News from Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois

Spring/Summer 2015

16 Graduate students recognized for their innovative research 17 New program supports aspiring female faculty engineers 18 Exploring new frontiers: Meet new professors Ying Diao and Diwakar Shukla 23 Alumni profile: Joe Sant’Angelo reflects on his career, from nuclear reactors to fire resistant fabric

From the Department Head’s Desk Dear Alumni and Friends,

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Paul. J. A. Kenis Department Head

Mass Transfer Editor Christine des Garennes Assistant Director of Communications Graphic Design Nivens Design

Contents Department/Campus News Faculty News/Awards Undergraduate Education Graduate Education Faculty Research Profile Alumni Alumni Notes Donor Honor Roll In Memoriam Remember When

About cover: Image shows a serendipitous pattern of high performance organic semiconductor crystal thin films. Crystal birefringence under polarized light gives unique vibrant colors to paint a splendid image of organic butterflies frolicking in fractal flowers. The two crystalline polymorphs transform from the mother liquid crystalline phase, one into flower-like fractals, the other trapped into a metastable spherulite, which took the shape of fluttering butterflies.

The very busy spring 2015 semester that recently concluded featured two significant announcements. Timothy Killeen became the 20th President of the University of Illinois. Unfortunately his first order of business will be guiding our university through difficult financial times due to a more than 10 percent cut in the university’s state budget allocation for the coming fiscal year. On a more positive note, the university’s board of trustees has put its full support behind the new engineering-focused College of Medicine in Urbana. The first of its kind in the U.S., the new college will be funded by corporate investment and private philanthropy; the university’s partner, Carle Health Systems, already has committed $100 million. Our faculty members are looking forward to being involved in this exciting program. In March our undergraduate students hosted a successful AIChE regional student conference that featured a keynote address by Russell Moroz, vice president of research and development and quality at The Kraft Heinz Company. In April we held our annual undergraduate research symposium where we welcomed back some of our alumni as judges: Yusuf Esat (BS ’06) from Jenner & Block LLP; Drake Fitzsimmons (BS ’13) and Nick Manser (BS ’13), both from Sage Environmental; Elizabeth Keck (BS ’02) from Mead Johnson Nutrition. Thanks also to Dustin Olson from LyondellBasell, one of our corporate partners. Then in May we welcomed back Professor Joan Brennecke (PhD ’89), currently the Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, as our distinguished Parr Lecturer. We also hosted Dr. Walt Robb (PhD ’51), for a book signing of his autobiography here at Roger Adams Laboratory. For our May commencement we welcomed back Dr. Tom Tulig (BS ’78) from Shell as the featured speaker. A record number of 135 seniors received their bachelor degrees! You will find reports about some of these events in this newsletter. We also are excited to share with you our latest awards and achievements from our undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, including features on Assistant Professors Ying Diao and Diwakar Shukla, both of whom started in January. Our faculty continue to shine with Associate Professor Mary Kraft receiving the 2015 Early Career Award of the American Vacuum Society’s Prairie Chapter, Assistant Professor Brendan Harley being named a I.C. Gunsalus Faculty Scholar and Assistant Professor Charles Sing being named to the Forbes 2015 “30 Under 30” list, which recognizes the brightest game changers, movers and makers in 20 different fields. The department also is more active than ever in various outreach efforts. Just this spring, Lecturer Jerrod Henderson received the Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement for his efforts to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue STEM majors and careers. Two programs that involve our department—Girls Adventures in Mathematics, Engineering, & Science (GAMES) Camp for high school girls and the St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy for fourth and fifth grade underrepresented boys—aim to do just that. I also hope you will enjoy reading about two of our alumni: Recent graduate Amy Stabbell (BS ’07) who also was named to the Forbes 2015 “30 Under 30” list, and Joseph Sant’Angelo (BS ’54) who is continuing to develop new technology well after retirement. We always take great pride in hearing the stories of the students we trained! I encourage you to share with us your feedback and/or your memories, photos, and updates so we can feature these on our website, on Facebook, and in future newsletters. Also, this issue acknowledges our many donors with the annual ‘honor roll.’ Furthermore we thank our alumni, friends, and industry partners for their continued support of undergrad scholarships and awards, the recipients of which were honored at our annual scholarship and awards ceremony in April. Looking ahead to the fall semester, one more Assistant Professor, Dr. Simon Rogers, will join us, bringing our faculty to a total of 18, the highest it has ever been. You will be able to read more on him in the fall 2015 newsletter. We will also hold the investiture of Professor Hong Yang, who has been named the inaugural Richard C. Alkire Professor. Last but not least, all of our alumni and friends are invited to join us for our homecoming celebrations on October 23-24. Please continue to connect with the department via Facebook, twitter (new Twitter handle ChBE_Illinois), and the SCS LinkedIn group, and keep sending us your updates, photos, and stories so we can feature them in future newsletters! I wish you a great summer, and hope to see many of you back on campus or on the road. Best Regards,

Paul J. A. Kenis William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor and Department Head

chbe.illinois.edu email: [email protected] @ChBE_Illinois

[email protected] (217) 244-9214

ChBE @ Illinois : 3

Department News

1920s-era

PARR CALORIMETER on view

Earlier this year the department debuted a new display case featuring a historic invention by the father of chemical engineering at Illinois. Longtime University of Illinois Professor Samuel W. Parr invented the first simplified instrument to measure the heat value of coal. His Parr calorimeter helped develop a market for Illinois bituminous coal at a time when most were turning to Eastern coal for heating. Parr would go on to establish the Standard Calorimeter Company, now the Parr Instrument Company, a company that continues today in Moline, Illinois. Unearthed by a photographer in Indiana and later obtained by Department Head Dr. Paul Kenis, the calorimeter can now be seen in the north lobby of Rogers Adams Laboratory, under the plaque honoring its inventor. Parr Instrument Company has estimated the age of the calorimeter at about 90 years old and that it’s made of Bakelite. Printed on the glass walls of the display box are images of Parr’s patented designs from 1915. The back of the case features a photo of Professor Parr with Severin Seaberg, the plant manager with Standard Calorimeter Machine in East Moline in 1911.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Department News

Alkire on

Advances in Electrochemical Sciences, Engineering

The latest volume of Advances in Electrochemical Sciences and Engineering, a series edited by University of Illinois Emeritus Professor Richard Alkire, has recently been published by Wiley-VCH. “Electrochemical Engineering Across Scales: From Molecules to Processes” explores how different experimental and computational methods are used in transferring molecular-scale discoveries into processes and products. In his introduction, Professor Alkire reflected on a quote from an article by Carl Wagner that appeared in the series half-a-century ago. The quote expressed the vision that “molecular engineering may be important in the future development of industrial electrochemical processes.” That time has come, he said. “Electrochemical engineering is undergoing a renaissance owing to development of a new generation of methods for bridging between molecular-scale discoveries, concepts, theory, experimental data, and their application to electrochemical systems,” he wrote.

“ Electrochemical engineering is undergoing a renaissance owing to development of a new generation of methods for bridging between molecularscale discoveries, concepts, theory, experimental data, and their application to electrochemical systems.

”

Richard Alkire Charles and Dorothy Prizer Chair Emeritus

The approaches described in the series are flexible and taken together they can provide “wholly new capabilities for producing well-engineered electrochemical products and processes, while insuring quality at the molecular scale,” according to Dr. Alkire. The new volume includes work from a variety of contributors – chemical engineering, materials science and physics professors and industry researchers – from around the world. And it should appeal to chemical, mechanical, electrical and computational engineers, chemists, physicists, biochemists, and surface and materials scientists, Dr. Alkire said. The Advances in Electrochemical Sciences and Engineering series was started in 1961 by Paul Delahay and Charles Tobias with the goal of publishing critical reviews in the area. Professor Alkire, who studied under Charles Tobias at the University of California, Berkeley, took over the series with the late Dieter Kolb in 1996. In addition to Dr. Alkire, co-editors for the series include Jacek Lipkowski, chemistry professor at the University of Guelph, and Philip Bartlett, chemistry professor at the University of Southampton. Dr. Alkire is the Charles and Dorothy Prizer Chair Emeritus Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He joined the department in 1969 and has served as department head and vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate College. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, he has received numerous awards from organizations such as The Electrochemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society. He retired in 2008 and has remained active in the department and the academic community.

ChBE @ Illinois : 5

Quantum dots

to ionic liquids Thanks to the distinguished lecturers who visited campus this past semester. Paul Alivisatos

Paul Alivisatos, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, delivered the 2015 Aldrich Symposium held in Noyes Laboratory. Alivisatos, Samsung Distinguished Professor of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the University of California, Berkeley and director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute, delivered a talk entitled, "Leaky Quantum Dots and the Use of Quantum Dots for Solar Energy Harvesting.” His visit was sponsored by Aldrich Materials Science, the University of Illinois School of Chemical Sciences, and the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Joan Brennecke

Joan Brennecke, the Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame and founding director of Notre Dame Center for Sustainable Energy, returned to campus in April to deliver the 2015 Parr Lecture. Her talk was called “Ionic Liquids for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture.” Brennecke’s research has focused on solvents, such as supercritical fluids and ionic liquids, which are less environmentally harmful than other solvents. She received her M.S. and Ph.D.s from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Undergraduate Learning Center unveiled

Thanks to generous funding from industry, general revenue funds, and tuition, students this past semester have been able to work on individual and team projects in a bright, modern learning center and computer lab. Years ago the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering maintained a computer lab in the basement of Roger Adams Laboratory. Today, ChBE students head to Noyes Laboratory, which is now home to the Undergraduate Learning Center and Computer Lab. The third floor learning center encompasses a teaching assistant (TA) room that previously only had tables, chairs and a kitchenette. The new space was configured to add computers, printers and large white boards on rollers. There are new clusters of tables for TA office hours and for students when the tables are not reserved for TAs. An adjacent meeting room is outfitted with a projector so students can practice their presentations. Also, the new computer lab, added on the second floor, offers computer workstations and printers for students.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Campus News

