Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Hall News OLINOctober 2016 No. 105

School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering named in recognition of philanthropist Robert Frederick Smith ’85 19 TABLE OF DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE CONTENTS

chemical engineering contexts. His arrival in supporting all aspects of our mission. opens exciting new opportunities in both Further, he has done it with grace and MESSAGE FROM our teaching and research programs. flare, while maintaining a world-class In closing, I want to express my research program (see page 7 to catch a gratitude for the exceptional stewardship glimpse). Thank you, Lynden! THE DIRECTOR: of the Smith School that Lynden Archer I hope you enjoy the stories assembled provided over the past six-plus years. As here and that they will tempt you back to Abe Stroock, William C. Hooey Director I consider the task that I have engaged, I Olin Hall soon and frequently. Please be in and Gordon L. Dibble '50 Professor ABE STROOCK am humbled by his record of achievements touch when you visit Ithaca. Dear Alumni and Friends of the DepartmenT, TABLE OF CONTENTS his summer, I had the good developing curriculum in product design. fortune to become the School’s This beautiful new space represents an Faculty News...... 2 new director in an Olin Hall that important first step in our ambitious plans has been ringing with excellent to modernize Olin Hall to serve as the Understanding the Rules of Physiology to Engineer new Drug Carriers: Chris Alabi...... 4 Tnews. As the cover story of this issue school’s home base for another 75 years. Breaking the Rules to See More Clearly: Susan Daniel...... 5 announces, the School has been an There’s more Olin Hall news to come! Challenging Conventional Thought to Make Better Batteries: Lynden Archer...... 7 inspiration for and the central benefactor All the while, the Smith School’s of a historic gift by our alumnus, Robert students have been grinning and bearing Connecting the Dots: Tobias Hanrath...... 9 Smith (B.S. ’85). With this gift, we our ever challenging program while new classes of molecules to guide drug The UO Lab Project: A Gift from Today’s Engineers to Tomorrow’s...... 10 proudly take on a new name, the Robert engaging deeply with the campus and delivery and form potent antibiotics. For Frederick Smith School of Chemical and the world. In the profiles on pages 30-34, his work on this theme, Chris received a Alumni News ...... 15 Biomolecular Engineering, and a renewed you’ll find a clarinetist, a captain of the CAREER Award, the highest honor the In Memoriam...... 18 mission in education and research. field hockey team, and a leader in the National Science Foundation can bestow Propelled by Robert’s powerful vote of American Indian Science and Engineering upon a young faculty member. Behind CBE Named in Recognition of the Leadership of Robert Frederick Smith ’85...... 19 confidence in our track-record and our Society; they are headed to careers in the scenes, it is an exceptional group CBE News & Events...... 21 potential, we are charting a path forward finance, research, and process engineering. of graduate students that make these Reunion 2016...... 23 that will support excellence across all our The diversity of these individuals and of advances possible. This year, we named programs and will cultivate the diversity their trajectories is the hallmark of Smith the second class of Fleming Scholars for Staff News...... 24 that strengthens both our institution and School’s graduates. Continued record work on biomolecular topics (page 25), Graduate News...... 25 the industries in which our graduates enrollments (100 B.S degrees in 2016) and honored four senior Ph.D. students serve as leaders. provide a satisfying indication of our with the Austin Hooey Graduate Research CBE’s WOMEN Event Inspires Students from Rural Communities...... 27 In parallel, the heart of Olin Hall success and the vitality of the field. Excellence Recognition Award (page 29). Undergraduate Student Profiles...... 30 itself has undergone critical reimagining Our faculty have been busy making One bit of breaking news that did not Cornell’s ChemE Car Wins First Place at National Competition...... 35 and renovation. As reported on page 10, news with their scholarship as well. get into this issue is the arrival of Fengqi based on your generous contributions, we For example, you will find on page 9, You as the inaugural Roxanne E. and Student Awards & Honors...... 36 have transformed our Unit Operations Tobias Hanrath and his lab have made Michael J. Zak Professor of Energy Systems Congratulations to the Class of 2016...... 39 Laboratory—a center piece of the chemical fundamental contributions to a next Engineering, a new position made possible engineering curriculum—into a flexible, generation approach to form electronic by the generosity of Roxanne and Michael Giving Opportunities...... 40 modern space with new and rebuilt materials for computing, energy storage (’75, Operations Research). Fengqi is an experiments. Additionally, the lab’s and energy capture. On the biomolecular established leader of his generation in the Photos provided by Thomas Hoebbel Photography, John Reis Photography, and University Photography. extended second floor will host a new front (page 4), Chris Alabi has applied development of tools for system analysis class of experiments to support our rapidly his growing synthetic toolset to invent and optimization in a broad array of

