Sponsored by NOVA Chemicals Corporation
The Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award is presented to an individual who, while residing in Canada, has made a distinguished contribution to macromolecular science or engineering.
View the Terms of Reference and list of Past Winners
The 2026 winner of the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award is:
Ning Yan, MCIC
University of Toronto
Ning Yan is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto and holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Bioproducts. She is internationally recognized for her leadership in sustainable chemistry and engineering research, with a focus on developing innovative bio-based chemicals and materials from renewable biomass to replace fossil-fuel-derived products. Previously, Professor Yan held the University of Toronto Distinguished Professorship in Forestry Biomaterials Engineering and the Endowed Chair in Value-Added Wood and Composites. She is an elected Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS), and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). Professor Yan has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals, with an h-index of 61, and is the inventor or co-inventor of more than ten patents and patent applications worldwide. Her excellence in research and teaching has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Award and the Ontario Early Researcher Award. In addition to her research achievements, Professor Yan plays an active leadership role within the scientific community. She served as the Chair of the 2024 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) Annual Conference and is currently an Associate Editor of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.