University of Illinois

welcomes 20th president Timothy L. Killeen, previously vice chancellor for research and president of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY), was named the 20th president of the University of Illinois. Killeen, 63, who succeeds retiring President Robert Easter, brings the experience of more than three decades as a teacher, researcher, and administrator in public higher education and in top leadership positions with national scientific research agencies. As chair of SUNY’s Patent and Inventions Policy Board, he worked to promote economic development by turning research discovery into new businesses, products, and services. Killeen has spent more than 20 years on the faculty and in administration at the University of Michigan, and served as assistant director for geosciences at the National Science Foundation before joining SUNY in 2012. A leading researcher in geophysics and spaces sciences, Killeen earned his Ph.D. in atomic and molecular physics from University College London. In 2007, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Photo credit: Courtesy of the State University of New York

Sloan grant to support underrepresented Ph.D. students

Solar Farm coming to Illinois campus

The University of Illinois Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will participate in a new campus initiative that aims to increase the number of applications, offers and enrollments of underrepresented graduate students in STEM fields. The university was awarded a three-year, $3 million grant from the Sloan Foundation to create a Center of Exemplary Mentoring, a campuswide center that will provide fellowships to minority doctoral students in physical and mathematical sciences and engineering. The new center will coordinate efforts to help Sloan fellowship students succeed in their graduate studies and careers. Those activities will include an extensive orientation program for new fellows, research opportunities, workshops and seminars, professional development, fellowships and competitive stipends, and a three-tiered mentoring program that provides peer, academic and research mentors to students. Twelve departments from the College of Engineering and six departments from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including chemical and biomolecular engineering, math and chemistry, will be involved. The campus will run a pilot project this year and utilize the Sloan funds to recruit students for fall 2016 and fall 2017 classes. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic, not-for-profit grantmaking institution based in New York City.

Construction of a 5.87 megawatt Solar Farm on a 20-acre site on the Illinois campus will contribute toward the renewable energy used on campus for at least 20 years. Once installed, the Solar Farm will be one of the largest on-site university farms in the country, producing 7.86 million kilowatt-hours per year, or about 2 percent of the electrical demand for the Urbana campus in fiscal year 2015. Phoenix Solar South Farms LLC will implement this project that will increase the generation of renewable energy on campus and help meet goals outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan.

ChBE @ Illinois : 7

State Farm Center Update: $2 million gift

New engineering-based

Former Illini basketball player Dave Downey and family and friends donated $2 million as part of the renovations at the State Farm Center, previously known as Assembly Hall. Their donations created the Courtside Club that will be named Club 53, in recognition of Downey’s school record 53 points scored against Indiana in 1963. A record that still stands 52 years later.

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees unanimously approved the creation of a new engineering-based medical college for the UrbanaChampaign campus. It will be the country’s first college of medicine focused, from the beginning, on the intersection of engineering and medicine. And it will be the first new college established in UrbanaChampaign in 60 years.

creates Club 53

The lounge will be located on the floor level of the State Farm Center, accessible to all fans with Courtside Club season tickets. Club 53 will be near the tunnel entrances to the floor, giving patrons the opportunity to watch the Fighting Illini as they prepare to run onto the court. Renovations at the State Farm Center continue for the 50-year-old facility. The estimated $169.5 million in building improvements include new seats, more restrooms and concessions, as well as air-conditioning to allow the facility to host year-round events.

college of medicine advances

“We are the first to chart this new path in medical education, and we are excited by the challenge. Being first and being best is a 150-year tradition at Illinois, and we fully intend to translate that experience into advances in health care delivery,” Chancellor Phyllis Wise said. The college will draw upon Illinois strengths in science, engineering, and technology and bring together researchers, physicians, and students who understand the role of engineering in 21st century healthcare.

The $169.5 million renovation of the State Farm Center continues.

Led by a $100 million commitment by Carle Health Systems of Urbana, the college will be funded by private and corporate philanthropy, as well as income from grants and contracts, patient fees and the commercialization of medical technology. No new state appropriations will be used. Learn more about these exciting plans at www.medicine.illinois.edu.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Faculty Awards

Hong Yang

Charles Sing

Professor Hong Yang named Richard C. Alkire Professor in Chemical Engineering

Sing, who joined the faculty at Chemical and Biomolecular Enginering in August 2014, uses computational and theoretical tools to study the physics of polymers, the molecular chains of repeating atoms that include most plastics. The idea is to figure out how scientists can make new chemicals in silico, so that they can be designed, not just created through trial and error.

Professor Hong Yang has been named the inaugural Richard C. Alkire Professor in Chemical Engineering effective Spring 2015. The Richard C. Alkire Professorship was established in honor of Professor Alkire, who joined the department in 1969 and has had a long and distinguished career at Illinois. Alkire, a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 1988, holds the rank of Charles and Dorothy Prizer Chair Emeritus. He continues to be very active in the department and the academic community today, well beyond his official retirement in 2008. The endowment for the Alkire Professorship was provided anonymously. Professor Yang received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Tsinghua University, and his Ph.D. degree in materials science from the University of Toronto. After a postdoc at Harvard, he was on the faculty at Rochester University until 2011. In 2012 he joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois.

Sing completed his postdoctorate at Northwestern University. He earned a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012 and his M.S. and B.S.E. at Case Western Reserve University in 2008.

Professor Harley named 201516 I.C. Gunsalus Scholar Assistant Professor Brendan Harley has been named a 2015-2016 I.C. Gunsalus Scholar by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He receives this honor in recognition of his strong record of achievements at Illinois. This endowment is for the development of the scholarship and teaching of young faculty members in the physical and life sciences and was established by Professor Emeritus I.C. Gunsalus before his passing.

The Alkire Professorship recognizes Yang’s outstanding scholarship in the field of nanotechnology, particularly in innovation in the synthesis of nanomaterials of well-defined structure and composition. Yang is a world leader in the synthesis of bi- and multi-metallic Pt-based nanostructures, which are heavily being researched for a range of catalytic applications including fuel cells.

Professor Harley earned his Sc.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006 and joined the Illinois faculty in 2008. Harley is a core faculty member at the Institute for Genomic Biology and is affiliated with the departments of bioengineering and of materials science and engineering, and the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory at Illinois.

An investiture will be held later this year.

Professor Schroeder named Mentzer Faculty Scholar

Charles Sing named to 2015 Forbes 30 under 30: Science Assistant Professor Charles Sing has been named to the 2015 Forbes 30 under 30 Science List.

Associate Professor Charles Schroeder has been named the Dr. Ray and Beverly Mentzer Faculty Scholar.

Brendan Harley

Charles Schroeder

The position was established through a gift from Illinois chemical engineering alumnus Dr. Ray Mentzer and his wife Beverly. Dr. Mentzer had a distinguished, 28-plus-year career with ExxonMobil. In recent years he has been a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Beverly Mentzer, a chemical engineering graduate of Louisiana State University, retired from ExxonMobil after working 33 years in both domestic and international engineering and managerial positions. Professor Schroeder received his bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and his doctoral degree from Stanford University. He has been on the Illinois faculty since 2008. At Illinois he has focused on the study of physical, chemical and biological phenomena at the single molecule level, an area known as molecular engineering. His research primarily focuses on the dynamics of soft materials, including polymers with complex architectures and macromolecular self-assembly, in order to bridge the gap between molecular phenomena and bulk-scale behavior in complex fluids. His work also focuses on biophysics and single molecule fluorescence imaging to unravel the function of proteins and biomolecules at the molecular level.

ChBE @ Illinois : 9

David Flaherty

Diwaker Shukla

Steve Granick

Jerrod Henderson

Mary Kraft

Outstanding Advising Awards Assistant Professors David Flaherty and Diwakar Shukla this spring were recipients of the Engineering Council Award for Excellence in Advising. Professors Flaherty and Shukla were nominated by their students and chosen by the council’s selection committee. Flaherty received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and joined the department in 2012. Shukla received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from MIT in 2011 and joined the faculty in January.

materials, working across disciplines to explore imaging, assembly, behavior and interactions of molecules in living cells and specially designed colloidal particles. His work has broad applications in medicine, biology, chemistry and manufacturing.

Public engagement efforts University of Illinois Chancellor Phyllis Wise honored Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Lecturer Jerrod Henderson with a 2014-2015 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement. Faculty and staff are nominated for this award for their extraordinary contributions in connecting the university with the broader community on issues of critical social impact. Henderson oversees the Unit Operations Lab, a capstone course for seniors, and is co-founder of the St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy, which provides hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, and math to underrepresented fourth and fifth grade boys. Henderson joined the department in 2010 and has a M.S./ Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

Bhargava elected to College of Fellows Professor Rohit Bhargava, an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was recently elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Bhargava, a professor of bioengineering and Bliss Faculty Scholar, was selected

Rohit Bhargava

for “pioneering the development of chemical imaging technology and the use of optical spectroscopic methods for digital pathology.” The College of Fellows is comprised of the top 2 percent of medical and biological engineers in the country. Fellows are recognized for their contributions in teaching, research and innovation.

He retired from the university in 2014 and is currently the director of the IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter in Korea.

Kraft honored by American Vacuum Society Associate Professor Mary Kraft has received the 2015 Early Career Award of the American Vacuum Society Prairie Chapter. The award aims to encourage and reward outstanding early-career researchers in materials, interfaces, or processing.

Kraft investigates the relationships between cell membrane organization and disease progression. She joined the faculty in 2007 and earned her Congratulations to Professor Steve Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and Granick, who was among the six University of Illinois professors elected her B.S. from the University of Illinois to the National Academy of Sciences at Chicago. this spring.

Granick elected to National Academy of Sciences

Granick, professor emeritus of materials science and engineering, is an expert in the chemistry and physics of colloids and polymers. He also is affiliated with the departments of chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, and physics. His work focuses on soft

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Undergraduate Education

Unit Ops offers real-world applications for students

Remember when the distillation column stretched over two stories tall? How nervous or excited you were about running your first experiment? As a core course for chemical engineering students (and one of the last classes taken before graduation), Unit Ops has for decades delivered hands-on experience for students before they head into industry or continue on in academia.

