Category: News

Lei Pan Applies Mining Techniques to Battery Recycling

Lei Pan
Lei Pan

Lei Pan’s staff of chemical engineering college students had labored lengthy and arduous on their analysis undertaking, they usually had been completely satisfied simply to be exhibiting their outcomes on the Folks, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) competitors final April in Washington, DC. What they did not anticipate was to be mobbed by enthusiastic onlookers.

Read more at Junkies.tech, by Expo Tech News Junkie.

Adrienne Minerick Named ASEE Fellow

Adrienne Minerick
Adrienne Minerick

Adrienne Minerick, dean of the School of Technology and professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Tech, has been named a Fellow of ASEE, the American Society of Engineering Education.

A global society founded in 1893, ASEE is the pre-eminent authority on the education of engineering professionals, advancing innovation, excellence and access at all levels of education for the engineering profession.

Minerick was cited for contributions to ASEE and the engineering education community via outstanding leadership, educational scholarship, teaching effectiveness and championing diversity and inclusion within the community. Minerick has (co)authored over 40 ASEE and education publications. She served in numerous positions in the New Engineering Educators, Chemical Engineering, and Women in Engineering Divisions including Division Chair, Programming Chair, Webmaster, Treasurer and Newsletter Editor before being elected as the PIC I Chair, VP PICs and First VP 2013-2016. She also served as ASEE’s Diversity Committee Chair through the Year of Action on Diversity and the start of SafeZone Workshops.

Minerick is among 11 fellows chosen this year. The grade of fellow in ASEE is reserved for members with extraordinary qualifications and experience in engineering or engineering technology education or an allied field who have made important individual contributions. No more than one-tenth of one percent of individual ASEE membership may be elected fellow in any given year.

Spotlight on Becky Ong

Rebecca Ong
GLBRC and Michigan Tech Researcher Rebecca Ong

Love of plants and problem-solving drives bioenergy researcher Rebecca Ong

Growing up, Rebecca Ong was one of the youngest garden club enthusiasts in northern Michigan, a science-loving kid who accompanied her grandparents to club events like “growing great gardens” or “tulip time.” When she wasn’t tending the family garden, she was mucking about in nature, learning from parents who had both trained as foresters.

“My parents really instilled in me the importance of conservation,” says Ong, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University and researcher at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). “From an early age, I had this idea of sustainability and the importance of finding sustainable sources of energy.”

Read more and watch the video at Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center News, by Krista Eastman.

New Funding

Rebecca Ong (ChE/SFI) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $32,050 research and development grant from the University of Wisconsin-Madison/Department of Energy. The project is titled “Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.”

This is the first year of a potential five-year project totaling $1,316,434.

By Sponsored Programs.

Chemical Engineering Convocation 2018

Audra Thurston
Chair’s Award
Audra Thurston

Chair’s Award

Dr. Pradeep Agrawal presented this award to Audra Thurston.

The Chair’s Award for Outstanding ChE Senior recognizes a particular student in the graduating class whose actions embody excellence. Excelling in academics is expected, but the recipient must also exhibit the traits of character, leadership, and service–to-others that are valued to the department.

PAWS Award
PAWS Award
(L-R) Madison Diehl, Taylor Lindemann, Scott Kitzmiller, Ryan Oshe, and Christopher Moore

Prevent Accidents with Safety (PAWS) Award

Scott Wendt presented awards to Scott Kitzmiller, Taylor Lindemann, Chris Moore, Ryan Oshe, and Madison Diehl.

Phillip Cass and Lauren Keenan
Kimberly-Clark Professional Ethics Award
Phillip Cass and Lauren Keenan

Kimberly-Clark Professional Ethics Award

Dr. Sean Clancy presented the award to Phillip Cass and Lauren Keenan.

This award recognizes a student who has exhibited exemplary ethics and admirable professional conduct during Plant Design and Unit Operations experiences, and throughout their academic career at Michigan Technological University.

