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Weimer Research Group wins three AIChE national poster awards

Susan Glairon — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 21:28:53 +0000

Weimer Research Group wins three AIChE national poster awards Susan Glairon Fri, 11/08/2024 - 14:28

Susan Glairon

Professor Al Weimer

Three undergraduate researchers from Professor Al Weimer’s team received national poster awards at the 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting, held Oct. 28-31 in San Diego.

Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos, a chemical engineering senior, and Jessica Connell, a chemical engineering junior, each took home first-place, Barrientos in the "Catalysis and Reaction" category and Connell in "Materials Engineering and Science." Nathan Smith, a chemical engineering senior, took home third place in the "Separations" category.

The achievement places them among top undergraduate researchers in chemical engineering, selected from over 400 presenters and judged by approximately 100 professionals.

"Through focused team meetings, our students are encouraged to delve into the 'why' questions that underlie their research—a critical step for effectively communicating their work and standing out in a competitive setting," said Weimer, a Melvin E. and Virginia M. Clark professor of chemical and biological engineering.

Students are also coached to deliver concise, one-minute presentations, allowing them to present confidently and capture the interest of their audience, he said. PhD mentors assist the undergraduates with the development of their posters, offering support with presentation techniques and strategies to maximize their impact.

Additionally, attending the AIChE meeting also allows undergraduate students to network with professionals and peers, often leading to job offers or graduate school opportunities.

"This exposure opens doors for future career paths," he said.

Over the past 25 years, Weimer has mentored roughly 125 undergraduate students through independent study and internships, with more than 25 of them going on to earn PhDs, MDs or other professional degrees. Each year, he supports undergraduate participation in the AIChE annual meeting with assistance from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) or the Discovery Learning Apprenticeship Program (DLA).

Weimer's research spans diverse areas of engineering, focusing on particle surface modification by atomic layer deposition and high-temperature chemical reaction engineering using concentrated sunlight.

Catalysis and Reaction

First Place: Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos, senior, chemical engineering

Title: “Optimizing Tungsten Powder Fluidization: Applications for Atomic Layer Deposition"

PhD student mentor: Davis Conklin

Materials Engineering and Sciences

First Place: Jessica Connell, junior, chemical engineering

Title: “Iron-aluminate Reticulated Porous Ceramic Fabrication for use in Solar Thermochemistry”

PhD student mentor: Linnea Helenius

Separations

Third Place: Nathan Smith, senior, chemical engineering

Title: “Additive Manufacturing Plant-derived Char Meshes for Point-source CO2 Capture”

PhD student mentor: Katarina Odak

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Jason Burdick elected to National Academy of Medicine

Susan Glairon — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 22:31:46 +0000

Jason Burdick elected to National Academy of Medicine Susan Glairon Tue, 10/22/2024 - 16:31

Bowman Endowed Professor Jason Burdick of the BioFrontiers Institute and the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

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New device could deliver bedside blood test results in an hour

Susan Glairon — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:34:32 +0000

New device could deliver bedside blood test results in an hour Susan Glairon Wed, 10/16/2024 - 13:34

��ƷSM��ӰƬ researchers are developing a handheld device that could transform blood testing. Instead of needles and long waits for lab results, this sound-based system delivers accurate results in an hour from just a finger prick.

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Chemical engineering jumps three rankings in U.S. News & World Report ranking

Susan Glairon — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:31:38 +0000

Chemical engineering jumps three rankings in U.S. News & World Report ranking Susan Glairon Mon, 09/23/2024 - 09:31

��ƷSM��ӰƬ's undergraduate chemical engineering program jumped three spots to #11 in U.S. News & World Report rankings among its public institutions.

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The Next Frontier for EV Batteries: Nanoscale Coatings

Susan Glairon — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:20:20 +0000

The Next Frontier for EV Batteries: Nanoscale Coatings Susan Glairon Fri, 09/20/2024 - 07:20

Paul Lichtey, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ alumnus (ChemEngr PhD'11), is the CEO of Forge Nano, an atomic layer deposition company which appears to have the most-developed technology to coat battery electrodes with metal oxides or nitrides. The technology improves both the energy capacity and the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries.

