Professor Christopher W. Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has been elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He is one of six Georgia Tech College of Engineering faculty members in the NAI 2023 Class of Fellows

Founded in 2010, NAI is focused on changing the culture of academic invention. Election to its Fellowship Program is bestowed upon the highest level of academic inventors to recognize their dedication to the welfare of society and improving general quality of life through exceptional inventions.

Jones is a leading researcher working on the design of materials and processes for carbon dioxide removal from the air and on heterogeneous catalysis.  In addition to more than 365 peer-reviewed publications, Jones holds 25 US Patents to date.

Jones’ most significant patents are on the design of materials tailored to remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from ambient air, a technology referred to as direct air capture (DAC).  Jones’ inventions have contributed to the technology of the Colorado-based start-up, Global Thermostat, a leading DAC technology developer.

Jones is a global leader in the development of amine sorbents for CO₂ removal from air, and several of the leading start-up companies developing direct air capture technologies use CO₂ sorbents like his designs. 

“Back in 2008, I saw CO₂ removal from the atmosphere as a grand challenge where a chemical engineer could provide breakthrough advances,” Jones said.  “If DAC processes are successfully deployed on a large scale alongside renewable energy technologies, they can help stem the impacts of climate change.”

In 2022, Jones was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to catalysis and carbon capture. He has also been recognized for his work in these fields with the Andreas Acrivos Award and the Institute Award in Industrial Gases Technology from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Ipatieff Prize from the American Chemical Society, the Paul H. Emmett Award from the North American Catalysis Society, and the Curtis W. McGraw Award from the ASEE.

The NAI Fellows Induction Ceremony will be held on June 18, 2024, during the NAI 13th Annual Conference at the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, N.C. A leading official from the United States Patent and Trademark Office will provide the keynote address for the ceremony.