Amir Abutalib is a PhD candidate at the University of Houston, co-advised by the Departments
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from UH in
2021 before returning to pursue his doctorate at the same institution. His academic
and research interests lie at the intersection of materials science and applied catalysis
with a focus on developing advanced materials for more efficient hydrocarbon conversion
and carbon capture applications.
Amir currently conducts doctoral research under the joint mentorship of Professors Jeffrey D. Rimer and T. Randall Lee, where he designs and synthesizes nanoporous catalysts aimed at improving the efficiency and selectivity of processes central to the energy and petrochemical industries. His work spans catalyst development, advanced materials characterization, and reaction engineering with findings published in leading journals including the Journal of Catalysis and Materials Today Physics.
Previously, Amir completed an industry internship at SABIC's R&D Facility in Sugar Land, TX, where he contributed to catalyst development for natural gas conversion processes and gained hands-on experience in pilot-scale reactor testing and industrial R&D workflows.
A cougar through and through, Amir has distinguished himself beyond the lab as an emerging voice in the energy community. He placed 1st at the Fall 2025 Hackathon organized by UH Energy; he was also a finalist at the 2025 Chevron Innovation Pitch Competition, where he led a team developing a commercialization strategy for a CO₂ capture technology. He has also been recognized with the North American Catalysis Society Kokes Travel Grant, the South Texas AIChE Best Applied Paper Award, and Best Poster at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Congress. Most recently, Amir was selected by S&P Global Energy for the CERAWeek 2026 NextGen Program, a cohort of emerging energy leaders convened to engage with global executives and policymakers on the future of energy markets and decarbonization.
In his free time, Amir enjoys the outdoors, whether hiking or playing sports at the park, along with playing chess and exploring new cooking recipes.