Message From The Chair - May 2022

Dear alumni and friends,

I hope you are thriving and looking forward to some fun and relaxation this summer.

CHEE Welcomes the Return of an In-Person Convocation

Excitement in our community is building as we prepare for the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering’s 64th convocation ceremony – the first in-person convocation we’ve held since May 2019!

Please join us on Saturday, May 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom to celebrate 29 graduate students and 63 undergraduates completing rigorous programs in chemical and environmental engineering. No RSVP is necessary. Or, join the live broadcast.

Professors Reaching Beyond the Classroom

Our faculty have been busy this semester earning grants, patenting inventions and receiving national recognition.

With $400,000 from the Department of Energy, associate professor of practice Greg Ogden is creating a hybrid classroom and field experience program. It’s focused on training members of underrepresented groups in solar technology and promoting emerging career opportunities in clean energy.

The UA is one of seven institutions to receive funding under the Biden Administration’s goals of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields and funding innovative clean energy research and development.

Associate professor Dominic Gervasio was honored for a patented invention at the College of Engineering’s first annual Patent Medallion Luncheon, held in conjunction with Tech Launch Arizona. The invention is called Process for Leaching Metal and Storing Energy and High Temperature Reference Electrode.

Andrea Achilli, associate professor, spoke with the Arizona Daily Star about Arizona’s plan to desalinate water in the Gulf of California to supply Arizona water. His take? Exhaust less expensive water reuse options first.

In this edition of “Engineered for Success” you will also learn about associate professor Erin Ratcliff’s recognition from the American Chemical Society as a woman working at the forefront of energy research and professor Armin Sorooshian’s interview with the Bermudian newspaper, the Royal Gazette.

Design Day Wins

The UA Craig M. Berge Design Day is an annual event that showcases the year-long capstone design work of engineering seniors at the University of Arizona.

On Monday, May 2, nearly 500 students displayed 97 real-life projects, mostly sponsored by local and national companies. Two CHEE teams won the following awards:

Bly Family Award for Innovation in Energy Production, Supply or Use (Second Prize) – $1,000
Sustainable Lithium Production
Tyler J. Bailey, Ascii DeLeon Magno, Ahmad Kh. A. A. H. Mohammad, Aloysia J. Wine

SciTech Institute Award for Best Engineering Analysis – $750
Team 22091: Hydro-Desulfurization Unit
Paul Satoshi Haynes, Ian Hitner, Marc Manye Ibanez, Victor Vargas

AZ Technica Award for Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation – $500
Team 22077: Sustainable Lithium Production
Tyler J. Bailey, Ascii DeLeon Magno, Ahmad Kh. A. A. H. Mohammad, Aloysia J. Wine

Local television station KVOA interviewed another team about their project building a low-cost, easy to use water filtration device for the Navajo reservation – powered by a stationary bicycle.