Thanks to our current sponsors of the Unit Ops Lab: LyondellBasell Chevron Phillips BP Dow AgroSciences University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

“They’ve learned all this theory from freshman to senior year. Now it’s their first real chemical engineering lab. They’ve been in physics labs and chemistry labs. Now finally they get to work on a distillation column, work on a reactor,” said chemical and biomolecular engineering lecturer Jerrod Henderson. Henderson has been at the helm of Unit Ops since he joined the department in 2010. This year has been an especially rewarding one for him as he taught this group of seniors back when they were freshmen. Students attend a lecture on Mondays and work on their experiments during the rest of the week. Henderson seeks input from students on topics they want to know more about. This year they requested more information about data analysis, and where and how the lab’s unit ops are used in industry. Because many seniors have been on internships and co-ops, Henderson taps into their experiences and invites them to share their knowledge with the class. Other Unit Ops lectures cover process safety, a topic that ties back to the students’ first year in chemical and biomolecular engineering. Every year, freshmen create posters about

ChBE @ Illinois : 11

a chemical engineering disaster and seniors provide feedback. As enrollment in ChBE continues to grow, half of the senior class takes Unit Ops in the fall and the other half takes it in the spring. Each student rotates through two main categories of reactors and separators, plus an ‘other’ or specialty category. These days, students learn on several different types of reactors: a continuous stir tank reactor, plug flow reactor, batch reactor, and a bioreactor. The separators include the continuous distillation column, a batch distillation column and a liquid liquid extractor. In the “other” category, students work on a pumps and piping experiment, the polymer extruder and an evaporator. Each student will learn on one of the reactors and one separation system. “I really like how students get that there’s real world application to what we’re doing. You don’t have to excite the students about the course. They’re very

interested. I enjoy being able to see our students as one step away from being an engineer,” Henderson said. In the bioreactor sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, students grow yeast cells and study all the factors that can impact their growth curve, from agitation to temperature. At the pumps and piping station this spring students examined how and which pipes and pumps work best for water versus Clorox 2, the stain remover and color booster. At the polymer extruder sponsored by LyondellBasell, students process low density polyethylene pellets into plastic bag material. At the batch distillation station, students separate ethanol and water. Because much of the equipment is at least 20 years old, regular maintenance is critically important, Henderson said. Henderson is continually seeking sponsorship for the Unit Labs and expressed gratitude for those who have done so. Sponsorship helps

cover the cost of running and maintaining the equipment. “At this stage, it would be great to change out some of those unit ops because of their age and their need to be repaired more frequently, Henderson said. Such experiments do not come cheaply. A good unit ops experiment can cost about $100,000 to $160,000, he estimated. In addition to helping cover maintenance costs, sponsors can lend a hand in helping create the learning objectives of experiments they sponsor. “I don’t sit at my desk and make up experiments. The experiments are things that students will do when they go out in industry,” Henderson said. What are your favorite unit ops memories? Send them to [email protected].

Team Illini named a finalist for the BP Ultimate Field Trip Team Illini—Ivan Villamar and Patrick Regan (Chemical Engineering) and Sean Ebihara (Chemistry)—was among the campus team winners of the 2015 U.S. Ultimate Field Trip.

drilling operations. The winning teams, from seven top universities across the country, advanced to the national finals at BP’s U.S. headquarters in Houston in April.

The Field Trip is an annual competition that asks university students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to solve a real-world global energy challenge.

Now in its third year in the U.S., the UFT competition is one of the many

ways BP works with universities to support STEM education initiatives and provides students with opportunities to explore energy industry careers.

Participants in the 2015 contest were asked to identify and develop a novel technical solution to reduce the amount of water used and find an effective use for water produced by

Team Illini are Ivan Villamar, Patrick Regan, and Sean Ebihara.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Undergraduate Education

Undergraduate Education Engineering Open House 2015 showcases student projects How do air bags work? What does fracking entail? And how exactly are lava lamps made? At the 95th annual Engineering Open House, University of Illinois chemical and biomolecular engineering students organized a variety of exhibits for a range of visitors. “For a prospective student who is thinking about engineering, EOH is a great event for them to attend and see the joy and fun behind engineering. I love doing these kinds of things. It really brings me joy to see others engaged and passionate about what they are doing,” said Annmaria Vincent, a chemical engineering major and Engineering Open House Chair. The theme for the March 9-10 event was “The Future Starts Here,” and a total of 250 exhibits were set up across the engineering campus. Twenty-one different groups participated from the campus chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Vincent said. Students set up displays on decaffeination, candy-making, clean and alternative energy, and a hydroponic gardening system that involves a nutrient solution continuously hydrating tomato plants.

From top to bottom:

Manning the “Principles of ChemE” table in Loomis Laboratory were Min Young Yang, See Chee and Noman Baig. There they explained the basics of chemical engineering and showed a model of a chemical plant and how

(L-R) Pawel Grimm, Casey Fee and Kavita Srinivasan built a hydroponic gardening system. Nathan Burklund and Lillian Wong explain fermentation and distillation. Adam Connor demonstrates the science behind air bags. Young visitors learned about freeze drying fruit.

Photos by Christine des Garennes

a variety of products, such as plastic bottles, pasta, and medicine are mass produced. “I love to play with kids as they come up and ask them questions. I didn’t know about chemical engineering until I was a senior in high school. Here we can show kids at a young age what a chemical engineer is all about and what fun it is,” Yang said. Junior Nathan Burklund and sophomore Lillian Wong organized an exhibit on the fermentation and distillation process behind moonshine. They also shared with visitors how many different industries use these processes. “It’s not very difficult chemistry, but being able to explain things to a wide variety of audiences is definitely interesting,” said Wong, who said she enjoyed testing the knowledge of high school students. “Participating in EOH is a good extracurricular actively. We do projects in class, but obviously a professor is never going to assign us to make moonshine,” Burklund said with a laugh. “It gives us a chance to do a fun project that you can pull together on your own and without the pressure of being graded.” Thanks to all students for participating in such as successful event. And congratulations to the chemical engineering student groups that received awards this year.

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ChemE students host regional conference The Real World Award for exhibits that show an application of engineering toward everyday life First Place: Exploring the Daily Grind: The Roasting, Brewing, and Decaffeination of Coffee Third Place: Pharmaceutical Engineering, which featured production of penicillin

Back to School Award for exhibits that explain recent technological developments in engineering or the sciences Third Place: Fracking Facts

Go Green Sustainability Award for exhibits that demonstrate knowledge in sustainable resources and how technology can be innovative and environmentally friendly Second Place: A Root Awakening (hydroponic gardening)

From left to right: Lecturer Troy Vogel helps students ready their ChemE Car for the big event. AIChE regional chairs show their appreciation to all the volunteers and corporate sponsors at the 2015 conference. Photos credit: Zain Lakhani.

More than 200 students converged on the University of Illinois campus in late-March for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ regional student conference. Students competed in a variety of events, such as ChemE Jeopardy, toured nearby wastewater treatment and chemical manufacturing plants, received career advice from industry insiders, shared posters on their research, and more. Students came from colleges and universities throughout the region, including the University of Michigan, Purdue University, and the Ohio State University, to attend the annual conference. This was the first time in at least a decade Illinois has hosted the event. About 30 Illinois students, from freshmen to graduate level, volunteered. A highlight of the conference was the Chemical Engineering Car Competition, according to Illinois student and regionals chair Ellery Marks, a junior from Deerfield, IL. In this popular event, teams build a car that is powered by a chemical reaction. The car can be no bigger than a shoebox and teams have two minutes for the car to carry a certain amount of water a specific distance. After two minutes, the car has to stop. The top five teams advance to nationals, which will be held later this year in Salt Lake City.

In 2014, the Illinois team qualified for nationals. “I don’t think any of us had cheered for Illinois sports as much as we cheered for ChemE Car,” Marks said. “We were in the stands wearing orange, singing the Alma Mater and screaming I-L-L and I-N-I. It’s a very fun competition and what I like about it is you get very excited for the other teams as well. If a car gets disqualified, no one is excited about it. Everyone feels bad because we know how hard people worked on their cars. There’s a lot of camaraderie, which is really great,” she said. That camaraderie was on display earlier this spring as students and supporters filled Kenney Gym to cheer on cars with names like “Sven” and “Husky Hot Dog.” Marks and her fellow organizers also made sure to carve out plenty of networking opportunities for attendees, including an evening mixer with a DJ at Venue 51. On Saturday evening, Russell Moroz, vice president of research and development and quality at Kraft Food Groups, delivered the keynote address at the concluding banquet.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Undergraduate Education

2015 Undergraduate Scholarships and Award Recipients Every spring, chemical and biomolecular engineering undergraduates at each class level receive scholarships from generous donations given to the department. Awards are distributed according to the wishes of donors. This year, $109,800 was awarded to undergraduate students at the annual ceremony in April. American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter Service Awards Krishna Iyer (Fall 2014) Molly McGiles (Spring 2015) John Martin Ankenbauer Memorial Scholarships Isaac Strain Daniel Ziegler Franklin A. Boyle Scholarship John Gewargis Chemical Engineering Alumni Scholarships Alex Baciu Matthew Fischer CITGO Scholarship Brett Llewellyn Phillips 66 Scholarship Talia Shalen DuPont Scholarship Thomas Smith ExxonMobil Scholarship Maciej Kowalkowski Robert S. Frye Scholarship Claire Gibbons Clarence G. Gerhold Memorial Scholarship Lauren Schmitt Dr. Joseph and Donna Glas Scholarship in memory of Professor James Westwater Sophie Friedman The Chester W. Hannum Scholarships Timothy Chen Ashley May Brandon Sprenger Edmund D. and Sara J. Heerdt Scholarships Xiaoxuan Lily Chen Hector Fuster Sarah Kuhl

Earp Jennings Chemical Engineering Scholarship Morgan Bakies John Latchum, Jr. Scholarship Awards Raymond Luo Jesus Sanchez Omega Chi Epsilon Scholarship Connie J. Wong Edward Onstott Chemical Engineering Scholarships Xuxia Nora Chen Kevin Erning Worth-Huff Rosebush Scholarship Jerome Davis III

to Sarah Laken (advisor Professor Brendan Harley) with “3D In Vitro Models of Brain Cancer.” Third place was awarded to Sarah Kuhl (advisor Charles Schroeder) with “Single Polymer Studies Using Microfluidic Devices.” Aimee Nugent was honored as a Knight of St. Patrick by the College of Engineering, which recognizes students for their leadership, excellence in character, and exceptional contribution to the college and its students. Being a Knight of St. Patrick is one of the highest honors a student can receive from the college.

