Dr. S.A. Sherif, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and MAE Excellence Term Professor, received the 2026 IAHE Rudolph A. Erren Award for leadership in the thermochemical area of hydrogen production, as well as hydrogen transmission, distribution, and storage.
The award was bestowed on Sherif by the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) at the 25th World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC), held June 22–26, 2026, in Singapore. The Award is named in honor of Rudolph Erren, who was a noted dynamic German developer of hydrogen-fueled motor vehicles and who demonstrated the technology in fleet service in the 1930s. The IAHE is the oldest and one of the most prestigious professional societies in the area of hydrogen energy and is the publisher of the prestigious International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Dr. Sherif was among the group of researchers to work on the first ever renewable hydrogen energy research grant from the US Department of Energy in the late 1980s. He was also among the first three Associate Editors of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy which now publishes 100 issues annually. In July 2014, Dr. Sherif published the first ever Handbook of Hydrogen Energy (https://doi.org/10.1201/b17226) by Taylor & Francis. A second edition of this book is currently under contract and will appear in 2027.