Jingxu (Jesse) Zhu

Distinguished Professor, Canada Research Chair

Ph.D. University of British Columbia, in Canada
B. Eng. Tsinghua University in China

Personal Website
My Research Group


Professional Activities

  • Canada Research Chair
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Canada
  • Fellow and Board Director, Canadian Academy of Engineering
  • Fellow, Engineering Institute of Canada
  • Fellow, Chemical Institute of Canada
  • Director, Particle Technology Research Centre, Dept. of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Western Ontario, Canada

Professional Summary

Dr. Jesse Zhu is a Distinguished University Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, Canada. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada and the Chemical Institute of Canada and a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario. He also serves as a Board Director for the Canadian Academy of Engineering. 

Prof Zhu has published over 400 journal papers (more details)
and has developed several technologies which are ready for commercialization or in the process of being commercialized (more details)

Prof. Zhu received his B. Eng. degree from Tsinghua University in China in 1982 and his Ph.D. degree in at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, both in in Chemical Engineering. He then worked for 5 years including two years for Shell before joining the University of Western Ontario in 1993, where he became full professor in 1999 and a Canada Research Chair in 2004. He is also the Director of the Particle Technology Research Centre at the University of Western Ontario. (more details)

Professor Zhu is a very active member of the Chemical Engineering profession, serving as chairs/co-chairs for various national and international conferences, as members of journal editorial boards and grant selection committees, and as editors and guest editors of various chemical engineering journals. Professor Zhu was also elected a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada very early in his career, at the age of 39. (more details)

Particle Technology Western Research LogoProf. Zhu's main research interests are in the fluid-particle systems, powder technology and related research areas and he has been very active in this very dynamic research area since 1982. His current research activities include circulating fluidized bed riser and downer reactors, fluidization and handling of fine and ultrafine powders and its applications, (gas-)liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed and its application to chemical and biochemical processes and wastewater treatment, gasification of biomass and solid wastes and biomass co-firing. Several important technologies have been developed with patents and license and licensing potentials. (more details)

Professor Zhu has also received several very prestigious awards, including three most important awards given by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) - the Syncrude Canada Innovation Award in 1999 for "a distinguished contribution in the field of chemical engineering while working in Canada before the age of 40", the Bantrel Award in Design and Industrial Practice in 2007 for "a significant achievement in innovative design or production activities, and the R.S. Jane Memorial Award as "the highest career award of the society, for an exceptional achievement"(more details)

In addition, Prof. Zhu is a very enthusiastic teacher, and one particularly active in training a large number of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. A total of 170 graduate students including 64 PhD students have graduated under his direction. His past graduate students and post doctoral fellows are now working in major chemical companies (e.g. DuPont, Kellogg, SardiOil, Dofasco, Westinghouse, Solvay, Honda, Suncor and General Electric), research institute (e.g. Particulate Solids Research Institute, Atomic Energy of Canada, National Research Council of Canada and Chinese Academy of Sciences), and twenty as faculty members in Canadian and foreign universities.