Rohm & Haas Scholarship Award Yasheen Jadidi Thomas R. and Yolanda S. Stein Scholarships Jordan Blake Banks Nicholas Connolly Glenn E. and Barbara R. Ullyot Scholarship Omotola Okesanjo Brandon Rodgers R.J. Van Mynen Chemical Engineering Scholarship Pawel Grimm Bruno H. Wojcik Scholarship Dongkwan Lee

In addition to the scholarships awarded in April, several students were honored for their research presentations at the eighth annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The event showcases undergraduate research. First place went to Kevin Erning (advisor Professor Brendan Harley) with “Reinforcement of Collagen Scaffolds via Incorporation of Polycaprolactone Frame Enhances Mechanical Robustness.” Second place was given

Three students honored for academic achievement Congratulations to three graduating chemical engineering seniors whose names will be inscribed on the University of Illinois Bronze Tablets: Matthew Fischer, Bin Yeo, and Brett Llewellyn. Bronze Tablet students must have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA through the academic term prior to graduation, and rank in the top 3 percent of the students in their graduating class. The tradition of recognizing undergraduates dates back to 1925. Tablets are on view in the Main Library.

ChBE @ Illinois : 15

Chemical Engineering 2015 Convocation:

Congratulations graduates! Some students have landed jobs with leading energy companies. Others will join international food and beverage companies. A number of other students will head to graduate schools this fall. Faculty, family, friends and other supporters packed the Colwell Playhouse in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate a record number of students graduating this spring from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. A total of 135 students received their bachelor degrees at the May 17 convocation. Dr. Tom Tulig, a 1978 Illinois graduate and longtime Shell employee, was the featured speaker. He urged graduates to seize opportunities, keep their perspectives, have perseverance, be optimistic, “and then enjoy the ride!” “Along the way, be sure to both offer and accept support,” he said.

A Chicago native, Tulig graduated from Brother Rice High School and received his B.S. in chemical engineering from Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1983. Tulig has been with the Royal Dutch Shell Group of Companies his entire professional career. His initial assignment was in the reaction engineering department at Shell’s Westhollow Technology Center in Houston. He currently is the general manager for process development in Shell’s Projects and Technology organization. Throughout his career, Tulig has been a recruiter, campus visitor for the Shell Oil Foundation, and a member of the University of Illinois Engineering Advisory Committee. “When confronted with serious challenges requiring your leadership, perhaps these few questions may help

you assess the situation and allow you to influence the action to the positive,” Tulig said. “If life gives you a few lemons, make lemonade? Or maybe a crude electrochemical cell for us chemical engineering nerds?" Barbara Wilson, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, also spoke at the ChBE convocation. She reminded graduates to keep in touch with the campus and continue to share news of their careers with the department. And wear Illini colors. “I want to see more orange on Michigan Avenue, in Times Square, and at the Great Wall of China,” Wilson said.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Graduate Education

We celebrate our

GRADUATE STUDENTS Congratulations to our graduate students in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering who have been recently recognized for their accomplishments. Silver Award from Materials Research Society for Xi Yin Xi Yin, a graduate student in Professor Hong Yang’s research group, was recently honored as a Silver Awardee at the Materials Research Society’s spring meeting in San Francisco. The society’s graduate student awards recognize students whose academic achievements and research show a high level of excellence and distinction. The society also seeks to recognize students “of exceptional ability who show promise for significant future achievement in materials research.” Yin presented his research on Hanoi Tower-like multilayered palladium nanosheets, which are composed of hexagonal atomically thin layers and rotated against each other. He revealed the molecular level formation mechanism of these hexagonal nanosheets by identifying the key intermediate—palladium carbonylacetate cluster. He also correlated the adsorption strength of this cluster on

Xi Yin

Pd surface with the hexagonal shape of 2D nanosheets, supported by DFT calculation results. His work implies that the design of such molecular building blocks can effectively control the morphology of nano-sized products. The results were published in NanoLetters and Angew Chemie.

Amanda Marciel

American Physical Society honors Amanda Marciel Graduate student Amanda Marciel, who is currently a student in Associate Professor Charles Schroeder’s group, was recognized by the American Physical Society for her poster entitled, “Template-directed Synthesis of Structurally Defined Branched Polymer Architectures.” The poster received a first place poster prize at the 2015 APS March meeting in San Antonio. Marciel’s research aims to develop new polymers and block copolymers with precisely defined topologies for advanced materials applications. She received a $500 voucher to purchase a scientific textbook.

Megan Witzke

Ellen Qin

National Science Foundation Fellow Congratulations to graduate student Ellen Qin, who was recently awarded a Graduate Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Qin completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and is a student in Associate Professor Hyunjoon Kong's research group. The NSF awarded fellowships to 2,000 individuals from among 16,500 applications this year. Patrick Corona, a former member of Professor Charles Schroeder’s research group, was awarded an NSF Honorable Mention.

Daniel Reilly

A.T. Widiger Chemical Engineering Fellow Daniel Reilly, a student in Professor Charles Schroeder’s research group, was awarded the A.T. Widiger Chemical Engineering Fellowship for Summer 2015. This summer fellowship is supported by Al (B.S. '48) and Jan Widiger. Mavis Future Faculty Fellow Megan Witzke, a graduate student in Assistant Professor David Flaherty's group, has been selected as a 20152016 Mavis Future Faculty Fellow, a College of Engineering program designed to help doctoral students become the next generation of great engineering faculty.

ChBE @ Illinois : 17

NEW PROGRAM HELPS TO PAVE WAY FOR

MORE FEMALE FACULTY ENGINEERS Women in engineering at the University of Illinois have started a new program to encourage and support more females to enter academia as faculty. Illinois Female Engineers in Academia Training, or iFEAT, began when members of the Graduate Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE) at the university decided to leverage resources to make a change. The new program, iFEAT, helps women engineers prepare faculty application materials to help them pursue academic careers. They also learn more about the faculty application process and best practices for submitting their applications. The program addresses an ongoing, national issue—the shortage of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty positions. According to a report from the National Science Foundation, about 40 percent of women received doctoral degrees from 2002 to 2012. However, women held only 27 percent of tenure-track assistant professorships and fewer than 10 percent of tenured positions in engineering.

and Yanfen Li, a graduate student in bioengineering, the trio founded iFEAT to develop a community of scholars with supportive faculty. The program takes a two-pronged approach toward encouraging women to stay in academia, Mai said. “First, seminars and panels open candid discussions about various parts of the faculty application process and starting an academic career,” she said. “Second, students prepare tangible application materials that they give and receive feedback about in peer review groups.” Mai, a Mavis Future Faculty Fellow, said she had attended seminars and workshops about how to prepare for a faculty position. “These opportunities provided a lot of information, but there was little to no accountability for applying what I learned,” she said. Her involvement with iFEAT has solidified her wish to pursue an academic career. “After graduate school, I plan to expand my research horizons through postdoctoral research, after which I will apply for tenure-track faculty positions at research-oriented institutions.”

This year, 13 women participated in iFEAT, including one participant who applied for academic positions and has received several offers. The group plans to expand iFEAT next year to include postdoctoral researchers and advanced graduate students. “The faculty position application process is difficult and timeconsuming, so it is important to provide support for women who might feel alone in this stage of their career,” Mai said. “It is also important to sustain this program because gender diversity in engineering will not change over one, two, or five years. Universities should work toward providing steady resources for transient student and postdoctoral communities to make a lasting impact,” she added. The new program has received support from many faculty, and organizers expressed gratitude toward their advisor, Rohit Bhargava, Professor of Bioengineering and affiliate faculty member of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Associate Professor Charles Schroeder, Assistant Professor David Flaherty, and Assistant Professor Ying Diao.

“Awareness of these statistics provided a little extra motivation for us to create a thorough and sustainable program,” said Danielle Mai, a graduate student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and member of Associate Professor Charles Schroeder’s research lab. With assistance from Elizabeth Horstman, a chemical engineering graduate student and member of Professor Paul Kenis’ research group,

Chemical and biomolecular engineering graduate students Danielle Mai and Elizabeth Horstman and bioengineering graduate student Yanfen Li established iFEAT to support women pursuing careers in academia.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Faculty Research

EXPLORING NEW FRONTIERS Two more faculty join chemical engineering department Assistant Professors Ying Diao and Diwakar Shukla joined the department in January, bringing the total number of faculty to 17. They bring with them experience in molecular engineering, biophysics, and molecular assembly for energy and health care. Ying Diao Diao comes to the University of Illinois after serving as a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. Prior to that, she received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering and her M.S. in chemical engineering practice, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her B.S. in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University in China. Diao is glad to be at the University of Illinois and appreciates its long, excellent tradition of engineering innovation.

“ I very much value the

collegial, inclusive, and collaborative culture here, and the exceptional, nurturing environment created for the junior faculty. ” Assistant Professor Ying Diao

“I very much value the collegial, inclusive, and collaborative culture here, and the exceptional, nurturing environment created for the junior faculty,” she said. “As the home to Nobel Laureate John Bardeen, who jointly invented the transistor, I feel a special sense of connection to the university because a major part of my research is in the area of printed electronics.” Diao’s research is driven by the urge to change the way organic functional materials are manufactured by replacing energy-intensive and environmentally-costly processes with more eco-friendly methods. Diao’s goal is to use solution printing to make advanced materials such as electronic papers, solar cells, and medicines. “Currently these materials are made using processes that are much less energy efficient,” said Diao, who is a Dow Chemical Company Faculty Scholar. Diao’s group is working to decipher how molecules self-assemble into functional materials and to develop

device methods to control the molecular assembly process. These molecular assembly processes follow the same principle governing the formation of snow crystals. However, the understanding of such processes in the context of solution printing, a highly non-equilibrium process, has not been clearly understood. Diao, who is curious by nature, says the process that molecules assemble into crystals fascinates her. “On the other hand, it is deeply concerning how human activities such as material manufacturing are changing the environment around us,” she said. “This research direction marries my curiosity with my sense of mission.” For her first semester on campus, Diao is teaching ChBE 421: Momentum and Heat Transfer with Assistant Professor Brendan Harley. “I like interacting with young minds and it is fulfilling to participate in their intellectual growth,” she said. When not in the lab or teaching class, Diao enjoys listening to classical music and playing and watching sports.