1 | OLIN Hall News Faculty News & AWARDS

understanding phenomena at biological Board of Trustees as the Gordon L. interfaces and chemically patterned Dibble ‘50 Professor of Chemical and surfaces that interact with soft matter— Biomolecular Engineering. This summer, FACULTY liquids, polymers, and biological materials he was elevated to the directorship of like cells, viruses, proteins and lipids. In CBE. Stroock has been described as an particular, her group investigates virus-cell innovator, thought leader, and one of membrane fusion and the impact of cell- the most creative chemical engineering NEWS & AWARDS membrane properties on virus entry and researchers of his generation. He is also the emergence of new human pathogens. consistently rated by CBE students as one goal is to leverage this understanding Sciences, selected as a scientific advisory Daniel was appointed director of graduate of the school’s most influential teachers to engineer synthetic macromolecular board member for the Carbon X-Prize, studies for CBE and in this role will and mentors. superstructures that may be used as named Senior Associate Editor for the oversee all aspects of the program. active biological ligands and scaffolds. journal Science Advances, and invited to An exciting component of the project will serve on the joint editorial board of the employ a powerful sequence-defined American Chemical Society (ACS) journals Paszek’s research as an NIH New oligo-thioetheramide molecular platform Macromolecules and ACS-Macro Letters. Innovator will examine how spatial pioneered by Alabi and his students to Finally, Archer was recognized by Cornell arrangements and physical properties of create synthetic antibacterials and RNA Merrill Presidential Scholar Michael Statt the sugary film that coats cell surfaces, delivery agents. ‘16 as the member of the faculty who had the glycocalyx, regulates the transfer of the greatest influence on his development molecular signals from outside to inside as a student scholar. This summer, Archer a cell. The project will also develop completed his second term as Director of new technologies for imaging and CBE. describing the biophysical properties of the glycocalyx. The research will advance Christopher Alabi understanding of how cells detect, Christopher Alabi, Nancy and Peter interpret and respond to chemical and Meinig Family Investigator in the Life mechanical signals. It also has implications Roseanna Zia Sciences and Assistant Professor, received Matthew DeLisa for cancer, aging and diabetes. Roseanna Zia, the James C. and a 2016 Faculty Early Career Development Matthew DeLisa, the William L. Rebecca Q. Morgan Sesquicentennial (CAREER) Award from the National Lewis Professor of Engineering, was Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor, Science Foundation (NSF). recognized with an inaugural Award was recognized by the College of The CAREER Award is the most for Research Excellence established in Engineering with the Sonny Yau ‘72 prestigious recognition given by the NSF 2015 by the College of Engineering. The Excellence in Teaching Award for her to faculty members early in their academic award recognized DeLisa’s outstanding outstanding contributions to teaching careers. It is designed to support the Lynden Archer contributions in the area of protein Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics. development of junior faculty who possess Lynden Archer, the James A. Friend engineering. In 2016, DeLisa was invited Zia also serves as faculty advisor to the exceptional promise and demonstrate Family Distinguished Professor of to join the editorial board of Cell Chemical ChemE Car project team, which in the fall creativity in research. Engineering, received several recognitions Biology, which publishes research and of 2015 won the national AIChE Chem- Chris Alabi’s NSF CAREER proposal this year. Archer was named by Thompson Susan Daniel reviewed content of exceptional interest E-Car Competition for an unprecedented titled “Precise Assembly and Evaluation Reuters as among the world’s most Susan Daniel, Associate Professor, was for the chemical biology community. fourth time. of Sequence-Defined Macromolecular influential scientific minds for 2015 for his recognized with an inaugural Research Architectures” seeks to understand how research contributions on hybrid materials Award from the Schwartz Research Fund, Matthew Paszek molecular composition and sequence for electrochemical energy storage. In 2016 established by Joan P. ‘65 and Ronald H. Matthew Paszek, Assistant Professor, influence macromolecular assembly, chain Archer was recognized with the National Schwartz ‘65 to honor outstanding women was recognized with the NIH New Abraham Stroock dynamics and ultimately chemical and Science Foundation Distinguished researchers working in the life sciences Innovator Award for his research on Abraham Stroock, Professor, was biological properties. His longer term Lectureship in Mathematical and Physical at Cornell. Daniel’s research focuses on mechanobiology of the cellular glycocalyx. selected by vote of the Cornell University

2 | OLIN Hall News 3 | OLIN Hall News FACULTY RESEARCH

