Juan E. Velasquez (PhD, ’11, chemistry) is one of seven alumni from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who is being honored at a celebration in April. Velasquez is being honored with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
While on campus as a student and in his industrial career, Juan Velasquez has always made a difference. During his time at Procter & Gamble, he specialized in synthetic biology and green chemistry, leading efforts to develop sustainable materials widely used in the chemical industry. His work resulted in groundbreaking advancements across multiple sectors, including baby care, dishwashing, and personal and healthcare. Currently, Velasquez serves as the director of biocatalysis and protein engineering at Merck, where he has led efforts in enzyme discovery and engineering for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals targeting cancer, HIV, and cardiovascular diseases. While at Illinois he was a founding member of the Illinois chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
Read more here.