ChBE @ Illinois : 19

Professor Shukla uses cloud-computing

For Diwakar Shukla, coming to the University of Illinois allows him to perform exciting research in computational and theoretical biophysics. Shukla, who is a Blue Waters Assistant Professor in the department, also is an affiliate faculty in the Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Computational Science & Engineering Program and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

approaches to study the molecular basis of drug-induced signaling in G-Protein Coupled Receptors, which are key receptors involved in sensing light, hormones, drugs etc. and implicated in a variety of diseases. The image shows the structure of a G-Protein Coupled Receptor (blue cloud) bound to a drug molecule and surrounded by lipid membrane (yellow cloud).

Diwakar Shukla “The presence of NCSA, Blue Waters Supercomputer (one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world), and several renowned theoretical and computational biology research groups on campus make it an ideal place for my research,” he said. Shukla began his career at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, India, where he received B. Tech. and M. Tech. degrees in chemical engineering. He then joined MIT where he received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering. Before coming to Illinois, he completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. His group’s main research interest is the combined use of theory, computation, and experiments to develop quantitative models of biological phenomena relevant to health and the environment. One of the current projects in Shukla’s lab involves the use of molecular simulations to gain new insights into proteins involved in cellular signaling related to chronic pain, asthma, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders. For example, 70 million Americans suffer from chronic pain – more than from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. “Yet the fundamental causes of pain are still not completely understood, and an effective, safe means for treatment unclear,” Shukla explained. “A detailed mechanistic understanding of these proteins will provide us with key insights that can guide the development of next generation analgesics.”

“The university

His research also extends these ideas to investigate stress-related response in plants. Much as adrenaline coursing through our veins drives our body's reactions to stress, the plant hormones are behind plants' responses to stressful situations such as water and nutrient shortage, fluctuations in temperature, light, and carbon dioxide concentration. “However, the molecular understanding of these stress and energy signaling enzymes in plants remains elusive,” he said. “I plan to investigate these systems in collaboration with plant biologists on campus, leveraging our strengths in plant and computational biology.” For Shukla, pursuing these problems gives him an opportunity to “learn something new and pull me out of my comfort zone.” Shukla has an interest in astronomy that goes back to his days in high school when he participated in the International Astronomy Olympiad at one of the largest optical telescopes in the world in southern Russia. He plans to pursue this hobby in Urbana and Champaign, which provide ample opportunities for stargazing.

provides me an opportunity to explore new frontiers of science with help from experts in different fields. The problems that my group is trying to address present some of the most important challenges of interest to society because of the rise in human population and global warming.” Assistant Professor Diwakar Shukla

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Alumni

AMY STABELL

FORBES “30 UNDER 30” HONOREE AT FOREFRONT OF NANOMATERIALS INDUSTRY

Process engineering, quality engineering, health and safety programming – Amy Stabell has those areas covered. Shipping and receiving? Those too. As pilot operations manager at an advanced materials start-up, Stabell designed the company’s first pilot reactor (and a full-scale reactor to be installed next year) and manages production and logistics. “In a large company, roles tend to be siloed. A process engineer works on process. A quality engineer looks at quality data. In a startup, you do everything. … I like the chance to learn lots of things,” Stabell said. Back in 2007 as graduation neared and seniors were weighing their futures (continue in academia or pursue a job in industry?), Stabell said her decision was an easy one. “I wanted to go into manufacturing because I enjoy making things,” she said. Since graduation Stabell has made a name for herself in manufacturing. Last year she was honored by the Manufacturing Institute with a Step Award, which honors women who excel in leadership and performance in manufacturing. Earlier this year Forbes included Stabell in its 30 Under 30 list, an annual feature that highlights 30 “young entrepreneurs, movers and shakers” in 20 different fields from style to the sciences. Stabell was named to the manufacturing list.

Forbes recognized Stabell for her work at Pixelligent, a growing Baltimore company that makes lighting more efficient. As a member of the Forbes list, she’s had the opportunity to network with other honorees, including fellow Illinois alumna Canan Dagdeviren, who received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. Sold on Illinois Raised in southwest Illinois, Stabell attended Alton High School. The daughter of two doctors (her mother studied chemical engineering at Illinois in the 1970s), she loved chemistry. Her physics teacher suggested engineering as a career path and that she visit the University of Illinois. Stabell signed up for a weekend retreat sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers. “It was awesome. I was pretty much sold on it,” she recalled. She stayed in a residence hall with a fellow engineering student, attended an entry-level calculus course and toured the campus. While applying to other schools (Cal Tech, MIT), she received an offer of admission from Illinois through its early admissions process. She stopped filling out other school applications. Stabell’s freshmen and sophomore years were tough. She found the education she received at her southern Illinois public high school was quite different from those her peers received at elite schools in the Chicago region. “Classes that were easy for others were not easy for me. I spent a lot of time on my school work,” she said of those first two years. Stabell powered through. She made friends with fellow chemical

engineering students, took up swing dancing, participated in Engineering Open House, and worked on the newsletter for the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She remembers lecturer Marina Miletic as being “hugely influential.” “She was a tough grader. She was a very good, dedicated teacher. It was obvious she cared” about students, Stabell said. Stabell’s first job out of college was with PPG Industries. As a process engineer at the Cleveland facility, she focused on reducing variations in their paint products. Due to the recession and several plant closures, she also worked in scaling up processes. In Cleveland, Stabell connected with an organization called Minds Matter. She spent Saturdays working with teens who had strong grade point averages, but needed extra help preparing for SAT exams and navigating the college application process. She and other young professionals mentored the students

“ In a large company,

roles tend to be siloed. A process engineer works on process. A quality engineer looks at quality data. In a startup, you do everything. … I like the chance to learn lot of things.

”

Amy Stabell, B.S. '07

ChBE @ Illinois : 21

Amy Stabell

B.S. chemical engineering, 2007

with the goal of helping them get into summer programs. While there, she also kickstarted a program that offered one-on-one tutoring for students. Nanomaterials for electronics Because her work in Cleveland was mostly mechanical, not chemical, eventually Stabell asked for a transfer to more of a chemistry-related division with PPG in Milwaukee, where she was for 1.5 years. In order to move closer to her now-husband, Kavi Abraham (they married in 2013), who was accepted into a graduate school at Johns Hopkins University, the couple moved to Baltimore. Stabell joined Pixelligent, which manufactures nanomaterials for the electronics industry, in 2012. At the time, the start-up was comprised of about 15 employees. Now there are approximately 40. Pixelligent manufactures PixClear, which are nanocrystal dispersions for solid state lighting and flat panel display industries. Stabell oversaw the development of a hightemperature, high-pressure reactor for manufacturing the materials. “Many nanomaterial companies have failed trying to scale beyond the beaker and test-tube phase. Pixelligent’s chemistry and the process myself and my fellow engineers have designed is capable of 6 tons/year today, and 40 tons/year by 2016,” she said. Pixelligent also is involved in the development of OLEDs, or organic light emitting diodes, technology that is expected to replace compact fluorescents. The company is working with partners who are exploring OLED applications in places like

hospitals. For example, in OLEDs certain additives can turn off wavelengths of light and because studies show that blue light keeps people awake, lights that only emit red light might be useful in hospitals at night when patients need to sleep, but employees need to work. “We’re not making the devices, but our products are essential to making those devices efficient,” Stabell said. Pixelligent also is involved in a project with the Department of Energy to develop low-friction lubricants aimed at improving fuel efficiency.

Employment history PPG Industries, Huber Engineered Materials, Pixelligent Technologies

Volunteering Minds Matter, Cleveland

Family Husband Kavi Abraham

Residence Baltimore, Md.

Working on PixClear are nanocrystal dispersions for solid state lighting and flat panel display industries. At Pixelligent, Stabell oversaw development of the high-temperature, high–pressure reactor for manufacturing the materials.

“ I wanted

to go into manufacturing because I enjoy making things. ” Amy Stabell, B.S. '07

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Alumni

29 PATENTS AND COUNTING:

JOE SANT'ANGELO It was around 1 or 2 a.m. and Joe Sant’Angelo had just finished processing high-speed photographs of heat transfer and was on his way back to Newman Hall. “It was a beautiful snowy night. The lights were on and I was halfway across the Quad when the Altgeld bells started chiming. I’ll never forget it,” he said of one of his many fond memories of Illinois. Those high-speed photography experiments under the guidance of Dr. James W. Westwater would garner Sant’Angelo an award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and help launch his career, one that would span more than half a century and include work on everything from reactors for the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to flame-resistant astronaut suits.

As a child of Italian immigrant parents, he had a natural curiosity of all things around him. His father made his own wine and his mother canned tomatoes. A neighbor had a photo studio. Chemistry fascinated him. He passed his time at his hometown library in Passaic, and to save money for college he ran the photo department in the local sporting goods store. At 18, he entered the U.S. Air Force and eventually made his way to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, where he would become the base photographer. At Chanute he met a University of Illinois professor who invited him to visit the campus and arranged a job for him in the university’s visual aid department. He enrolled in chemical engineering.

