Student Awards

ChBE PhD student awarded Quad Fellowship

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 15:45:51 +0000

ChBE PhD student awarded Quad Fellowship Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/01/2024 - 09:45

Todd Whittaker, a Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD student in the Holewinski and Musgrave research groups, has been awarded the Quad Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship for citizens of the "Quad countries" (USA, Japan, India and Australia). Whittaker, a citizen of Australia, was one of 50 students selected as a 2024 Quad Fellow. The fellowship is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), a global not-for-profit organization managing prestigious scholarship and fellowship programs.

The Quad Fellowship aims to build connections among the next generation of scientists and technologists by fostering academic excellence and promoting cross-cultural understanding. The award will support Whittaker's research on catalytic phenomena in electrochemical devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers and batteries. With the expected rapid increase in renewable electricity, Whittaker's research aims to develop rigorous experimental and theoretical frameworks to understand what drives reactivity at electrochemical interfaces and leverage those insights to design superior catalysts for a more sustainable future.

"I am extremely proud to represent Australia as a scientist at this scale," Whittaker said. "I come from a small town in rural Australia, where this career path is relatively uncommon. It excites me to know that my research, which is mostly directed at engineering renewable energy systems, will contribute to the long-term protection of vulnerable rural communities like mine."

Now in its second year, the Quad Fellowship supports exceptional master's and doctoral students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Initially supporting students from the four Quad countries, the program has expanded this year to include students from various ASEAN countries.

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Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department graduate and post-doc award winners!

Anonymous — Sun, 05 May 2024 19:13:06 +0000

Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department graduate and post-doc award winners! Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 13:13

Ten graduate students and one post doctoral researcher were recognized in 2024 with Chemical and Biological Engineering Department awards.

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ChBE seniors win 25 percent of college graduating student awards

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 23:17:46 +0000

ChBE seniors win 25 percent of college graduating student awards Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/23/2024 - 17:17

Eight graduating seniors from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering were honored with 10 Graduating Student Awards from the College of Engineering and Applied Science this year. Below, you can explore the students' reflections on their time at CU Boulder.

“We are extremely proud to have so many outstanding undergraduate students within our department, many of whom have received well-deserved recognition from both the department and the college for their excellence in academics, research, teaching and outreach,” said Teaching Professor and Associate Chair Wendy Young. “We faculty and staff have always recognized the extraordinary talents of our students, and it is gratifying to see their achievements recognized so broadly.”

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering will celebrate graduation on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 12 p.m.

Eight graduating seniors from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering were honored with 10 Graduating Student Awards from the College of Engineering and Applied Science this year.

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Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department undergraduate award winners!

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 22:43:55 +0000

Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department undergraduate award winners! Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/23/2024 - 16:43

The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department awards recognize students in the department who have excelled in one or more areas. Winners are selected by the department’s Undergraduate Awards Committee.

“Our students are performing cutting-edge research, helping their peers as course assistants and student leaders, and generally serving as outstanding representatives of CU,” said Teaching Professor and Associate Chair Wendy Young. “They continually impress us with their creativity, hard work and devotion to their community.”

Fifteen undergraduate students were recognized in 2024 with Chemical and Biological Engineering Department awards.

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Two ChBE students earn prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:48:51 +0000

Two ChBE students earn prestigious Goldwater Scholarships Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/22/2024 - 16:48

Chemical and Biological Engineering students Claire Ely and Delaney McNally are among 438 U.S. college students awarded 2024 Goldwater Scholarships, which reward sophomores and juniors who are conducting research in math, science and engineering.

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Six chemical and biological engineering students earn major NSF fellowships

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:56:06 +0000

Six chemical and biological engineering students earn major NSF fellowships Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/05/2024 - 01:56

Susan Glairon

Five chemical and biological engineering graduate students and one ChBE undergraduate student have received 2024 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, a prestigious award that recognizes and supports outstanding students in a wide variety of science-related disciplines. This year the NSF awarded 27 University of Colorado Boulder students, including 18 from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, with the graduate research fellowship.

Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000 and full coverage of tuition, fees and insurance, along with opportunities for international research and professional development that span five years.

Emma Aldrich

Biological Engineering
Advisor: Kayla Sprenger

My research leverages computational tools to address questions in immunology, inflammation and cancer. Specifically, I aim to investigate novel therapeutics between Alzheimer’s Disease and glioma, using physics-based simulations to identify and target mechanisms that disrupt the tumor immunoediting process. One of my current projects is investigating how TREM2, a protein expressed on the immune cells of the brain, can mediate tumor suppression mechanisms of a platinum-IV chemotherapeutics in colorectal cancer. Creative applications of computational pipelines allow me to ask new questions at the interface of immunology, oncology and engineering, hopefully leading to solutions to urgent challenges.

Timotej Bernat

Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Michael R. Shirts

My research focuses on development of software and techniques for constructing and modeling general organic polymer systems at the atomic, molecular and nanoscale using molecular dynamics. Polymer design is essential to many active research areas including identifying suitable sustainable and recyclable plastics, compatibilizing polymer-biopolymer interfaces for biomedical engineering and therapeutics, and designing self-healing materials with dynamic covalent networks. However, systematic exploration of chemical and morphological polymer design spaces is practically impossible using experimental methods alone and requires assistance from computational structure-function models. I am currently active in two sustainability-driven collaborations with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), dealing with high-throughput screening of biomass-derived replacements for petroleum plastic monomers and lignin-derived replacements for common commercial plasticizers, respectively.

Zoe Cruse

Chemical and Biological Engineering (undergraduate)
Advisors: Wyatt Shields and Ankur Gupta

The goal of my research is to build a deeper understanding of active particle systems for improving targeted systems, such as targeted drug delivery. By leveraging both computational frameworks and experimental methodologies, I will gain a holistic understanding of how we can fabricate microparticle systems and integrate them into biological environments safely and effectively. In doing so, I hope to develop a framework that allows researchers to bridge the gap between the lab bench and patient bedsides. I look forward to starting my PhD at the University of Michigan this fall!

Olivia Irvin

Biological Engineering
Advisor: Timothy Whitehead

In my research, I use protein engineering to make better influenza vaccine immunogens. I use computational design tools, yeast display and deep sequencing techniques to redesign viral proteins. Upon immunization with these proteins, the immune system should more robustly target regions of the influenza protein that offer broader protection against a variety of flu strains.

David Saeb

Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Kayla Sprenger

My research uses computational tools, namely molecular dynamics simulations, to determine the protein-ligand binding mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, I aim to understand how an immune receptor protein known as TREM2, and its soluble form, modulate neuroinflammation. The ultimate goal of my project is to combine computational and wet lab tools to design novel Alzheimer's therapeutics.

Katie Trese

Biological Engineering
Advisor: Wyatt Shields

Some immune cell types are particularly good at migrating to sites of inflammation, such as solid cancer tumors. The goal of my project is to harness this capability of immune cells to bring drug-loaded nanoparticles directly to diseased tissue. To do so, I will investigate nanoparticle engineering, the ability of sound waves to purify cells, and the effect of nanoparticles on immune cell behavior. My hope is that the work done in this project will improve accessibility and patient outcomes for cell-based immunotherapies for a variety of treatment scenarios.

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CU Boulder postdoc earns biomedical fellowship for intestine research

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 22:41:20 +0000

CU Boulder postdoc earns biomedical fellowship for intestine research Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/13/2024 - 16:41

Susan Glairon

Photo caption: An organoid patterned into desired shape using engineered biomaterial. Cell boundary is in green with magenta nuclei.

Kaustav Bera, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, was awarded a three-year postdoctoral fellowship from the Helen Hay Whitney

Foundation, which supports career growth of young scientists engaged in basic biomedical research.

