Biographical Sketch

Dr. Rafael Hernandez serves as the Associate Executive Director of the Energy Institute of Louisiana (EIL) and holds key academic leadership roles at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as the Department Head of Chemical Engineering and Interim Department Head of Petroleum Engineering. He also directs the Chemicals & Fuel Development Center (CFDC). Hernandez's passion for discovery and innovation is evident in every aspect of his work. He has authored 99 refereed journal articles and delivered more than 150 technical presentations, advancing meaningful research in energy innovation, biofuels, catalysis, and sustainable processes.

Tracing a distinguished 25-year research trajectory, Dr. Hernandez's career highlights the evolution of advanced chemical engineering to meet critical societal and industrial needs. His early foundational work focused heavily on the engineering of complex chemical interfaces, beginning with his doctoral research on integrating reduction and oxidation technologies to treat water contaminated with TNT. This fundamental work in environmental remediation laid the groundwork for his extensive later advancements in catalysis, waste management, and sustainable production.

A major phase of his research involved a pivotal transition into the biofuels landscape. Originally exploring the extraction of oils from traditional agricultural seeds, his team pioneered a novel approach: utilizing microbial media derived from wastewater treatment facilities. By strategically modifying microbial growth conditions, his research group achieved major breakthroughs in enhancing the accumulation of esterifiable lipids—successfully bridging the gap between municipal waste management and green energy production. Beyond individual research milestones, Dr. Hernandez is highly dedicated to academic mentorship, building collaborative industrial partnerships, and fostering multi-disciplinary departmental leadership.

Recent Projects

• Wastewater-Derived Biofuels: Modifying growth conditions within microbial media at treatment facilities to maximize esterifiable lipid accumulation for sustainable fuel streams.

• Specialty Chemicals & Corrosion Inhibitors: Developing advanced volatile organic acids and target formulations for infrastructure protection.

• Industrial Fluids for Energy Extraction: Tailoring specialized catalytic and complex fluids optimized for drilling applications.

• Natural Gas Catalysis: Designing novel catalytic solutions directed toward the critical removal of sulfur compounds during natural gas processing.