Camille Bilodeau, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Virginia, has been named to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ 2026 class of 35 Under 35 Award winners.
Bilodeau, a 2025 National Science Foundation CAREER Award winner , is known for combining molecular simulation and machine learning. Her lab develops computational tools that predict how molecules, proteins and other materials will behave and address a range of engineering challenges, from targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering in medicine to biopharmaceutical manufacturing to water purification.
“I’m excited and grateful for this recognition, and especially thankful to the mentors and collaborators who have supported me,” Bilodeau said. “Most importantly, I’m grateful to my students, whose hard work, creativity and enthusiasm make our research possible.”
AIChE presents the 35 Under 35 Award every three years to 35 eligible members who have made significant early-career contributions in chemical engineering across seven categories, as well as contributions to the AIChE community, according to a news release .
As in previous years, the release said, the 2026 winners “reveal a strong focus on chemicals and materials.” Bilodeau, UVA’s first faculty recipient of the award, was one of 10 winners recognized in the chemical and materials category.
Bilodeau’s lab designs new materials using computer models instead of trying endless molecular configurations in the lab. Molecular simulation allows researchers to both predict how materials behave and understand the molecular interactions behind that behavior so they can quickly identify those with the greatest potential.
“Combined with advances in artificial intelligence, these tools are opening up new possibilities for designing and discovering molecules and materials,” Bilodeau said. “It’s an exciting time to be in the field.”
Bilodeau joined UVA’s Department of Chemical Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science in 2023. She earned her B.S. and M.S. from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she studied in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering with professors Steven Cramer and Shekhar Garde .
As a Ph.D. student, she spent four years at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as the Advanced Simulations and Computing Graduate Fellow. She later completed a postdoctoral appointment studying machine learning for molecular design under the mentorship of Klavs Jensen in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s chemical engineering department.
The 35 Under 35 Award winners will be announced officially at the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting to be held Nov. 8-12 in Minneapolis. Winners will also be featured in the January 2027 issue of CEP Magazine .