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.
Students
Nicole Beauregard Awarded the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Graduate Student Fellowship
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
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.
2024 Research Excellence Awards Announced
We are proud to announce Hasan Nikkhah, Laron Burrows, and Henry Sokol as the winners of the 2024 Research Excellence Awards! Their pioneering research and unwavering commitment to scientific advancement have earned them this well-deserved recognition.
Well done to our graduate students, whose accomplishments mark the beginning of a journey filled with even greater achievements ahead.
2024 Outstanding Graduate TA Awards Announced
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Graduate TA Awards!
Amir Shahbazi, Heejeong Ryu, and Nicole Beauregard have shown exemplary commitment, innovation, and passion in their roles as Teaching Assistants. Their contributions have significantly enriched the learning experience for students and inspired their peers.
Well done to our graduate students, whose accomplishments mark the beginning of a journey filled with even greater achievements ahead.
Engineering Students Share Yearlong Research Projects During Senior Design Demo Day
UConn Brewing Innovation Teams Up with Two Roads Brewing for Exclusive Brew Release
Following the resounding success of the first can release with Kinsmen Brewing Co, our two senior design teams, guided by the expertise of Professor Jenn Pascal, are gearing up for another unforgettable collaboration. This time, they are joining forces with Two Roads Brewing, one of Connecticut’s most esteemed breweries, for an exclusive launch event that promises to be nothing short of extraordinary. This is a moment to celebrate the spirit of innovation and community, where the art of brewing meets the science of chemical engineering.
📆 Mark your calendar: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
🕒 Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
📍 Location: Two Roads Brewing Company, 1700 Stratford Ave, Stratford, CT 06615
Join us at the 1881 Series: UConn Brewing Innovation and Can Release at Two Roads Brewing (Registration link on UConn Foundation Website).
Wei Ruan Wins 3rd Place in the 10th Annual Graduate Poster Competition
Warmest congratulations to Wei Ruan who won the 1st place Award in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and the 3rd place award at the College of Engineering with her work on “High Throughput Fabrication of Thin Electrocaloric Materials Films Enabled by Additive Manufacturing” at the 10th Annual College of Engineering Poster Competition.
Read more on the Graduate Programs.
Alanna Gado Awarded the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Graduate Student Fellowship
Warmest congratulations to Alanna Gado for being awarded the Graduate Research Fellowship sponsored by the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium. Her work focuses on developing advanced catalyst-coated membranes for achieving high efficiency and high durability proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers under the advising of Professor Radenka Maric and in collaboration with Research Scientist Leonard Bonville and Associate Research Professor Stoyan Bliznakov. This research holds immense promise for the field of hydrogen production and clean energy technology, paving the way for sustainable solutions to our energy challenges. Read more on NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium.
After Semester-Long Development, Student-Created ‘BrewConn’ Beer Debuts with Glowing Reviews
Our two senior design teams advised by Professor Jenn Pascal brewed with Kinsmen Brewing Co. for an exclusive launch event for UConn Brewing Innovation. It was a brew-tastic event last Tuesday with 300+ alumni, faculty, and students attending.
For the past three years, Professor Pascal has been offering a brewing course to allow senior chemical engineering students to apply their knowledge. They gained hands-on experience in brewing beer using homebrew scale equipment and kits. This year, the capstone course expanded, by offering trips to Smokedown Hops Farm in Sharon, Thrall Family Malt in Windsor, and two visits to the Kinsmen Brewing to learn about processing and canning. This has been a great experience both for those planning careers in craft brewing and for those seeking other endeavors, because of the real-world skills they’ve learned. As Professor Pascal has also highlighted: “Many chemical engineers work in the food and beverage industry. Chemical engineers are ‘process’ engineers and brewing beer involves optimizing processes and ways to improve them, all relevant skills in an assortment of industries.’’
Learn more about how Professor Pascal’s course and capstone project are transforming chemical and biomolecular engineering studies with hands-on brewing experience for our seniors on UConn Today.