During an awards ceremony at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) today, Chemical and Biological Engineering professors Georges Belfort, Ph.D., and Steven Cramer, Ph.D., received the  2025 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education given by the National Academy of Engineering.  

The Gordon Prize, one of the most prestigious in the country for innovative education, recognizes novel approaches and concepts in education aimed at developing effective engineering leaders. Belfort and Cramer are recognized together “for advancing the state of the art in downstream bioprocessing and educating generations of industry and academic leaders who transformed and grew the biotechnology industry.”  

The annual prize carries a $500,000 cash award, half granted to the recipients and the remainder granted to their institution to support the continued development, refinement, and dissemination of the recognized innovation. 

“Professors Belfort and Cramer have educated and mentored nearly 200 current and former doctoral and postdoctoral students at RPI, developed innovative courses in biotechnology that engaged industry experts, and inspired students to push the boundaries of what is possible,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., Thomas and Patricia Farino Dean of RPI’s School of Engineering. “Today these graduates are transforming the field of biotechnology through their leadership in industry and academia. This well-deserved award recognizes this impact.” 

Beyond educating and mentoring the future leaders and innovators of the world, Belfort and Cramer have also helped establish the Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering as a national leader in biotechnology education and research, and one of the few departments in the U.S. to count three National Academy of Engineering members among its faculty.

Belfort, the Russell Sage Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and a member of the NAE since 2003, is internationally known for his breakthroughs in membrane filtration, protein misfolding, and bioseparations. His work has earned him the two highest awards in separations from the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. In 2008, he was named one of the “100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era” by AIChE during its centennial celebration.

Cramer, also an NAE member, has shaped the modern field of chromatographic bioprocessing. His lab developed the widely adopted steric mass action model for protein chromatography, pioneered high-throughput screening for process development, and introduced groundbreaking methods in structure-based prediction of protein behavior. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed papers, holds 11 patents, and has an h-index of 55 with nearly 10,000 citations. His lab’s recent work in gene therapy downstream processing, continuous mRNA manufacturing, and machine learning for bioprocessing continues to influence industrial practices worldwide.

The duo’s leadership has resulted in biotechnology education at Rensselaer that is deeply aligned with the needs of industry. Their courses emphasize fundamental science, systems-level thinking, and exposure to real-world challenges, often through partnerships with global biopharmaceutical companies. Read the full story about their groundbreaking contributions that led to this prestigious recognition.

“Professors Belfort and Cramer exemplify the RPI spirit of innovation and education,” said Rebecca Doerge, Ph.D., provost of RPI. “Their collective commitment to advancing biotechnology through research and education will continue to have an immense impact on the industry for years to come. “