“I was mechanically inclined and curious about things. Chemical engineering was the best fit,” he said. When Professor Westwater learned of Sant’Angelo’s photography skills, he encouraged the young student to take pictures of the heat transfer of boiling. It was a challenging task and one other researchers had struggled with. Westwater suggested using a copper tube heated by steam in a glass box containing methanol. Sant’Angelo constructed the unit and built the photographic system—taking motion pictures at 4,000 frames per second and still photos at one-millionth of a second—to capture the heat transfer mechanisms from convection, nucleate and film boiling. The pictures

Retirement for Sant’Angelo has involved fishing, boating, and some golf, but it’s also revolved around developing new technology such as breathable fire extinguishing gas and liquid bandages. With 29 plus patents to his name, Sant’Angelo has found success in research and development and credits Illinois for building the foundation for that success. Early interests Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Sant’Angelo said it was pure luck that he happened to become a student at the University of Illinois. Joe Sant'Angelo, B.S. '54, and his wife Cecile Sant'Angelo

ChBE @ Illinois : 23

student research paper of the year. It was later published in Chemical Engineering Progress and Scientific American. Westwater asked him to stay on to work on a Ph.D. degree, but Sant’Angelo, after spending the summer at Celanese Research Labs in New Jersey, decided to enter research and development. At the time, Celanese was looking for people to work on a new polymer, cellulose triacetate, for its “wash and wear” and permanent crease fabric. After graduation, Sant’Angelo returned to Celanese to commercialize the product.

Sant'Angelo at Chanute Air Force Base

showed conduction waves, the formation rise and coalescence of bubbles, and the vapor film around the copper tube. Westwater signed him up for the 1953 AIChE annual convention in St. Louis to present his paper on high speed photographing of heat transfer. But the first photos were not turning out. Sant’Angelo experimented with many different lighting and camera arrangements until excellent pictures were achieved, complimenting his heat transfer calculations where every BTU had to be accounted for. The high speed motion pictures captured the complete heat transfer mechanisms, which provided a new visual understanding of the heat transfer curve, he said. “Two weeks before the convention (Westwater) comes running into my area, “Joe! The last films were beautiful, clear as could be!” Sant’Angelo presented that paper and received the award for best

From photos to PBI After several years of commercializing cellulose triacetate with Celanese, Sant’Angelo was recruited by the Atomic Energy Commission, which was interested in hiring people with backgrounds in heat transfer. After much convincing, he moved to Pittsburgh and joined the team designing and building nuclear reactors for the USS Enterprise. “I didn’t know much about nuclear reaction, but I did know about heat transfer and fluid flow. I learned as we went along,” he said. During the construction phase in Idaho he had the responsibility to either accept or reject any components in the reactor that deviated from the engineering drawings, and to optimize the placement of nuclear fuel in the reactors. “I would not know for many years if I had made the correct decisions,” he said. The 1,123-foot-long USS Enterprise, with its eight nuclear reactors, launched in 1960. It would remain in service for over 50 years, becoming the oldest active duty ship in the U.S. Naval fleet. The USS Enterprise was inactivated in 2012. Working on the carrier provided Sant’Angelo with a great sense of satisfaction, but after it was finished,

he was ready to return to basic chemical engineering-type of projects. Back at Celanese, he became involved in a number of different projects, most notably on a new polymer with Illinois ties. On Jan. 27, 1967, three astronauts with Apollo 1, the first manned lunar program, were killed in a cabin fire that occurred during a launch test at Cape Canaveral. The U.S. Air Force suspended the mission, launched an investigation and later issued a request for bids from companies interested in developing heat and flame-resistant fabrics. Carl Shipp Marvel Enter Illinois chemistry professor Carl Shipp Marvel and Celanese. Marvel, a pioneer in synthetic polymers, had been working on heat-resistant polymers at Illinois. Could a fiber and fabric be made out of the new polymer? Did the polymer (called polybenzimidazole, or PBI) have commercial potential? Sant’Angelo and the company would set out to answer those questions. After about two or three years of work, Marvel was invited to Celanese’s pilot plant. Marvel “was a terrific organic chemistry professor. He was personable and had a great sense of humor,” Sant’Angelo said. “The last time he saw PBI was probably in a small reactor, so seeing large reactors producing polymer, spinning columns producing fibers, and looms making the fabric, he was like a kid in toy shop,” said Sant’Angelo, who was also just as excited to demonstrate to his former professor the company’s progress. In addition to being heat and flameresistant, the new fibers retained their strength and flexibility when exposed to flame. PBI has become a vital material to the aerospace, military and motor sports industry, as well as to emergency responders such as firefighters.

MassTransfer : Spring/Summer 2015

Alumni

Sant’Angelo would spend another 12 years at Celanese, in the research labs and in the corporate commercial development department. In addition to working on PBI, he also worked on carbon fibers, foamed cellulose for disposable diapers, polyurethane elastic fibers, highly-efficient cigarette filters, and more. Fire extinguishing gas, copolymers After Celanese, Sant’Angelo moved to Air Products and Chemicals to become the company’s director of research. There he was involved in a process used by paper mills to reduce the smell and recover heat generated by the oxygen used. He also worked on supercritical CO2 extraction of tea, oxygen bleaching and pulping to replace chlorine, and many other projects. He spent 20 years at Air Products and while there was part of its recruiting team and brought in many Illinois chemical engineering graduates. What he found most interesting at Air Products was the development of a breathable fire extinguishing gas. Made of 10 to 15 percent oxygen, 3 percent carbon dioxide, and the rest nitrogen, Sant’Angelo said the product was created in conjunction with Christian Lambertsen, who was credited with developing the Navy’s “frogman breathers.”

With Dr. Perry Robins, an emeritus dermatology professor from New York University Medical Center, he’s also working on carbon dioxide polymers for medical applications. The first application is in liquid bandages, which has received FDA approval. “In the tests we’ve run, it’s killed every bacteria we could get ahold of, including MRSA,” he said. After Air Products he was involved with PAC Polymers, Inc. (now called Empower Materials) to commercialize poly(alkylene carbonate) copolymers and was affiliated with it until 2000. Throughout his career, Sant’Angelo was offered other positions in companies, but his heart has always been in research and development and he valued his time to develop new ideas. For example, when he was at Celanese he was allowed to spend 15 percent of his time working on anything he wanted, and that led to development of systems such as a new, faster spinneret that would be installed at a factory in Mexico. Of all the patents to his name, Sant’Angelo said “those are related to the education I got at Illinois. My education there was second to none.”

B.S. chemical engineering, 1954

Advisor James Westwater

Employment history Celanese, Atomic Energy Commission, Air Products and Chemicals, PAC Polymers

Family Wife Cecile (58 years married), four daughters

Residence Allentown, Pa. and Naples, Fla.

Working on Elastic skin liquid bandage (cleared FDA, in marketing and sales phase); breathable fire extinguishing gas (building full-scale prototype fire truck to be tested at UI Fire Service Institute; funding phase); nontoxic tobacco substitute material (in testing and funding stage).

“ I was

Twenty years later the technology can be found in countries around the world. Current projects In recent years Sant’Angelo has been working on replacing the tanks of that system with a membrane unit that does not require tanks. He plans to install the membrane system on a full-scale fire truck (with the goal of making the system portable) and test it at the U of I’s Fire Service Institute. In addition to being a product for fire departments, Sant’Angelo envisions its use in places like tunnels, submarines or aircraft, “any place where you want to make the atmosphere nonexplosive and where people can breathe.”

Joe Sant’Angelo

mechanically inclined and curious about things. Chemical engineering was the best fit. ” Joe Sant'Angelo, B.S. '54

Sant'Angelo and classmate Harold Larson, B.S. '53, setting up their pilot plant operation.

ChBE @ Illinois : 25

MassTransfer : Winter 2014

Class Notes Richard P. Gonzalez, BS ’81, has been named director of the division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns at Loyola University Health System. Dr. Gonzalez received his medical degree from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed a surgical residency at the University of Illinois Metro Group and the University of Florida, Jacksonville.

Bob Johnston, BS ’87, has been named by ExxonMobil as the chemical plant site manager in Baton Rouge. Johnston began his career with Exxon in 1987, working in polymers manufacturing and holding a variety of global managerial positions.

Clinton Kent, BS ’96, has been named vice president, sales & customer service for StandardAero’s components business unit. Kent previously served as director of corporate development for StandardAero. Kent joined StandardAero in 2007 and holds an MBA and master’s degree in engineering management from Northwestern University.

This May the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering was thrilled to welcome back Walt Robb, Ph.D. '51.

Walt Robb

managers at all levels. What prompted Robb to write the book, he said, was his concern that corporations have become too risk adverse and reliant on buying startups to acquire new technology. "As I look back on my own career, all of my real successes were because somebody took a risk with me and I took a risk doing something to be different," said Robb, who studied under Harry Drickamer. Robb, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for his foresight and leadership in the MRI and CT imaging industry. He is a recipient of the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award and the President’s Medallion.

In “The Real-Life MBA,” Jack and Suzy Welch draw on their experiences of working with businesses around the world to share advice on how to "create great organizations, build high-powered teams, and forge fulfilling careers in today's new business environment." Welch is the former CEO of GE and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Timothy M. McCarthy, BS ’77, has been named an adjunct professor at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. He teaches the technology and intellectual property clinic, which provides patent, trademark and copyright law services to clients who cannot afford to pay private firms for such services.

Robb, a retired executive with GE, visited with undergraduate and graduate students, met with faculty and staff and toured his old stomping grounds in Roger Adams Laboratory. The department also hosted a book signing and reception. Robb is the author of the new book, "Taking Risks: Getting Ahead in Business and Life." The book delves into Robb's approach to life and business and includes advice for students and new graduates, technology start-ups, and

Jack Welch, Ph.D. '61, and his wife Suzy Welch published a new book this spring called, "The Real-Life MBA: Your No-BS Guide to Winning the Game, Building a Team, and Growing your Career."

Thanks to Corey Correnti, B.S. ’85, retiring senior vice president with BP, for his years of building relations between BP and the university. Chancellor Phyllis Wise this spring held an appreciation dinner for him and his wife Debbie

Timothy M. McCarthy

Correnti, who also is an Illinois chemical engineering graduate (B.S. ’84).

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Giving

The Chemical Engineering Legacy Fellows at Illinois: Honoring the Past, Investing in the Future A Centennial of Excellence in Graduate Education The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois has a 100-year tradition of providing outstanding graduate education through world-class research supervised by its excellent faculty. The department wishes to continue to attract the best and brightest graduate students to Illinois and provide them with the skills and tools they need to change the world.

The Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Legacy Fellowships program seeks to raise a $10 million endowment to attract the nation’s top students and to provide them with fellowships during their first year of study. Support the Legacy Fellowships to: • Honor the legacy of a faculty member/your research advisor. • Create your legacy at Illinois. • Bring the best and brightest graduate students to Illinois. • Sustain excellent graduate and undergraduate education at Illinois.

Establishing the Legacy Fellowship endowment for first-year graduate students offers alumni like yourself a wonderful opportunity to honor the legacy of your Ph.D. research advisor or to establish your personal legacy to celebrate your time as a graduate student.

Contact us today to arrange your gift or pledge a future gift.

“ But for century after century the university will continue, and the stream of life will pass through it, and the thinker and seeker will be bound together in the undying cause of bringing thought into the world. To be a member of one of these great societies must — Poet John Masefield ever be a glad distinction…

”

Giving to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering You can make a gift to the department online, by phone, or using the enclosed envelope in this newsletter. Your funds may be used toward specific areas and programs within the department including professorships, graduate fellowships, scholarships, and upgrades to teaching and research facilities. Your gift continues to support the department’s education, teaching, and excellence.

Lauren E. B. Dodge Associate Director of Development (217) 333-7108 (office) (217) 766-6168 (cell) [email protected]

V I S I T C H B E . I L L I N O I S . E D U /A L U M N I - A N D - F R I E N D S / G I V I N G

Matthew Campion Assistant Director of Development (217) 244-1103 (office) (309) 360-7589 (cell) [email protected]

ChBE @ Illinois : 27

GIVING BACK

Supporting the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Gifts to the department provide scholarships for students, allow us to improve our instructional laboratories, and support groundbreaking research for our faculty. When you give to the department, you support our students, our faculty, our mission, and our future. Donors are recognized annually in Mass Transfer. The list of donors includes individuals whose gifts to the department were dated between May 1, 2014 to March 1, 2015. We check the list carefully, but if we have overlooked you or if you wish to be removed from the list and not have your named published, please contact us at (217) 244-9214 or [email protected].

$25,000 + Mr. Dennis M. Houston Shen Family*

$10,000-$24,999 Dr. Ronald L. and Mrs. Rosemary U. Clendenen Mr. Val J. Krukonis Dr. Ray A. and Mrs. Beverly K. Mentzer Mr. James M. Morris Mr. Daniel B. Mowrey Mr. William G. and Mrs. Phyllis Gerhold Scanlan Dr. Thomas Robert and Mrs. Yolanda Shirley Stein Mr. Ronald Van Mynen Mr. Al Widiger

$5,000-$9,999 Dr. Christopher Luis and Mrs. Karin Anne Burcham Mr. Ronald E. Corn Dr. Howard W. Cox Jr. and Mrs. Mary S. Cox Dr. Gary R. and Ms. Helen Rittgarn Dowling Mr. James M. Hall Dr. Edmund D. and Mrs. Sara J. Heerdt Mr. William J. Holly Jr. and Mrs. Lynette R. Holly Dr. Wayne J. Howell Mr. David A. and Mrs. Sandra E. Jacober Mr. Mark G. and Mrs. Lisa Jakel Ms. Katherine E. Thurman

$2,500-$4,999 Dr. John L. and Mrs. Patricia S. Anderson Mr. James O. Bright Mr. Corey Turner and Mrs. Deborah Roberts Correnti Mr. Robert W. and Mrs. Sheila R. Johnston Mr. George C. Kinstedt

Mr. Thomas E. and Mrs. Marian C. Milling Mrs. Mary S. Onstott Mr. Raymond Martin Pasteris Mr. Keith E. and Mrs. Kelley Reese Dr. L. Philip and Mrs. Sally Q.* Reiss Mr. Robert J. and Mrs. Eryn C. Finke Schneider Mr. Frederick J. Szymanski Mr. Erik J. Wilhelmi

$1,000-$2,499 Mrs. Jenny and Mr. Gilbert A. Ankenbauer Mr. Charles Neel Bell and Ms. Catherine E. Bracken Mr. Donald L. Blanke Dr. Ruth A. Broussard and Mr. Ray W. West Jr. Dr. Juh Wah and Mrs. Han Lin Chen Dr. Elmer L. Dougherty Mrs. Lavon G. Engen Dr. Jimell Erwin Mr. Donald Esarove Ms. Christilyn P. Graff Dr. John Windsor Harding Mr. John D. Ludowise Dr. Richard W. and Mrs. Myra C. Lynch Mr. Eugene C. MacMullan Mr. Stephen T. McLin Mr. David T. and Mrs. Valerie A. Parker Mr. Joseph E. Pazero Jr. and Mrs. Angela Pazero Dr. Floy Pelletier Dr. William R. and Mrs. Jane G. Schowalter Dr. James L. Snyder Bruce E. and Susan J. Stangeland Mr. Gary Keith and Mrs. Stacey L. Weaver Stenerson Dr. Eugene R. and Dr. Michele M. Thomas Dr. Richard J. Yoder

$750-$999 Mr. Donald P. Brand Dr. Robert N. and Mrs. Constance Tazewell Eby Dr. Shun C. Fung Dr. George A. and Mrs. Kathleen D. McConaghy Mr. Steven Probst Dr. Douglas L. Relyea

$500-$749 Mr. Eugene J. and Mrs. Sandra K. Antas Dr. Victor C. and Mrs. Ellen Kay Bastron Dr. James R. and Mrs. Margaret G. Bragg Mr. Evan Buck Mr. Dennis B. Butts Mr. Gregory Allan Dodson Ms. Heather A. and Mr. Jeff Fleitz Ms. Debra R. Hughes Ms. Jane E. Killebrew-Galeski Dr. John F. Lang Ms. Laura Jean Linn Mr. Paul E. Morrisroe Dr. Kirk Alan Nass and Mr. Michael E. Gillespie Mr. Randall R. and Mrs. Karen M. Portelli Dr. James H. Richardson Mr. Mark S. Rothas Dr. Stanley A. Vejtasa Mr. Alex J. Vogel Dr. Darsh T. Wasan Dr. Donald E. and Mrs. Phyllis Batten Woodmansee Dr. Christopher J. Young

$1-$499 Ms. Smitha Ajjampur Mr. William D. and Mrs. Ann M. Albright Dr. Arthur W. Aldag Jr. Mr. George T. and Mrs. Carol D. Allen

Mr. Hatem M. Al-Mosa Mr. Raymond C. Anderson Dr. Joseph D. Augspurger Mr. Donald W. Bahr Mr. Norbert P. Barr Mr. John K. and Mrs. Ellen M. Bassett Dr. Jack S. Berger Mr. Forrest H. Blanding* Mr. Mark F. and Mrs. Patricia L. Bolek Dr. David L. Bondurant Mr. Joseph A. Bonucci Dr. Walter M. Buehl Jr. Dr. John H. and Mrs. Lisa L. Burban Dr. Edward D. and Mrs. Carol W. Burger Dr. Wesley R. Burghardt and Ms. Angela M. Stramaglia Mr. Joseph J. and Mrs. Nancy A. Burkhardt Dr. Edward Kwang Sing Chien Dr. Cathy Chu Mr. Richard J. Coser Dr. Frank A. Cutler Jr. Mr. Richard Arthur Dannells Jr. Mr. Donald G. Daus Mr. Darren R. Davis and Ms. Bryna D. Goeckner Mr. Brian C. and Mrs. Greta L. Davison Mr. Lindsey C. Deal Mr. Gerald DeCesaro Dr. Peter W. Deutsch Dr. Joseph E. and Mrs. Ruth B. Doninger Mr. Arthur C. and Mrs. Ardeth Dreshfield Ms. Lynn L. Drickamer Dr. Ronald S. Eisinger Dr. Fred J. Endelman Mr. Yusuf Esat Mr. Scott D. Fluegel Dr. James A. and Mrs. Peggy A. Folta Dr. Curtis W. Frank * Deceased

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Giving

Mr. Alan R. and Mrs. Susan Gerling Mr. Joe D. Goddard Ms. Kathryn E. Gordon Dr. Thomas R. Gow Jr. and Mrs. Catherine J. Gow Mr. James K. and Mrs. Pamela Wade Grant Dr. Kenneth R. Graziani Mr. James A. Greiner David S. Hacker PhD and Elaine S. Hacker MD Mr. Gary A. and Mrs. Marife F. Hacker Dr. Kenneth W. Haley Mr. Daniel J. and Mrs. Jerri R. F. Hanus Dr. Walter L. Heitz Dr. Arnold and Mrs. Myrna B. Hershman Mr. Dell R. Hummel Mr. N. Dean Hupp Dr. R. Bruce and Mrs. Sandra S. Huston Mr. Joseph V. and Mrs. Clare M. Idaszak Mr. Scott A. and Mrs. Margaret L. Idlas Mr. Paul W. Jahn Mr. Michael C. and Mrs. Katherine E. Johnson Mr. Dean H. Joneson Dr. Scott W. Jorgensen Dr. John L. Kardos Ms. Mary C. Kees Mr. Gene M. Kibler Mr. Timothy R. and Mrs. Priscilla M. Kluge Dr. Thomas J. Kulp Mr. Aivars Kuplis Dr. Dale A. and Mrs. Joan Fleming Kyser Mr. James W. and Mrs. Carol M. Larson Dr. G. Kenneth Lewis Jr. Dr. Lembit U. and Mrs. Karen V. Lilleleht Mr. Thomas L. Maguire Mr. Daniel L. Mahon Dr. James Christopher and Mrs. Sandra H. Marek Dr. Paul M. and Mrs. Lisa A. Matthews Mr. Earl E. Meister III and Mrs. Cynthia S. Meister

Dr. A. Asghar and Mrs. Firouzeh B. Mirarefi Dr. James E. and Mrs. Patricia D. Mitchell Mr. Merton Morse Mr. Charles T. Moses Mr. Daniel R. and Mrs. Patti Nelson Dr. Stephen C. Netemeyer Dr. Patrick K. and Dr. May C. Ng Mr. Kevin C. and Mrs. Melinda Oberly Dr. Gary A. and Mrs. Ellen K. O'Neill Dr. Norman C. Otto Mrs. Peggy J. Pikna Mr. Lawrence J. Pubentz Jr. Mr. Benjamin Michael Rathsack Mrs. Josephine E. Reid Mr. Andrej A. B. Remec Dr. Billy M. Riggleman Mr. Ralph M. and Mrs. Georgia M. Robinson Mr. William C. and Mrs. Debbie Rooney Dr. Edward M. Rosen Mr. Mark H. Ross Mr. Joseph G. Sant’Angelo and Mrs. Cecile A. Sant’Angelo Dr. Ronald L. Saxton Mrs. Carol S. Scheele Mr. Robert A. Schnell Dr. Loren B. and Mrs. Dora Schreiber Dr. Robert H. and Mrs. Georgia Schwaar Mr. David L. Schwartz and Ms. Naomi F. Katz Ms. Theresa Scott Dr. Kamalesh K. and Mrs. Keka Sirkar Mr. Norman B.* and Mrs. Marilyn J. Smith Dr. Mark A. Stanish Mr. Steven R. Stoker and Mrs. Julie Grohmann Mrs. Irene B. Strohbeen Mr. Eric F. and Mrs. Beth A. Sweeney Dr. Louis J. Tichacek Dr. Mark A. Tracy Dr. David Mark Trampe Mr. Nicholas H. Tripsas Dr. Theodore T. Tsotsis and Ms.