measure everything he can about the chemical engineering. “A lot of places I “I learned the full importance of macromolecules step-by-step in the lab. Understanding the properties of drug-delivery systems and interviewed preached being collaborative, diversity in the Langer Lab,” says Alabi. “In the end, any process we come up how they respond in different biological but Cornell truly is,” says Alabi. “I thought “There are people in the Langer Lab from with must be scalable for it to have any rules of physiology environments. For a targeted treatment I could bring something unique to CBE. many different fields and having access real impact,” says Alabi. “If our work to work, the active compounds need to The department here is open enough to that range of knowledge makes all the pans out, we hope to provide the research to engineer new drug get into specific compartments in the cells that I could find collaborators from work better.” community with quantitative tools and where they can do the most good. To do different fields and make some valuable When Alabi came to interview at metrics to engineer efficient drug systems carriers this, the targeted treatment must be able contributions to some tough problems.” Cornell, the daughter of the director of with improved therapeutic outcomes.” to sense, respond and adapt to the local One reason Alabi was so sharply CBE babysat for Alabi’s young son. “I As Alabi discusses the possibilities, his environmental cues to reach the desired focused on finding a collaborative place knew right away this was the sort of voice rises just a bit and he speaks just a site of action. Alabi’s research aims to use to be a professor was the experience he place for me,” says Alabi. “The people little faster. It is obvious that what he said the synthetic bio-active polymers (from his had during his post-doctoral fellowship at in CBE are great both personally and at the beginning of our conversation—that first line of research) and the knowledge MIT. Alabi had a coveted spot in the lab professionally. The opportunities for discovery is what he gets excited about—is gained in this second line of research to of biochemical engineer Robert Langer. collaboration here are endless.” In the end, true. engineer in physicochemical properties Langer has more than 1,000 patents and what Alabi hopes to accomplish with his that can improve the biological transport has started many companies. He has work at Cornell is to improve the drug and overall efficiency of drug delivery also been awarded the highest honor in discovery process. Understanding how systems. In this way, the development engineering, the Charles Stark Draper drugs and drug carriers interact with cells of specific drug delivery systems can be Prize. Langer earned his B.S. in chemical or with proteins within the cell is essential made less scattershot and more efficient engineering from Cornell in 1970. knowledge for creating new therapeutic and effective. Ithaca is a long way from Alabi’s hometown near Lagos, Nigeria. His Chris Alabi path from Nigeria to Upstate New York there is an indeterminate period of time passed through England for his A Level Breaking when you first enter a field and pay your ne of the unspoken rules of higher can modulate and respond to biological schooling; through the New York City dues. You do the grunt work in the lab education is that getting tenure is cues,” says Alabi. “We want to use natural area for a B.S. in chemical engineering at rules to cleaning equipment, carefully weighing O more important than just about biopolymers as a guide, but then improve Stevens Institute of Technology and a B.S. reactants, calibrating measuring devices, anything else an assistant professor can upon it by adding one modification at in chemistry from New York University see things and coming in at 3 a.m. to collect time- do. This is why it is a bit surprising to a time in a very controlled process. By (NYU) in 2004; through Pasadena, Calif., sensitive data. It can be a few years before hear Chris Alabi, Assistant Professor of creating these synthetic biopolymers for a Ph.D. in chemistry at the California more you get your name on a published paper. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, from the bottom up in an iterative and Institute of Technology in 2009; and then Susan Daniel broke this rule right say “I care much more about the health controlled manner, we can precisely tune through one last stop in Cambridge, clearly away. It turned out that Chaudhury’s idea of my research program than I do about their size, composition and properties. This Mass., for a postdoctoral fellowship at produced some interesting and surprising tenure. Research is about discovery, and level of control is important, especially the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Susan Daniel results. The results were so interesting that that is what I get excited about.” when these bio-active polymers are used (MIT). the journal Science published their paper Alabi, who joined the Robert as scaffolds to shuttle drugs exactly where At each step of the process Alabi has ne day as an undergrad in 2001, before Daniel had even earned her Frederick Smith School of Chemical and we need them to go.” known his eventual goal. “I have loved at Lehigh I bopped into a master’s degree in chemical engineering. Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) faculty A second line of research in chemistry from the get-go,” says Alabi, “O professor’s office,” says Fifteen years and 30 publications later, in 2013, has had plenty to be excited about Alabi’s lab involves understanding “but I have always known I had to be an Susan Daniel during a recent idea he wanted to test out. He welcomed Daniel is now an Associate Professor in the since he got to Ithaca. His lab is making the underlying principles that dictate engineer to do anything practical with conversation in her office in Olin Hall. “I Daniel into his lab and set her to work Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical great strides in designing new ways to how macromolecules and nanoparticle it. My goal has always been to make told him that I had some free time and documenting the movement of liquid and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE). Her make synthetic, bio-active polymers. therapeutics move and interact in stuff that people could use.” Alabi joined wanted to get involved in research.” As drops on a surface with areas of unequal doctoral research focused on extending “We are creating new polymers that complex biological environments. In the faculty at Cornell because it was luck would have it, the professor, Manoj surface tension. Professor Chaudhury’s initial idea in some are biocompatible and have parts that plain English, Alabi wants to know and the perfect marriage of chemistry and Chaudhury, had just been struck by an A general rule in academia is that productive directions. She specialized

4 | OLIN Hall News 5 | OLIN Hall News FACULTY RESEARCH

in the area of surface science, studying a virus as a biological machine that is good space, to miniaturized droplet reactors Engineering in 2007, some female CBE It is clear by now, 17 years after the effect of surface wettability gradients “A good advisor at introducing its genome into a cell,” says for carrying out biological experiments. graduate students were just forming a knocking on a professor’s door and on the motion of liquid droplets as they looks at your Daniel. “If we can learn how the virus does Daniel and her collaborator, Paul Steen, group to provide support for each other. starting down the path to an engineering coalesce or become subject to vibrations. its job, then hijack the virus and use it to have assembled a team that will put an Daniel became involved as a group advisor professorship, that Susan Daniel does Had Daniel been one to play it safe, she strengths and introduce what we want it to introduce experiment on the International Space right away. The chemical and biomolecular not do anything halfway. She has been probably could have continued with this directs you to into the cell that could be very exciting for Station (ISS) to study drop interfaces in engineering graduate women’s group, recognized nationally for the quality of sort of research as she started on her own a lot of reasons.” microgravity in the coming two years. CBE Women, is now thriving and Daniel is her research and for her dedication to independent research career. what is right Daniel’s lab is one of the few in the Daniel says, “Managing liquid droplets still actively involved. supporting and advocating for women in Instead, Daniel decided to take a for you—not world that examines single viruses as they on condensers in heat exchangers is a big Daniel is also part of a group of female academia. She received an NSF CAREER postdoctoral associate position in the bind to and transfer their genome across problem in space when you can’t rely faculty known as Women in Science and Award in 2012 and the Denice Denton chemistry department at Texas A&M to what would cell interfaces. Her group’s quantitative, on gravity to remove them. So we plan Engineering (WISE) at Cornell. WISE Emerging Leader Award from the Anita University in College Station, Texas. Her make you a engineering approach has already taught to study how drops coalesce in space. provides a forum for discussing ideas Borg Institute, also in 2012. When talking focus shifted to another surface entirely: the virology community new things Microgravity allows us to look at larger and concerns specific to female faculty, about her work today, it is clear that Daniel cell membranes and other biological mirror image about virus entry that were difficult or length scales than can be examined on advocates strongly for women with the is still just as excited and motivated as she interfaces. Daniel’s work in Professor Paul of them.” impossible to measure without her team’s Earth. What we learn up there should upper administration, and unites women was 17 years ago. “Everything is subject Cremer’s lab at Texas A&M increased her — Susan Daniel pioneering work. For example, her team benefit not only energy management in across Cornell Engineering. “As a young to the same physical and chemical rules,” technical capabilities, her knowledge of has been able to measure the speed at space, but on Earth as well.” It’s a dream assistant professor, I benefitted from the says Daniel, “but biology adds this extra biological surfaces, and—importantly—her which viral genomes are transferred out of come true for Daniel, who was inspired many positive interactions I had with this layer of mystery. Ten years from now I good at until you do it.” She finished self-confidence. a variety of viruses and virus-like particles, in her early graduate school days by the group and I believe WISE was a critical want to be able to say that my work has high school with an intent to get a B.S. in “I proved something to myself in including influenza, coronavirus, and prospect of her research on drop motion factor in my success at Cornell,” says shed light on some of the mystery. I want chemistry at Lehigh University. “I had no Texas,” says Daniel. “Before that, I felt a bit ebola. impacting applications in outer space. Daniel. “Cultivating competent female to provide