Joe Poshusta (PhDChemEngr’00)
2025 Alumni Engagement Medal recipient
Professional Background:
Upon completing BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering at Washington State University, Joe Poshusta received a PhD in chemical engineering from ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder for his research on novel zeolite membranes for light gas separations under the guidance of professors John Falconer and Richard Noble. Early in his career in industry, he led the development of portable solid oxide fuel cell generators at Protonex Technology. As director of engineering at CoorsTek Specialty Chemicals, Poshusta spearheaded the development and commercialization of advanced chemical reactors and chemical purification systems for production of advanced electrolyte materials used in lithium-ion batteries. Poshusta currently serves as the chief technology officer at Synthio Chemicals, a startup company leveraging process intensification technologies for manufacturing specialty chemicals. He holds multiple patents in the chemical engineering field and is recognized as a leader in the field of process intensification and highly compact chemical reactors.
Contributions to the College of Engineering and Applied Science:
Poshusta has been a long-time supporter of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder and its students. He has served on the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering’s External Advisory Board (EAB) for the past 12 years. As the EAB chair in 2017-18, Poshusta led four meetings and instituted graduate and undergraduate student sessions wherein board members talk confidentially with students about strengths of and suggestions for the department. Beyond the EAB, he has been a consistent fixture at department alumni and donor events. He is always quick to help with any ad hoc requests, from meeting with ABET evaluators and judging graduate student research symposia, to creating videos on entrepreneurship and graduate school for undergraduate students. When the department requests feedback from alumni on topics such as creating a professional master's program or new courses, Poshusta can be counted upon to give helpful, insightful advice. He is also always looking to help ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä students, giving talks in classes and to student groups, leading student tours, and providing internship and job opportunities. In general, Poshusta has embodied Sko Buffs with his unwavering support of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä and its students!