News

Water Research Foundation Awards Top Honor to McCutcheon

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The Water Research Foundation (WRF) has honored Professor Jeff McCutcheon with its top recognition: the Paul L. Busch Award. Dr. McCutcheon and his lab have developed a groundbreaking additive manufacturing approach to produce thin-film water treatment membranes. This method, based on electrohydrodynamic spray processing, enables customization of membrane chemistry and performance—capabilities that traditional manufacturing techniques cannot achieve.

The Paul L. Busch Award celebrates individuals conducting innovative research in water quality and the water environment, focusing on those who transform discoveries into practical solutions. Dr. McCutcheon’s work represents a bold step forward in addressing complex water contamination challenges through tailored, next-generation membrane technology.

Read more on UConn Today and the Water Research Foundation Press Release.

 

Laurencin Presents at Dreyfus Foundation’s 2024 Teacher-Scholar Symposium

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We are thrilled to celebrate Professor Cato Laurencin, who presented a lecture on regenerative engineering at the Dreyfus Foundation’s 2024 Teacher-Scholar Symposium. As a pioneer of this field, Dr. Laurencin holds the unique distinction of being the first surgeon-scientist elected to all four National Academies: Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, and Inventors.

He is an expert in biomaterials science, stem cell technology and nanotechnology and was named one of the 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He received the Founder’s Award (highest award) from the Society for Biomaterials, the Von Hippel Award (highest award) from the Materials Research Society and the James Bailey Award (highest award) from the Society for Biological Engineering. He received the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, NIH’s highest and most prestigious research award, for his new field of Regenerative Engineering and the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award. Dr. Laurencin is the Editor-in-Chief of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine and is the Founder of the Regenerative Engineering Society. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, a Fellow of the Materials Research Society and a AAAS Fellow. The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded Dr. Laurencin the Philip Hauge Abelson Prize given ‘for signal contributions to the advancement of science in the United States’.

Read more about Dr. Laurencin’s talk on UConn Today.

Burkey Elected as American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow

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Congratulations to Professor Dan Burkey on being elected as an American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Fellow — AIChE’s highest grade of membership, achieved only through election by the AIChE Board of Directors. This prestigious recognition highlights Dr. Burkey’s long-term excellence in chemical engineering, impactful service to the profession, and dedication to advancing education and diversity.

Over the years, Dr. Burkey has made remarkable contributions, including:

  • Research: Innovating in game-based education for process safety and engineering ethics, with 50+ publications and numerous awards, including the 2020 AIChE Education Division Innovation Award, the 2022 William H. Corcoran Award from the Chemical Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and the 2023 David Himmelblau Award for Innovations in Computer-Based Chemical Engineering Education of the AIChE Computing & Systems Technology Division.
  • Education Leadership: Growing UConn College of Engineering enrollment to nearly 4,000 students, tripling female enrollment, and developing transformative programs like the Undergraduate Teaching, Mentoring, and Leadership Program and a new Ph.D. in Engineering Education. 
  • Service: Spearheading the AIChE Education Division’s Future Faculty Mentoring Program, which has supported 200+ mentees and placed alumni in faculty roles at over 50 institutions worldwide.

Dr. Burkey’s leadership and commitment to engineering education have made a lasting impact on students, colleagues, and the chemical engineering profession. We are honored to celebrate this incredible achievement and thanking Dr. Burkey for his continued efforts to inspire and elevate the next generation of engineers.

Read more on UConn Today.

Burke Appointed Head of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department

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Kelly Burke '05 (ENG)Congratulations to Professor Kelly Burke on their appointment as our new Head of the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department!

Prof. Burke brings a wealth of experience and vision to this role, aiming to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and continue advancing our department’s legacy of excellence in research and education.

We look forward to seeing how her leadership shapes the future of our field and inspires the next generation of chemical engineers.

Read more about Prof. Burke’s journey at UConn Today.

Alumni Michael Jones Receives the 2024 Scientific Achievement Award by the International System Safety Society

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Our alumni Michael Jones, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Scientific Achievement Award by the International System Safety Society (ISSS). This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to system safety through research and development.