fundamental insights into how thoughts at all about grad school when I like an imposter. It was unclear to me if my A related aspect of Daniel’s biological One other interface Daniel has taken faculty leadership will be a key factor in the cell membrane behaves and how it started at Lehigh,” says Daniel. “I had a success was due mostly to the good ideas work is her focus on the critical lipid- a deep and abiding interest in is the keeping Cornell a top-ranked college of accomplishes its many complex roles. It good undergraduate advisor who directed of my advisor. My time at Texas A&M gave protein interactions that are necessary intersection of gender and academia. engineering and at the forefront of positive all comes down to what is going on at the me to engineering and that is what me confidence in my own ideas and my for healthy biological function. A cell When she first arrived at Cornell societal change.” interfaces.” eventually led me to go and knock on own work.” Daniel took this confidence membrane comprises many different Manoj Chaudhury’s door.” with her to her first faculty position at proteins and biomolecules in a patchwork At several points while telling her Cornell in 2007. matrix of different lipid phases. Daniel story, Daniel emphasizes that she had To understand just how far Daniel and her team have invented an approach good advisors and mentors all along the had come to get to her position in that allows them to control the spatial way. When asked what characterizes a Challenging conventional Cornell’s Smith School of Chemical and and temporal location of different lipid good advisor, Daniel answers without Biomolecular Engineering, it is helpful to phases within a convenient platform. hesitation: “A good advisor looks at your thought to make better batteries know where she started. Daniel was born This set-up allows them to study the strengths and directs you to what is right in suburban Philadelphia. Her father was interactions between the various “species” for you—not to what would make you a Lynden Archer a German immigrant who left Europe and of lipid. These interactions are thought to mirror image of them.” moved to Bucks County, P.A. “I grew up in be responsible for regulating the overall ometimes, scientific breakthroughs between the promise of a new technology What has turned out to be right for a working class family and was the first to function of the cell membrane. happen by looking back and asking and what it is actually able to deliver in Daniel is the study of interfaces. There attend college,” says Daniel. “I was smart The non-biological focus of Daniel’s why. the short run is vast. When these early are two main threads to her current S enough to realize that I needed to pick a work is rooted in her graduate work In the 1970s researchers working for lithium batteries were overcharged, they research at Cornell. One is biological. She major that would allow me to pay back from long ago. She studies how liquid Exxon patented the first lithium-metal tended to ignite. With repeated charging is primarily interested in understanding my student loans; I just didn’t know at the drops interact with chemically-patterned battery. In theory, this battery would be a and recharging, they succumbed to an the roles of membrane lipids and protein- time what it was going to be.” solid surfaces to understand how you huge step beyond the nickel-cadmium and electrodeposition instability that caused lipid interactions in biological function. Daniel had excelled in her high school can control drop shape and motion for zinc-carbon batteries then in use. It would them to slowly fall apart. Nobody wanted Specifically, Daniel looks at exactly what chemistry class. She says of chemistry, “It’s various applications ranging from energy be powerful and lightweight, enabling batteries that caught fire or degraded over is going on at the place where a virus the sort of thing you don’t know you’re conservation and generation in outer much smaller devices. time, so researchers moved on to other interacts with a cell membrane. “I think of As is sometimes the case, the gap battery designs, including today’s work

6 | OLIN Hall News 7 | OLIN Hall News FACULTY RESEARCH

horse lithium-ion batteries, that replaced focus onto lithium-metal batteries. “Our of his electrolyte designs. “I got into developing other novel materials with the lithium metal in the battery with a contributions have been well received by chemical engineering at the age of eighteen Connecting-the-dots programmable electronic structure. graphitic carbon material that offered only researchers worldwide,” says Archer. not because I wanted to make existing Still, Whitham said, more work must electrical properties of these superstructures one-tenth of the capacity of their lithium Archer’s progress with lithium- chemicals on even larger scales,” says be done to bring the group’s findings are potentially superior to existing metal precursors. These turned out to be metal batteries is due in large part Archer. “I wanted to change how we use from the lab to technological fruition. The semiconductor quantum dots, with safer and longer lived. to his growing mastery of a group of chemistry and physics on small scales to structure of the superlattice, while superior anticipated applications in solar cells and Six years ago, Lynden Archer, the nanomaterials called NOHMs. NOHMs engineer new materials designed for new to ligand-connected quantum dot solids, other electronic devices. James