CHEE Class Notes – Spring 2026

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Walt Witkowski

Class of 1984, BS in Chemical Engineering
Class of 1986, MS in Chemical Engineering
Class of 1990, PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin
coachwit@gmail.com 

I recently retired after 35 years of service at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, working on national security projects. I primarily worked in the topical areas of numerical simulation, numerical optimization and verification, validation and uncertainty qualification. I was a senior manager, directing code development and analysis of mechanical deformation, structural vibration, shock physics, advanced material, characterization, and environmental specifications to help design, qualify, and assess the safety and security of national interests. 

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Madison Driskill

Class of 2020, BS in Chemical Engineering
mmfd@alumni.stanford.edu

I successfully defended my PhD from Stanford University last year. I am now working as a scientist in biologics, formulation and process development at Gilead Sciences in San Francisco.

I am extremely grateful for the experiences and opportunities that I had at the U of A! Looking back, I can see how my undergraduate education strongly prepared me for both graduate school and a career in the pharmaceutical industry. 

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Abigail Long

Class of 2023, BS in Chemical Engineering
Class of 2024, MS in Biomedical Engineering

My goal after graduating was to grow quickly in my career, and I’m proud to share that this past year has been incredibly rewarding.

I began my career with Roche Tissue Diagnostics, supporting process design for automated pathology equipment. I later relocated to Phoenix to join West Pharmaceuticals as a manufacturing/Process/Injection Engineer, supporting the Kindeva EpiPen program. I was fortunate to serve as a lead process engineer early in my career. I recently joined Denali Advanced Integrations, where I partner with Fortune 50 companies on innovative projects across industries including medical, robotics, logistics and operations. I earned my professional certification in project management in 2025.

Outside of work, I’ve been enjoying new experiences and staying connected with friends and family. I traveled to Italy, Hawaii and NYC with fellow Arizona alumni (#GoCats!) and performed in my first musical at a local community college. I still love participating in live-band karaoke on weekends.

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Patrick Dewsnup

Class of 2024, BS in Chemical Engineering
patrickldewsnup@gmail.com 

I recently moved to Sweden to work for Hitachi Energy and had the pleasure of working on offshore converter stations.

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Abdullah Aljabri

Class of 2025, PhD in Chemical Engineering

My PhD research focused on designing multifunctional magnetic nanocomposites for biomedical and energy-related applications. It was an exciting journey filled with lab discoveries, poster presentations, and upcoming publications.

I lived in Tucson from 2016 to 2025, completing my master’s and PhD degrees. Balancing research and family life was both challenging and rewarding. My wife and daughter’s love and support kept me going as I completed my degree while living apart. 

I enjoy an active lifestyle through soccer, swimming, volleyball, and tennis. I also recently picked up a creative hobby: designing and heat-printing custom shirts and clothing — a totally different kind of engineering that I really enjoy.

I am now back home in Saudi Arabia, continuing my academic and research journey. I aim to contribute to the advancement of materials science and nanotechnology.

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Tamar Ozer

Class of 2024, BS in Chemical Engineering
Class of 2025, MS in Chemical Engineering
tamar.ozer01@gmail.com

This past January, I moved to Israel to pursue my PhD at Ben Gurion University. I was also able to reunite with my sisters, grandparents and some extended family.

Here is a photo of my new lab group.