Message From the Department Chair: May 2019 Newsletter
Dear alumni and friends,
I trust you are thriving and looking forward to some fun and relaxation this summer.
The department has lots of news to share as the academic year comes to a close.
CHEE is gearing up to graduate the largest group of students ever: 87 BS, 12 MS and nine PhD degrees. Convocation is Saturday, May 11, from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom. Please join us! No RSVP is necessary.
And if you attend the university’s Commencement on May 10, watch for 1987 chemical engineering graduate Andy Harris, who will receive the Alumni Achievement Award from the UA Alumni Association.
Spectrophotometer Grand Slam
Response to the Grand Spectrophotometer Challenge has been amazing! Fifty-five alumni and friends have donated $12,720. What an incredible accomplishment, especially considering the original goal was $5,000.
Now the department can purchase not only a new spectrophotometer for the undergraduate lab but also a Sepa Cell, the main component of a reverse osmosis system.
My heartfelt thanks to all who gave so generously!
Faculty Searches Yield Rising Stars
National searches for two assistant professors have resulted in phenomenal hires.
Vicky Karanikola, incoming assistant professor in environmental engineering, is no stranger to CHEE. She received her MS and PhD in environmental engineering from the UA and then served as a CHEE lecturer and research associate.
“I am thrilled to join the CHEE faculty and contribute to the strong research and teaching environment,” said Karanikola, who has spent the last two years at Yale University as a postdoctoral fellow.
Karanikola’s research focuses on water and wastewater treatment, with particular interest on material and process optimization at the water-energy nexus interface. Her work also provides safe water to off-grid communities, such as those in the Navajo Nation.
Karanikola also is deeply committed to Engineers Without Borders, an organization that works on projects in developing countries. She currently serves as vice president of the Mountain Region Steering Committee and as the faculty adviser for the UA student chapter.
For incoming assistant professor of chemical engineering Suchol Savagatrup, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, the UA was love at first sight.
“Seeing the stunning campus and the sheer enthusiasm of the faculty and students, I am thrilled to join the department,” he said. “With so many experts in biomedical technologies, agriculture and environmental sustainability, I’m excited for the opportunities to collaborate.”
Savagatrup’s research focuses on soft responsive materials and biosensors for applications in energy, human health and environmental sustainability.
He received his PhD from the University of California, San Diego, and has been a postdoctoral fellow in the chemistry department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 2016.
A warm welcome to Vicky and Suchol, who will join us in August.
Design Day Wins
CHEE seniors walked away with three big wins on Design Day. The competition was steep, and the projects impressive.
Best Implementation of Agile Methodology
Steampunk Cold Brew Coffee Machine
Christian Frank, Emily Schroeder, ViAnn Thuy Pham, Amber Wright
Faculty mentor: Research associate professor Greg Ogden
Innovation in Energy Production, Supply or Use – First Place
Ten-Kilowatt Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell
Abdulrahman Abdulla, Kevin Dam, Trevor Johnson, Nathaniel Rodriguez
Faculty mentor: Associate professor Don Gervasio
Innovation in Energy Production, Supply or Use – Second Place
NASA Challenge: Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Glucose
Paul Cullier, Ryan Headley, Christina Loera, Zachary Westman
Faculty mentor: Research associate professor Greg Ogden
UA @ WEST
CHEE faculty, staff and graduate students recently visited the UA’s Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center to help raise awareness about research in CHEE faculty labs there. Students presented seminars, and guests toured the labs.
WEST, co-located with Pima County's Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility, is a leading facility in the development of technologies for water and energy sustainability.
Please let us know if you’re interested in learning more about WEST. We’d be happy to schedule a visit.
I look forward to staying in touch!
Anthony Muscat
Professor and Department Chair
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
The University of Arizona
muscat@email.arizona.edu