Dr. Ignacio Grossman

Prof. Ignacio E. Grossmann is the Rudolph R. and Florence Dean University Professor of Chemical
Engineering, and former Department Head at Carnegie Mellon University. He obtained his B.S. degree in
Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, in 1974, and his M.S. and Ph.D.
in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College in 1975 and 1977, respectively. After working as an R&D
engineer at the Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo in 1978, he joined Carnegie Mellon in 1979. He was
Director of the Synthesis Laboratory from the Engineering Design Research Center in 1988-93. He is
director of the "Center for Advanced Process Decision-making" which comprises a total of 20 petroleum,
chemical and engineering companies. Ignacio Grossmann is a member of the National Academy of
Engineering , Mexican Academy of Engineering, and associate editor of AIChE Journal and member of
editorial board of Computers and Chemical Engineering, Journal of Global Optimization, Optimization and
Engineering, Latin American Applied Research, and Process Systems Engineering Series. He was Chair
of the Computers and Systems Technology Division of AIChE, and co-chair of the 1989 Foundations of
Computer-Aided Process Design Conference and 2003 Foundations of Computer-Aided Process
Operations Conference. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Institute for
Operations Research and Management Science, Mathematical Optimization Society, and American
Chemical Society.

Education

M.Sc. 1975 and Ph.D. 1977, Imperial College, University of London, England
B.Sc. 1974, Iberoamericana, Mexico

Research

The goal of Professor Grossmann's work is to develop novel mathematical programming models and
techniques for a variety of problems in process systems engineering.

Logic-based and Global Optimization

New modeling and solution methods are being developed for linear and nonlinear discrete-continuous
optimization problems. These are based on generalized disjunctive programming in which equations and
symbolic logic relations are formulated as part of the optimization problem. Based on recent connections
with disjunctive programming theory by Balas, new reformulations based on a hierarchy of relaxations are
being investigated that exhibit tighter relaxations. These ideas are being translated into algorithms for
automatic reformulation and for cutting plane algorithms. Global optimization techniques are also being
investigated that exploit the mathematical structure of disjunctions of nonconvex functions.

Optimization of Water, Process and Shale Gas Production Systems

Models and solution techniques based on mixed-integer nonlinear programming are being developed for
the synthesis of integrated process water networks, for superstructures of complex distillation, and for
design of biofuel processes. For water systems effective global optimization techniques are being
investigated. The strategic design of infrastructure and short-term water management for shale gas
production is being addressed in which in addition to economics, environmental impact is also included
through multiobjective optimization.

Planning, Scheduling and Enterprise-wide Optimization

Mixed-integer and disjunctive optimization models and solution techniques are being developed for the
planning and scheduling of batch and continuous process systems, as well as for supply chain
optimization of process networks. Major applications include design and planning of off-shore oil and gas
field facilities, production and distribution of industrial gases, production of multiple grades of polymers,
and maintenance of power systems. The handling of uncertainties and disruptions is being handled
through novel multistage stochastic optimization methods, which involve decomposition methods based
on Lagrangean relaxation, Benders decomposition and bilevel decomposition.

Research Websites

Center for Advanced Process Decision-Making
Energy Science and Engineering
Process Systems Engineering
Research Group Site

Highlights

Directed the Center for Advanced Process Decision-making (CAPD), which has 20 member companies:
http://capd.cheme.cmu.edu. Also, directed the Enterprise-wide Optimization subgroup that comprises 12
companies.

Received the Ashland Prof. C.N.R. Rao Medal and CHEMCON Distinguished Speaker Award from the
Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers. Gave 3 named lectures: Richard S.H. Mah Memorial Lecture at
Northwestern, the Inaugural Les Shemilt Lecture at McMaster University, and Agustin Vazquez Vera
Lecture at Instituto Tecnologico de Celaya, Mexico.

Gave four plenary talks:

Recent Developments in the Application of Mathematical Programming to Process Integration,”

International Process Integration Jubilee Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, March, 2013.

Optimization Models of Water Networks and their Application to Biofuel Processes and Shale Gas

Production,” International Conference on Sustainable Chemical Product and Process

Engineering, Dalian, China, May, 2013.

Relaxations for Convex Nonlinear Generalized Disjunctive Programs and their Application to

Nonconvex Problems,” Plenary talk, Modeling and Optimization: Theory and Applications 2013,

University of Lehigh, Bethlehem, August, 2013.

Recent and Future Trends in Research and Education in Chemical Engineering,” 125th

Anniversary Chemical Engineering, IMIQ-Academia Mexicana de Ingenieria, Mexico City,

December2013.

Gave 19 seminars at universities in the U.S., Argentina, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan, The

Netherlands. His group resented 34 papers at various U.S. and international meetings.

