The Michigan Tech Chemical Engineering Department is saying farewell to Dr. Adrienne Minerick as she begins an exciting new chapter at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where she will serve as the new head of the Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Minerick joined Michigan Tech in 2009 and has made an incredible impact on our department, our university, our students, and the engineering community. She progressed from associate professor to professor and, in 2024, was named a Distinguished Professor.
Her impact at Michigan Tech extends far beyond the Chemical Engineering classroom and laboratory. Throughout her career, she has taken on numerous leadership roles.
As a researcher, Dr. Minerick has built an impressive career around electrokinetics, medical microdevices, blood cell dynamics, and point-of-care diagnostics. Her work uses electric fields to study and manipulate cells and biomaterials, with applications ranging from blood typing and stem cell purification to medical diagnostics.
Her leadership and contributions have been recognized nationally. She served as president of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), was inducted into the ASEE Hall of Fame, is a Fellow of AIChE and AAAS, and was inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows in 2026.
Now, she will take that passion for leadership, research, education, and mentorship to UIC as the new Head of the Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering.
While we will certainly miss having her as part of the Michigan Tech Chemical Engineering family, we are incredibly proud of everything she has accomplished—and excited to see what comes next.
Thank you, Dr. Minerick, for years of leadership, innovation, mentorship, and service to Michigan Tech. We wish you nothing but the best in this next chapter!
Congratulations, Dr. Minerick, and best wishes at UIC!