The highly prestigious and very selective fellowship—less than 5 percent of applications are awarded—will support Bera’s postdoctoral training in studying the body’s maintenance of the gut epithelium, the inner lining of the gastrointestinal tract. The fellowship provides Bera, a member of CU Boulder’s Anseth Research Group, with a combined stipend of $220,500 over three years along with a $1,500 annual research allowance.

“I am honored to have received this fellowship and grateful for the trust the scientific committee has shown towards my scientific proposal,” Bera said. “Besides the financial benefits from the award, I am excited to be associated with this prestigious scientific community of past awardees, scientific advisory committee members and biomedical research luminaries, some of whom have been my research role models.”

Bera received his PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering in 2022 from Johns Hopkins University. At CU Boulder he studies how the shape and function of the gut epithelium, a single layer of cells that plays a crucial role in nutrient absorption and secretion of digestive enzymes, is maintained. This layer also acts as a barrier to protect against harmful substances.

In a healthy state, intestinal stem cells frequently divide and regenerate to maintain the integrity of the epithelium in a highly controlled manner. But irregularities can lead to various diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome and colon cancer, Bera said.

Utilizing innovative biomaterial-based platforms developed in the laboratory of Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth, Bera aims to gain deeper insights into how different factors precisely regulate the epithelial composition. He also collaborates with Associate Professor Peter Dempsey from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to further develop three-dimensional models known as organoids which are derived from stem cells or tissue samples and mimic the function of organs or tissues in a laboratory setting.

“At the completion of this research, we should have a clearer understanding of how certain intestinal diseases can be better managed,” Bera said.

Kaustav Bera, a ChBE postdoctoral researcher, was awarded a three-year postdoctoral fellowship from the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. The fellowship will support Bera’s postdoctoral training in studying the body’s maintenance of the gut epithelium.

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An organoid patterned into desired shape using engineered biomaterial. Cell boundary is in green with magenta nuclei.

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An organoid patterned into desired shape using engineered biomaterial. Cell boundary is in green with magenta nuclei.

PhD student wins prestigious Teets fellowship

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:43:19 +0000

PhD student wins prestigious Teets fellowship Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/09/2024 - 08:43

Arkava Ganguly, a third-year PhD student in the Gupta research group, also known as the Laboratory of Interface, Flow and Electrokinetics (LIFE), has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Teets Family Endowed Doctoral Fellowship. This highly sought-after fellowship, providing $15,000 over a two-year period, is intended to support students engaged in research within the field of nanotechnology.

"The Teets fellowship gives me the independence to work on some exciting research ideas through which I hope to gain a deeper understanding of surface interactions at the colloidal scale to develop effective sequestration technologies,” Ganguly said.

Ganguly's research utilizes a combination of theoretical and computational tools to unravel the intricacies of micro- and nanoparticle motion. His specific focus lies in investigating how various factors, such as particle shape, surface heterogeneities and interactions impact not only particle movement but also their interactions with the surrounding environment and other particles.

Actively controlled micro- and nanoparticles hold vast potential in diverse fields like biomedicine and environmental remediation, said Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta, Ganguly's advisor. Ongoing developments in this domain underscore the importance of comprehending the physics behind particle propulsion and their interactions with the environment. This understanding can help engineer particles capable of navigating complex environments, with applications ranging from targeted drug delivery to fine-tuning surface properties for efficiently sequestering plastics from water sources, he added.

“I am proud of Arkava for his commitment to his research as he has made contributions to several different topics in our group," Gupta said. "This award underscores his excellent progress to date.”

After completing his PhD, Ganguly envisions a career leveraging his expertise in fluid mechanics, transport phenomena and surface science. He aspires to focus on projects centered around sustainability and environmental remediation, aligning his skills with real-world applications.

