Message from the Chair - Spring 2023

Dear alumni and friends,

I hope you and those close to you are well. 

The department continues to thrive as this season brings departures, arrivals and several major funding accomplishments for CHEE faculty.

Jim Field Announces Retirement

Join me in wishing Jim Field, professor and associate dean of graduate studies, a wonderful retirement. Jim joined CHEE as a faculty member in 2001 and was department chair from 2009 to 2014, at which time he was named assistant dean of graduate education for the College of Engineering. In the spring of 2022, Jim was promoted to associate dean of graduate education.

Jim Field is known for his research on the biodegradation of hazardous compounds such as explosives, and his dedication to helping his students build successful careers. You will see in this newsletter’s class notes that several former students from the Field/Sierra research group have recently accepted environmental engineering faculty positions at major universities. 

I hope you enjoy this video honoring Field’s 2022 receipt of the College of Engineering da Vinci fellowship, which recognizes excellence in research, teaching and service. 

CHEE Faculty & Staff Shine at 2023 Awards Luncheon

Every year, the UA College of Engineering leadership presents awards to faculty and staff who have gone above and beyond to help the college and our students succeed. I’m delighted to share the many recognitions received by our faculty and staff.

• 2023 da Vinci Fellowship – Erin Ratcliff, Associate Professor  
• Researcher of the Year – Reyes Sierra, Professor 
• Teacher of the Year – Paul Blowers, Distinguished Professor
• Outstanding Advisor – Lori Huggins, Undergraduate Advisor
• William P. Cosart Award (for service to the College of Engineering) – Holly Altman, Program Manager, and Grace Fuller, Graduate Advisor

Two New Faculty to Join CHEE

Cherie De Vore, Diné, is from Tsinyaalk’id near Crownpoint, New Mexico in eastern Navajo Nation. Her clans are Red Bottom People, Atop the Mountain Towering House, Salt People and Tangle People. De Vore’s research is related to bettering understanding of biogeochemical mechanisms affecting the mobilization and bioavailability of metals in soils and plants near Indigenous communities. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in Earth System Science at Stanford University.

Evi Floutas studies polymer nanocomposites with unique morphologies and properties for energy storage applications. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Floutas has received several awards and was named a 2022 American Chemistry Society Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering Future Faculty Scholar.

We are looking forward to expanding CHEE’s research portfolio with outstanding contributions by our new faculty, who will join the department in August.