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Research breakthrough could boost clean energy production

Susan Glairon — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:47:55 +0000

Research breakthrough could boost clean energy production Susan Glairon Mon, 09/16/2024 - 04:47

Susan Glairon

Professor Hendrik Heinz and his ��ƷSM��ӰƬ team, along with collaborators from University of California, Los Angeles, achieved a breakthrough that could boost clean energy production. The research was featured on the cover of the journal “Nature Catalysis” in July.

In the study, researchers pinpointed the active sites of tiny platinum-alloy catalysts, which are crucial for making fuel cells more efficient at converting water into energy.

Fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction, typically combining hydrogen with oxygen. Unlike traditional combustion engines, they produce energy without burning fuel, making fuel cells a clean, efficient technology, ideal for powering electric vehicles.

The catalysts accelerate the reactions that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, making the process more efficient and enhancing the overall performance of the fuel cell. Using advanced 3D atomic imaging and machine learning, the study revealed how these catalysts work at an atomic level, providing insights that could help design better catalysts to address global energy challenges.

Cheng Zhu, a postdoctoral associate in the Heinz Group, made significant contributions to the study and recently joined the faculty at Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in China.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation's Materials Genome Initiative, (DMREF), including the first Special Creativity Award in the DMREF program. Heinz led the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ-UCLA team, which has resulted in more than 60 publications, including more than 10 papers in top journals like “Science” and “Nature” and high-level “Nature” journals such as “Nature Catalysis.” The UCLA team included the senior investigators Phillipe Sautet, Yu Huang and Jianwei (John) Miao.

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Discovery could lead to longer-lasting EV batteries, hasten energy transition

Susan Glairon — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:35:49 +0000

Discovery could lead to longer-lasting EV batteries, hasten energy transition Susan Glairon Thu, 09/12/2024 - 13:35

Batteries degrade over time, which is why older phones lose power faster. An international team led by Professor Mike Toney has uncovered the cause of this degradation, paving the way for improved batteries that could extend the range of electric vehicles and advance clean energy storage.

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A Band-Aid for the heart? New 3D printing method makes this, and much more, possible

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:19:49 +0000

A Band-Aid for the heart? New 3D printing method makes this, and much more, possible Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/02/2024 - 09:19

Scientists face a challenge in creating life-like materials to replace human tissues, which are both strong and stretchable. A ��ƷSM��ӰƬ-led team, including Professor Jason Burdick, has developed a 3D-printing method to create materials that are elastic enough for a beating heart, tough enough for joints, and easily shaped to fit a patient's unique needs.

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Ankur Gupta wins inaugural Johannes Lyklema Early Career Award in electrokinetics

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 19:33:05 +0000

Ankur Gupta wins inaugural Johannes Lyklema Early Career Award in electrokinetics Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/25/2024 - 13:33

Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Johannes Lyklema Early Career Award in Electrokinetics, given by the International Electrokinetics Society.

Electrokinetics, which focuses on the study of the movement of particles, ions, or fluids under the influence of an electric field or chemical gradients, has applications in energy storage, environmental technologies and microfluidic devices.

Gupta was given the award for his contribution towards "new insights in diffusiophoresis, including links to Turing patterns, and charge transport in porous energy systems."

"I am honored to receive this award," Gupta said. "It is heartening to be recognized by the electrokinetics community. I would like to thank all the students and postdocs in the group for their hard work, which made this award possible, and extend my gratitude to the mentors and colleagues who nominated me for the award."

The award will be presented on Sept. 18 at the ELKIN meeting in Sevilla, Spain, and as part of that honor, Gupta will give a lecture. In addition to the honorary talk, Gupta will deliver a lecture about the research developed by his ��ƷSM��ӰƬ group, the Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow and Electrokinectics.

Johannes Lyklema, the award's namesake, was a passionate supporter of young scientists in the electrokinetics field.

Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Johannes Lyklema Early Career Award in Electrokinetics, given by the International Electrokinetics Society.

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Converting captured carbon to fuel: Study assesses what’s practical and what’s not

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:43:17 +0000

Converting captured carbon to fuel: Study assesses what’s practical and what’s not Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/24/2024 - 08:43

In a study published May 1 in the journal ACS Energy Letters, researchers at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ and collaborators proposed a more sustainable design for capturing CO2 and converting it to fuels.

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