Participated in the advisory board meetings of chemical engineering departments at Rutgers University.

Grossmann also participated as a member of the Aspen Academy.

Significant developments in research were the following:

An algorithm for automatic reformulation of nonliner convex Generalized Disjunctive

Programming models into mixed-integer programs applying the concept of basic steps for

strengthening the relaxations of these problems. Programming to strengthen the lower bound of

the global optimum

A new MILP model for scheduling fracturing operations for efficient water management in shale

gas production. This work was selected as a plenary of the Computing and Systems Technology

Division at the Annual AIChE Meeting.

Developed a novel MINLP model for the design of supply chain infrastructure for shale gas

production which was tested with real world data from EQT.

Developed a novel cross-decomposition technique for two-stage stochastic programs that is

based on the idea of integrating Benders and Lagrangean cuts to accelerate convergence.

Developed a new strategy for multistage stochastic programming with endogenous uncertainty

that is based on the idea of partial aggregation of scenarios to improve the prediction of lower

bounds from Lagrangean decomposition.

Developed in collaboration with Dow a novel stochastic MILP model for optimizing the structure of

supply chains under disruptions.

Developed in Collaboration with Dow an approach for generating scenarios trees for multistage

stochastic programming based on historical data. The approach relies on matching moments and

selected points of the cumulative distribution.

Continue to support the website on MINLP

In the senior design course I offered together with Jeff Siirola a project on the design of a process for

producing aromatics from methane in shale gas.

His former student Stratos Pistikopoulos from Imperial College was elected to the Royal Academy of

Engineering, while another former student, Christos Maravelias from Wisconsin received the Young

Investigator Award from the Computing and Systems Technology Division of AIChE.

Awards and Honors

Distinguished Professor of Engineering Award, Carnegie Mellon University, 2014.

6th James Y. Oldshue Lecture, XXVII Interamerican Congress of Chemical Engineering,

Cartagena, Colombia 2014.

Inaugural CAPEC-Process Lecture, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, 2014.

Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher, 2014.

Zadmer Distinguished Lecture, University of Calgary, Calgary, 2014.

Ashland Prof. C.N.R. Rao Medal and CHEMCON Distinguished Speaker Award, Indian Institute

of Chemical Engineers, Mumbai, 2013.

Richard S.H. Mah Memorial Lecture, Northwestern University, Evanston, 2013

Inaugural Les Shemilt Lecture McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, 2013

Agustin Vazquez Vera Lectureship, Instituto Tecnologico de Celaya, Mexico, 2013.

Luis Federico Leloir Award for International Cooperation, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2012

Texas Distinguished Faculty Lectureship, University of Texas, Austin, 2012

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Distinguished Lecture, Western University, London,

Canada, 2012

Walter J. Weber, Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Environmental and Energy Sustainability, University

of Michigan, 2012

Doctor in Engineering Honoris Causa, Technical University of Dortmund, 2012

Research Excellence in Sustainable Engineering Award, AIChE, 2011

Discrete Optimization Top Cited Article 2005-2010

Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education, AIChE, 2009

Named as one of the “One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era”, AICHE, 2008

Outstanding Contributed Paper Award, FOCAPO Meeting, 2008

ExxonMobil Lecture, University of Massachusetts, 2007

Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Maribor, Slovenia, 2007

Kun Li Award for Excellence in Education, 2007

Pfizer Distinguished Lecture, University of Kansas, 2006

Kelly Lecture, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2005

Fellow AIChE, 2004

10th Roger Sargent Lecture, Imperial College, 2003

INFORMS Computing Prize Award, 2003

Fulbright Senior Lectureship, 2003

Fellow INFORMS, 2002

Top 15 Most Cited Author in Computer Science, ISI, 2002

Doctor of Technology h.c., Abo Akademi, 2002

Ashton Cary Lecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002

Best Technical Paper 2000, Computers and Chemical Engineering

University Professor, Carnegie Mellon, 2001

Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research, CIT, Carnegie Mellon 2000

Member of National Academy of Engineering, 2000

Corresponding Member of Mexican Academy Sciences, 2000

Oustanding Technical Achievement in Academic Research, HENAAC, 2000

Best Technical Paper 1998, Computers and Chemical Engineering

Academic Member Mexican Academy of Engineering, 1999

Gambrinus Fellowship, University of Dortmund, 1998-99

William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature, AIChE, 1997

Best Technical Paper 1996, Computers and Chemical Engineering

Computing in Chemical Engineering Award, CAST Division, AIChE, 1994

Best Technical Paper 1988, Computers and Chemical Engineering

Mary Upson Visiting Professorship of Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1986-87

Robert W. Vaughan Lectureship in Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 1986

Presidential Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation, 1984

Medal Best Student of Mexico, National Council of Science and Technology, 1974