Betty S. Foreman Dr. Craig E. Tyner Dr. Marc N. Viera Mr. Donald E. and Mrs. Susan R. Warren Dr. Theodore H. Wegner Mr. Seth R. Wessels Dr. Lawrence R. and Mrs. Tamila R. Williams Mr. Kenneth E. and Mrs. Carolyn Wolf Dr. P. T. Woo Stephen E. Zitney PhD

Corporate and Foundation Support $25,000+ AbbVie Inc. American Chemical Society AO Foundation Research Fund Bristol-Myers Squibb Company The David and Lucile Packard Foundation The Dow Chemical Company ExxonMobil Foundation Genentech USA 3M Foundation

$10,000-$24,999 BP Products North America, Inc. Chevron Corporation ExxonMobil Corporation of Irving, Texas

$5,000-$9,999 The Ayco Charitable Foundation The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Chevron Phillips Chemical Company The Illini 4000 for Cancer Shell Oil Company Shell Oil Company Foundation

$2,500-$4,999 Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Pasteris Energy, Inc.

$1,000-$2,499

BP Foundation Chevron Corporation Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP ExxonMobil Corporation of Fairfax, Va.) Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Intel Foundation Kimberly-Clark Corporation Neenah Nonwovens Facility The McLin Family Foundation Pfizer Foundation The Procter & Gamble Fund Sigma-Aldrich Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

$750-$999 Sage Environmental Consulting

$500-$749 Anheuser-Busch Foundation DCP Midstream General Mills Foundation Shell of Grand Rapids, Mich.

$1-$499 Abbott Fund Anheuser Busch Company Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants BASF Corporation Dow Corning Corporation ExxonMobil of Spring, Texas General Mills, Inc. Hillshire Brands Hospira Employee Giving Campaign IBM Matching Grants Program Illinois Tool Works Foundation Integrys Energy Group, Inc. Kraft Foods Group, Inc. LyondellBasell Marathon Petroleum Merck Partnership for Giving Nalco Champion Schwab Charitable Fund UOP LLC, A Honeywell Company USG Foundation

American Endowment Foundation * Deceased

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In Memoriam

In Memoriam Walter G. May, a distinguished professor emeritus of chemical engineering at the University of Illinois, passed away on Feb. 18, 2015, in Savoy, Ill. He was 97 years old. Professor May joined the chemical engineering department in 1983 after a long career with Exxon. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his contributions to engineering theory and practice in fluidization, highenergy propellants, LNG technology, and centrifugal isotope separation. An admired and enthusiastic educator, he taught the capstone design course and served as faculty advisor for the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. May retired from Illinois in 1990. Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, he received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan. He earned a doctor of science degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1943 he joined the faculty of the University of Saskatchewan as a professor of chemical engineering. In 1948, he began a distinguished career with Exxon Research and Engineering Company, where he was a senior science advisor from 1976 to 1983.

Walt G. May

Professor May had a particular interest in separations research and throughout his career he published extensively, served on editorial boards of Reviews in Chemical Engineering and Chemical Engineering Progress, and held numerous patents. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and received awards from AIChE and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He also served as a member of the National Research Council Committee on Alternative Chemical Demilitarization Technologies, the Stockpile Committee, and the Committee on Decontamination and Decommissioning of Uranium Enrichment Facilities. Forrest H. Blanding, ’39 BS, passed away on November 30, 2014, at age 97. He graduated from the University of Illinois with highest honors in 1939 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University in 1940. He worked for 34 years with Exxon Corporation in research, marketing, and business areas, and retired as a product executive in 1974. Mr. Blanding held about 20 U.S. patents on industrial processes and developed and supervised Exxon's first major use of computers in scientific research starting in the 1940s. He wrote two books, The Pulse Point Plan and Cardiofitness Can Save Your Life, both focusing on the importance of exercise in life. During retirement, he developed and maintained a website and computer model about research in health and longevity. Craig Mitchell Christensen, ’53 BS, passed away on February 20, 2015, at age 83. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1953 and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Cornell

University in 1961. Dr. Christensen was employed by the BF Goodrich Co., later Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co, from 1960 to 1988, and was a manager of logistics systems and operations methods. He joined the University of Akron as a part-time instructor in 1988 and became a full-time instructor in the marketing department in 1991. Mr. Christensen was a member of the American Chemical Society and the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors for more than 50 years. Duane Leslie Flint, ’56 MS, ’58 PhD, died April 2, 2015, at 85 years old. Born in Cedaredge, Colo., Dr. Flint earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Washington State College and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After his service, he earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from Illinois. Beginning in 1960, he worked for 30 years at Union Oil in Brea, Calif., where he met his wife of 48 years, Carmen Montaño Martinet. Dr. Flint was known for his knowledge of pilot plant reactors and he pushed for the use of desktop computers prior to their becoming ubiquitous in offices. Gilbert Gavlin, ’41 BS, passed away on September 11, 2014, in Berlin, Germany. Born in Chicago, he graduated with honors from the University of Illinois in 1941 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He moved to Cornell University to start work on his chemistry Ph.D. with Professor W. T. Miller, but was drawn into the war effort. From 1943 to 1946, he worked with the Manhattan District of the Atomic Energy Commission, first at Columbia University and later at the Oak Ridge facility of the Tennessee Eastman Corporation (now Oak Ridge National Laboratory). Separation of fissionable Uranium-235 from stable Uranium-238 by gaseous diffusion of highly reactive UF6

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In Memoriam

he focused on novel methods for the dehydration of natural gas streams with the Gas Research Institute.

Gilbert Gavlin

required materials of high resistance like Teflon, polymerized C2F4. When Teflon’s physical properties were unsatisfactory for many materials such as oils, greases, and gaskets, the Cornell group discovered ways to polymerize C2ClF3 into materials tailored for specific critical applications. Dr. Gavlin’s work on the Manhattan Project as a graduate student was a highpoint of his career and the focus of many stories throughout his life. While at Oak Ridge he also met and fell in love with his wife of 65 years, Carolyn Epting. In 1947 he returned to Cornell and completed his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1948. From 1948 to 1955, he worked at the Armour Research Foundation at the Illinois Institute of Technology as a project leader and was director of the Registry of Rare Chemicals. In 1955 he moved to the Richardson Company in Melrose Park, Illinois, as manager of chemical research, and in 1964, he founded his first company, Poly-Synthetix Inc. Poly-Synthetix pioneered the manufacture of virgin quality methyl methacrylate from the depolymerization of acrylic plastic scrap. In 1969, he moved on to start Custom Organics Inc. in Chicago, a pioneer in the reclamation of organic solvents by liquid-liquid extraction and continuous process distillation. From 1987 to 2003, Dr. Gavlin was the principal in Gavlin Associates Inc., and

Lester H. Krone, Jr., MS ’53, passed away on March 10, 2015, at 83 years old. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. from Washington University and his master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois. A pioneer in the information services industry, Dr. Krone worked for Mallinckrodt, Monsanto, and McDonnell Douglas and served on the adjunct faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Robert J. ‘Bob’ Londrigan, BS ’51, passed away on February 12, 2015, at age 86 in The Woodlands, Texas. Mr. Londrigan received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois and worked for 39 years as an engineering manager for Shell Oil Corporation. Robert “Bob” A. Oster, ’53 BS, of Lake Oswego, Ore., passed away on March 10, 2015, at 84. He was born and raised in Centralia, Illinois and after graduating from the University of Illinois, he worked as a chemical engineer in Texas. He went on to attend medical school and graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1960. Dr. Oster worked as a general practice physician in Boulder City, Nevada from 1962 to 1970 and as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Phoenix from 1973 to 1990. He and his wife Jean lived in Kentucky, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona, and Oregon.

Remember When

Chemical Engineering at Illinois Joan Brennecke, MS ’87 and PHD’89, investigates the intermolecular interactions in supercritical fluid solutions with fluorescence spectroscopy to understand and design separation processes. Brennecke, the Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, is the founding director of the Center for Sustainable Energy there. This spring she returned to the Illinois campus to deliver the Parr Lecture, “Ionic Liquids for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture.” Harry G. Drickamer was a pioneer in chemical research and faculty member of the department from 1946 to 2002. In 1989 he was awarded the National Medal of Science by President George H.W. Bush. David Boger (first row, left), PHD ’65, recently shared with us a photo of the department’s softball team from the early 1960s. Boger remembers the team being largely undefeated thanks to the pitching of Klane Forsgren (front row center). Boger is an engineering professor at Monash University and previously a laureate professor and professor of chemical engineering at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Photo provided by David Boger.

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 114 Roger Adams Laboratory 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, Illinois 61801-3602

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Save the Date Homecoming 2015 October 23 and 24

Visit the department’s alumni tent for free food, football tickets and more! Visit chbe.illinois.edu for more details! Graduates from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering celebrate their accomplishments at the May convocation.