“I would like to thank the Teets family and the College of Engineering and Applied Science for their generous support," Ganguly said. "I would also like to thank Professor Gupta for his mentorship and guidance. Finally, I want to thank my lab members for their help with my work and unwavering encouragement."

Arkava Ganguly, a third-year PhD student in the Gupta research group, has been honored with a 2024 Teets Family Endowed Doctoral Fellowship. The fellowship provides $15,000 over two-years and supports students engaged in nanotechnology research.

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Gesse Roure — Outstanding Dissertation Award

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 22:38:56 +0000

Gesse Roure — Outstanding Dissertation Award Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/06/2023 - 15:38

Susan Glairon

PhD, Chemical Engineering, 2023

Dissertation Name: Microhydrodynamics of Droplets and Particles: Applications in Microfluidics and Agglomeration

Defended: July, 2023

Associated lab: Davis Group

Advisors: Distinguished Professor Robert H. Davis and Alexander Zinchenko, senior research associate

Current position: Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Missouri

College of Engineering and Applied Science Outstanding Dissertation Award
This award recognizes the best dissertation (excellence of research, topical importance and presentation in the written dissertation) among students completing PhD degree requirements during a calendar year.

As a student from Brazil, how did you choose CU Boulder for your graduate studies?
Multiple factors influenced my decision to come to CU. Firstly, having already completed a master's in a related field, I was familiar with the previous works of Rob (Davis) and Alex (Zinchenko), and that was my primary motivation for choosing CU for my graduate studies. Besides that, the high-quality research conducted across various departments, particularly in Chemical and Biological Engineering, closely matched my academic interests. The appealing town atmosphere, as confirmed during my time in Boulder, solidified my decision, making it an easy choice.

What does receiving this award mean to you?
I am deeply honored to receive this outstanding dissertation award, which, for me, is the culmination of several years of hard work and diligence, as it not only represents the acknowledgement of my previous work, but also serves as a source of motivation for my future academic pursuits.

Tell me more about your research.
My dissertation explores the fascinating world of tiny-scale flows in science and engineering, especially focusing on two key challenges. First, we examined a sustainable method for capturing small particles in fluids using special droplets that slowly grow over time. The study reveals that the swelling of these droplets significantly improves particle capture efficiency, which is very useful for filtration, waste treatment and mineral recovery. In the second portion of the dissertation, the research focuses on the movement of tiny droplets in microchannels, which has applications ranging from medical diagnostic devices to targeted drug delivery. The findings include innovative approaches for shaping droplets and inducing effective mixing in microreactors, showcasing the potential for advancements in diverse microfluidic technologies. Overall, this work offers valuable insights into small-scale phenomena with broad applications across various scientific and engineering fields.

Why does this research topic interest you?
One thing that has always caught my attention is the ubiquitousness of fluids in nature. From the motion of hurricanes to the cytoplasm inside of a bacterium, there is always something flowing. The broad applications and interdisciplinary nature of fluid dynamics research are what specifically sparked my interest in this subject, as it offers a diverse range of opportunities to explore and understand various phenomena, making it an exciting and dynamic field.

Image above: Transport inside a droplet in a microfluidic trap subjected to an external tri-axial extensional flow.

Gesse Roure (PhD ChemEngr'23) received the CEAS Oustanding Dissertation Award; his research explores tiny-scale flows, with applications in waste treatment, mineral recovery, medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery.

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Chemical and biological engineering graduates take home top college awards

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 17:07:59 +0000

Chemical and biological engineering graduates take home top college awards Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/05/2023 - 10:07

Two graduating seniors from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Ashish Srivastava and Katayoun Jamei, earned top Fall 2023 Graduating Student Awards from the College of Engineering and Applied Science and shared their thoughts about their experiences at CU Boulder.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science will celebrate fall graduation on Thursday, Dec. 21, from 10 a.m.- noon.

Ashish Srivastava and Katayoun Jamei received top fall 2023 honors from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

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