V. Wozny, Zhiheng Lyu, David A. Cullen, Jason S. Bates, Martin G. Bakker, Tibor Szilvási, James W. Harris*, “Zeolite-Hosted Iron Phthalocyanine is an Effective Model of Fe-N-C Catalysts in Propane Hydroxylation with Nitrous Oxide.” Journal of Catalysis, 459, 2026, 116891
Awards and Honors
- Programming Co-chair, Catalysis and Reactions Engineering Division, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, November 2023
- Executive Board Alternate Councilor, American Chemical Society, November 2023
- NSF CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, December 2024
- Early Career Research Excellence & Innovation Award, The University of Alabama College of Engineering, 2025
- Faculty Excellence in Professional Service Award, The University of Alabama College of Engineering, 2025
- William H. Melson Award for Research Excellence, The University of Alabama Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2025
- President’s Faculty Research Award, The University of Alabama, 2025
Dr. Harris's Impact
Research in Orbit: UA to Partner with Air Force Research Labs on Satellite Fuel
In a recently awarded project, the Alabama Materials Institute at The University of Alabama will aid the Air Force Research Laboratory in developing technology related to a new satellite propellant. The $6 million ASCENT propellant project will see the University working with federal laboratories and industry partners to fully develop this new technology.
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...
UA Researchers Hope to Spur Adoption of Greener Jet Fuel
Engineering researchers at The University of Alabama are spearheading a project to demonstrate an innovative method to create jet fuel from plants, helping the airline industry meet goals for using...