ChE senior Joshua Olusoji receives AIChE McCormack Award
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UIC’s chemical engineering department selected Joshua Olusoji to receive the 2026 Henry McCormack Outstanding Senior Award. The award is given out each year by the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Olusoji was one of the department’s top senior students, graduating in May with a 3.75 overall GPA in the Honors College.
“Throughout his time at UIC, Joshua has demonstrated sustained leadership and meaningful impact across campus,” said Alan Zdunek, clinical associate professor and director of undergraduate studies.
Olusoji currently serves as the president of the AIChE student chapter and has driven significant growth within the department, doubling AIChE’s membership and social media presence, strengthening collaboration with organizations including the ECC, SHPE, NSBE, and SWE, and hosting over 10 company-sponsored events that connected students with industry opportunities.
He also launched a mentorship program supporting every sophomore in chemical engineering since last year.
Despite major budget cuts, Joshua orchestrated multiple fundraising initiatives, raising over $5,000 and enabling the ChemE Cube team to compete at the AIChE Annual Student Conference.
He also volunteered with Project C.U.R.E., a nonprofit that delivers essential medical equipment to healthcare systems in need worldwide, where he inspected, tested, and organized donated medical devices to ensure they were ready for global distribution.
Olusoji was selected for L’Oréal’s 2024 Diverse Leadership Fellowship and was awarded the Entegris STEM Scholarship, further strengthening his leadership and technical foundation.
Olusoji also spent two summers working at Procter & Gamble, where he led by example and excelled in cross-functional R&D teams.
After graduation, Olusoji will join Procter & Gamble full-time in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he aims to continue developing innovative solutions and creating meaningful impact in everything he does.