Mike has been recognized for his work on the design and development of novel passive propagation resistant (PPR) lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, the integration of PPR Li-ion batteries with Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs), and integration of PPR Li-ion powered UUVs with U.S. submarine platforms. This award underscores the global impact of Mike’s work. Last year, the award went to a team of engineers at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe. This year, Mike is being honored as an individual, reflecting his substantial contributions to advancing system safety.

Mike is currently pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Rhode Island (URI) while working as an Engineering Task Lead at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport (NUWC). His research is supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and is part of the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT), a collaborative effort involving URI, University of Connecticut, the Navy, and other partners.

We are incredibly proud of Mike and the contributions he continues to make in this field. His work is a powerful reminder of how knowledge and innovation can drive real-world impact.

Assistant Professor in Residence Opportunity

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We Are Hiring! The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering invites applications for a non-tenure track position of Assistant Professor in Residence at the Storrs campus. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact by teaching in both undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as contributing to departmental initiatives.

We are looking for candidates with:

  • Established record of accomplishment in teaching
  • Expertise in core courses such as thermodynamics, kinetics, and/or transport phenomena
  • Familiarity with computation and theory within chemical engineering
  • A strong commitment to professional service and outreach

If you’re passionate about fostering a dynamic, inclusive learning environment and advancing chemical engineering education, we encourage you to apply!

To learn more and apply, visit: https://careers.pageuppeople.com/967/cw/en-us/job/498708/assistant-professor-in-residence 

Cho Awarded $500,000 for Groundbreaking Neurodegenerative Disease Research at Tauopathy Challenge Workshop

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Young ChoWe’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Yongku Cho and his collaborator Dr. Jesse Rinehart from Yale University School of Medicine have been awarded $500,000 at the Tauopathy Challenge Workshop to investigate post-translational modifications in tau protein aggregates. These chemical changes, found in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Frontotemporal Dementias (FTDs), may increase tau aggregation and toxicity, both of which are critical contributors to these neurodegenerative diseases.

Funded by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, CurePSP, Alzheimer’s Association, and the Aging Mind Foundation, the workshop took place in Chicago, bringing together leading neuroscience researchers from around the world to address critical knowledge gaps in tau pathology and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. With no current treatments available for PSP and FTDs—both of which severely impact quality of life—collaborative research like this is essential in advancing our understanding and treatment of these conditions.

Dr. Cho and Dr. Rinehart’s research will explore whether specific chemical changes in tau proteins make them more prone to aggregation and toxicity, a hypothesis that has yet to be conclusively tested. If successful, their findings could open new avenues for treatments, offering hope to those affected by these debilitating diseases.

Read more on the Rainwater Charitable Foundation.

Adjunct Faculty Opportunity Spring 2025 – Heat and Mass Transfer Course

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We Are Hiring! The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at University of Connecticut is seeking a qualified instructor to join us as Adjunct Faculty for Spring 2025! We are looking for an instructor to teach CHEG 3124: Heat and Mass Transfer (3 credits) at our Storrs campus. This is a great opportunity to share your expertise with our undergraduate students. If you’re passionate about teaching and fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment, we encourage you to apply!

To apply and learn more, visit: https://hr.uconn.edu/adjunct-faculty-opportunities/

Nicole Beauregard Awarded the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Graduate Student Fellowship

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We are thrilled to announce that our graduate student, Nicole Beauregard, has been awarded the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Graduate Student Fellowship. She will be working on integrating machine learning with evolutionary algorithms for the rapid discovery of high-performing metal-organic frameworks for gas adsorption.

Nicole also recently won the Faculty Choice Award for Best Student Talk at the 4th Women in STEM Frontiers in Research Expo (WiSFiRE) at University of Connecticut.

We are incredibly proud of Nicole’s achievements and look forward to seeing the impact of her work.

Read more on the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium.

2024 Teaching Fellow Announced

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We are proud to announce Britney Russell as the 2024 Teaching Fellow of our Department! She will have the exciting opportunity to develop innovative teaching materials and course formats that will enhance our undergraduate core curriculum.

We are confident that her accomplishment marks the beginning of a journey filled with even greater achievements ahead.