Father-Son Engineering Legacy Transcends Decades and Borders
- Nov 4, 2025
Nearly four decades after Habib Chamoun earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, his son, Antoine Chamoun-Farah, followed in his footsteps, completing his own doctorate from the same department under the mentorship of some of the same professors.
Born to Lebanese parents in Mexico, the elder Chamoun brought a global perspective to his time on the Forty Acres. After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and business management from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, he then secured his Ph.D. at UT in 1988, becoming the first in his family to earn a doctorate.
From there, Habib embarked on an international career that took him from France to Latin America and beyond. His work on feasibility studies, safety assessment, and environmental audits for refineries connected him with clients such as DuPont, Eastman, Pemex, and Ameco, carrying him across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
By bridging technical expertise with cultural insight, Habib developed a niche in cross-cultural negotiation and leadership training — skills he now teaches at universities in the United States, France, and Mexico.
Decades later, in 2025, Habib’s son Antoine earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering, in just three and a half years. Now he's building on his father's legacy with a new global challenge: carbon capture.
Under the supervision of Joan Brennecke and Benny Freeman, and with the help of longtime faculty member Keith Johnston — who also served on his father’s dissertation committee 37 years earlier — Antoine advanced membrane-based direct air capture technologies to help reduce CO₂ emissions. Today, he works with ExxonMobil’s Novel Process Scale-Up and Intensification group to scale these systems for worldwide deployment.
From pioneering research in oil recovery to advancing carbon-capture technology, both father and son have left their mark on the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering and the world. Together, their story is one of legacy, boundaries transcended, and the timeless power of education.
Read more about the Chamoun family’s remarkable journey on the Cockrell School of Engineering website.
