In Memoriam: Raj Bishnoi, Schulich School of Engineering

The Schulich School of Engineering is sad to share the loss of professor emeritus, Dr. Prithwi Raj Bishnoi, PhD, who passed away on Dec. 22, 2025, at the age of 88 years at Rocky View Hospital. A private ceremony with family members and close friends was held on Dec. 28 to honour his life. He was a renowned professor in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, with his academic career spanning from 1975 to his retirement in 2004.

Dr. Bishnoi completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering from the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) at the University of Bombay. He then earned his doctorate from the University of Alberta. Prior to his academic appointment at the University of Calgary in 1975, he was employed as a research engineer for approximately three years and was a senior process engineer for about two years with Fluor Daniel and Ralph M. Parsons.

Dr. Bishnoi was a dedicated educator, a sincere mentor and collaborator, and a passionate researcher and innovator. He achieved numerous scientific and engineering accomplishments. Dr. Bishnoi established a pioneering, field-defining research program on gas hydrates at UCalgary. He made significant contributions in the areas of chemical thermodynamics of hydrocarbon systems, process development and simulation, and thermodynamics and kinetics of the formation and decomposition of gas hydrates. 

As a result of his passion for bridging theoretical engineering with practical tools, Dr. Bishnoi founded Hyprotech Ltd. This process simulation software (currently known as Aspen Hysys) is still used broadly in the hydrocarbon processing industry. He also established the Bishnoi Family Undergraduate Bursary in Energy and Environment at the Schulich School of Engineering for chemical engineering students pursuing the energy and environment specialization.

Many of Dr. Bishnoi’s former students have gone on to assume leadership positions in industry and academia, both in Canada and internationally. He received the Frank Spragins Technical Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), the Donald L. Katz Award from the Gas Processors Association (GPA, USA), the Research Excellence Award from the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and the Professional Excellence Award from the India-Canada Association of Calgary. 

Dr. Bishnoi also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at an international conference on gas hydrates, held in Norway. Technical sessions were organized at the 65th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference to honour and recognize his contributions to chemical engineering. Special issues of the Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering (in 2016) and the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (in 2023) were dedicated to his lifetime achievements in the field of gas hydrates and chemical engineering.

Dr. Bishnoi is survived by his wife (Uma), daughter (Meena), son (Sanjay, BSc (Eng)’95), son-in-law (Bemal Mehta), and four grandchildren (Arjun, Anjali, Rajesh and Anya).

You can share a message or memory of Dr. Bishnoi on his remembrance board.