BETHLEHEM, PA, May 08, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jane C. Cheng, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Cheng is a chemist whose distinguished career spans decades of innovation in catalytic science, process engineering and industrial commercialization. She began her professional journey in 1988 at Mobil Research and Development Company as a research chemist, where she focused on heterogeneous catalyst evaluation and applications for petroleum and petrochemical processes. During this time, she contributed to the development of zeolite-based catalyst systems that would eventually become the foundation for several commercial-scale technologies. In 1996, Dr. Cheng joined the Mobil Technology Company's Strategic Research Center as a research associate, developing catalyst activity profiles critical for optimizing performance across a range of industrial conditions.

Following the merger of Exxon and Mobil in 1999, Dr. Cheng transitioned to ExxonMobil Research and Engineering in 2000 as an advanced research associate. Over the next 15 years, until her retirement in 2015, she played a key role in developing and commercializing catalytic processes that helped shape ExxonMobil's chemical portfolio. Among her most notable achievements was the fast-track commercialization of a cumene transalkylation unit that was scaled up from laboratory concept to industrial implementation in just six months without the use of a pilot plant. Dr. Cheng's work helped ExxonMobil enter and establish dominance in sectors where it previously had little or no presence, such as cumene and polycarbonate.

Dr. Cheng's professional journey began in 1972, after she completed middle school during the Cultural Revolution in China. She worked in a fabric store — a challenging period that fostered her resilience and ignited a determination to study science. When Chinese universities reopened, she passed the national entrance exam and was accepted into Peking University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry in 1981. Encouraged by her family, Dr. Cheng moved to the U.S. to pursue graduate study, arriving with just two suitcases and $60.

In 1986, Dr. Cheng earned a PhD in organic chemistry at Lehigh University. Her doctoral work was followed by a postdoctoral research appointment at the same institution, focusing on coal chemistry and catalysis. With the support of her professors, Dr. Cheng was granted U.S. permanent residency, launching a scientific career that would go on to fulfill the American Dream.

In the earlier phase of her scientific journey, Dr. Cheng co-authored several academic papers in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. Her publications included studies on ribofuranoid glycals, C-nucleosides and organopalladium glycal adducts. These works, published between 1985 and 1986, demonstrated Dr. Cheng's early aptitude for complex chemical synthesis and structure elucidation.

Renowned for her innovative acumen, Dr. Cheng is the named inventor on 71 U.S. patents. Her patents span a wide range of applications, including catalysts for ethylbenzene and cumene production, reformate upgrading for BTX recovery, hydroprocessing of diesel and gasoline, and para-xylene production. Many of these technologies have been implemented at commercial scale, contributing directly to ExxonMobil's competitive standing in global petrochemical markets.

As a commitment to her field, Dr. Cheng has been an active member of the American Chemical Society since 1983 and participates in its Petroleum Chemistry Division. She also held leadership positions in Toastmasters International, serving as past president and treasurer of the Clinton Toastmasters chapter. Dr. Cheng's contributions have been recognized with several honors, including ExxonMobil's R&D Patent Awards, the Chemical Global Technology Awards and the Tribute to Women and Industry Award.

After retiring in 2015, Dr. Cheng faced a profound personal challenge: a diagnosis of kidney cancer. She underwent multiple surgeries and became the first human participant in a Phase 1 clinical trial in New York City. Declared "No Evidence of Disease" in February 2021, she emerged as both a pioneer in science and a trailblazer in survivorship. From post-revolutionary China to breakthroughs in chemical engineering and cancer treatment, Dr. Cheng's life is a legacy of resilience, vision and relentless curiosity.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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