Alexander Tangen
Kimberly-Clark Communication Award
Alexander Tangen

Kimberly-Clark Communication Award

Dr. Sean Clancey presented the award to Alexander Tangen.

This award recognizes the winner of the Award for Excellence in Communication from the Department of Chemical Engineering for the academic year.

Hubbard Award
Hubbard Award
(L-R) Anna Nelson, Alexis Fitzpatrick, and Lauren Keenan. Missing Anna Hohnstadt.

UOP Davis W. Hubbard Plant Design Team Award

Ms Jeana Collins presented awards to Alexis Fitzpatrick, Anna Hohnstadt, Lauren Keenan, and Anna Nelson.

This award recognizes an outstanding team in Chemical Engineering Plant Design during the academic year. Also, this award recognizes technical ability, consideration of the safety and environmental aspects of process design, outstanding written and oral communication skills, and overall teamwork and professionalism. This is awarded in memory of Dr. Davis W. Hubbard.

Bredekamp Award
Bredekamp Award
(L-R) Alexander Tangen, Meghan Pierce, Abigail Payne, and Audra Thurston

Dow Chemical Mariott W. Bredekamp Award

Mr. Scott Wendt presented awards to Abigail Payne, Meghan Pierce, Alexander Tangen, and Audra Thurston.

This award recognizes outstanding technical skills in the laboratory, outstanding teamwork and professionalism, effective oral and written communication, and strong adherence to process safety practices as recognized by your peers and supported by the faculty of the department. This award is in memory of Dr. Mariott W. Bredekamp.

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Andre Da Costa on Process Safety

Andre R. Da Costa
Andre R. Da Costa

We don’t know yet what caused the explosion and fires at the Superior, WI oil refinery. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent, non-regulatory federal agency, is investigating the incident and it could take weeks to months before the causes of this incident become public information.

What Andre Da Costa, Herbert H. Dow Chair in Chemical Process Safety at Michigan Technological University, says he can tell you is that incidents like this – with an uncontrolled release of energy and chemicals with the potential to cause injuries to the employees and the public, damage to the environment and to property – can be prevented by effective implementation of risk-based process safety principles.

Read more at DOE Science News Source.

NSF Funding for Caryn Heldt on Vaccine Development Study

Caryn Heldt
Caryn Heldt

Caryn Heldt (ChE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $300,000 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation. The project is titled “Driving Forces in Aqueous Two-Phase Systems for Vaccine Development.” This is a three-year project totaling $300,000.

Extract

Worldwide, there is a need for less expensive vaccines. To achieve better vaccine coverage, vaccine production processes need to be low-cost and allow for continuous operation, which is not possible with current vaccine production technology. A primary objective of this project will be to explore aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) to fulfill the need for new viral particle purification processes that could reduce the cost of vaccines and be run as a continuous operation. ATPS could also reduce the development time for a new vaccine, allowing for pandemic vaccines to come to market sooner. In addition to vaccines, a better understanding of ATPS could aid in future cell separations for advanced cell therapeutics.

Read more at the National Science Foundation.

Caryn Heldt Collaborates on Awarded Paper

Caryn Heldt
Caryn Heldt

Caryn Heldt (ChE) and her collaborators Christian Nwamba and Barbara Radecki from Wayne County Community College were awarded second place in the Best Paper Competition at the 2018 ASEE North Central Section Conference at the University of Akron on March 24. This work was based on Heldt’s NSF CAREER Educational Plan.

Heldt’s group presented “Environmental research to engage community college students.”

Extract: In order to better serve the students that desire a four-year degree and to increase their knowledge of job opportunities with different four-year degrees, a research project was created between a university and a community college. The community college students take weekly water samples over the course of a summer project and test the water for biological and chemical components. This is the first time these students have been exposed to an open-ended laboratory without known results.

Award Presentation
Award Presentation