A. Friend Family Distinguished are nanoscale organic hybrid materials functions. I was always curious: if I truly still has multiple sources of disorder due “As far as level of perfection, in Professor, decided to revisit the idea of formed by grafting short organic polymer understand processes at their most basic to the fact that, in contrast to atoms in an terms of making the building blocks and lithium-metal batteries. “I knew that the chains or ionic liquids onto inorganic level, how will that change things? It is ordinary solid, no two quantum dots are connecting them into these superstructures, problem forty years ago was fundamental nanostructures. Both the inorganic root what I believe drives my passion for basic truly identical. This creates defects, which that is probably as far as you can push it,” and of interfacial origins—metal dendrites nanostructures and the grafted materials research.” limits how far the electron wave function Hanrath said, referring to the atomic-scale would form and grow inside the batteries are nanoscale hybrid materials whose By looking backward and wondering can spread. precision of the process. during the recharge and eventually structures are carefully controlled through “what would happen with lithium-metal “I see this paper as a challenge for The paper, “Charge transport and overwhelm the cells,” says Archer. “I had the production processes that create them. batteries if we truly understood their Tobias Hanrath other researchers to take this to another localization in atomically coherent quantum the idea that maybe this dendrite problem Under favorable conditions, the size and failure modes?” Archer and his students level,” Whitham said. “This is as far as we ontrolling the assembly and dot solids,” was published in the Feb. 22, could be solved by taking a fluid dynamics the spatial distribution of constituent parts are in the early stages of a revolution in know how to push it now, but if someone attachment of semiconductor 2016, issue of Nature Materials. approach. I simply questioned the can be controlled to create new hybrid electrochemical energy storage technologies. were to come up with some technology, nanocrystals (also known as Whitham, a doctoral candidate in the accepted story and started over. The real materials with properties not seen in the C some chemistry, to provide another leap quantum dots) into highly-ordered and field of materials science and engineering, breakthrough we have made is realizing constituent parts or in poorly prepared forward, this would challenge other people connected superlattices is a powerful did most of the experimentation and is lead that everything depends on how you mixtures. to say, ‘How can we do this better?’” “I threw the approach with potential for optoelectronic, author of the work. Also contributing were: engineer the electrolyte.” The electrolytic material in Archer’s Hanrath said the discovery can be photovoltaic, thermoelectric and sensor Jun Yang, postdoctoral researcher; Benjamin A battery is a device for getting new battery technology is a NOHM able to problem at my viewed as an analogy to previous advances technologies. H. Savitzky, graduate student in the field electrically charged atoms to travel from anchor a fraction of the negatively charged with single crystal silicon wafers. students and we Recent research at Cornell, led by of physics; Lena Kourkoutis, Assistant one point to another. The points are called ions to slow-moving nanoparticles in an “It’s the equivalent of saying, ‘Now Tobias Hanrath, Associate Professor in Professor and Morgan Sesquicentennial the electrodes, and the substance the electrolyte, which prevents formation all went at it. I’ve we’ve demonstrated a pathway to make the Robert Frederick Smith School of Faculty Fellow in applied and engineering charged atoms travel through is called of anion depleted regions between the been fortunate very high-fidelity quantum dot solids, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, physics; and Frank Wise, the Samuel B. the electrolyte. The original lithium-metal electrodes and the instability that leads and access to high-quality samples yields, throughout my and graduate student Kevin Whitham, Eckert Professor of Engineering. batteries used lithium perchlorate as the to dendrites. To better understand how with new understanding and eventually has combined experiment and theory to This latest work has grown out of electrolyte, and it did not work so well. these electrolytes prevent dendrites from career to be technological advances,’” he said. provide a direct link between their electrical previous published research by the Hanrath In the intervening years, the science of nucleating, Archer collaborates with “There are interesting analogies to surrounded characteristics and the detailed atomic group, including a 2013 paper published in nanomaterials has revolutionized many Cornell Engineering colleagues from previous developments in the growth of structure of the assembly. Nano Letters that reported a new approach parts of the manufacturing world. Archer outside of the Smith School of Chemical by some of the single-crystal silicon wafers which led Just as the single-crystal silicon wafer to connecting quantum dots through saw that advances in nanoparticles might and Biomolecular Engineering. Professors brightest and to better understanding of fundamental forever changed the nature of electronics 60 controlled displacement of a connector make lithium-metal batteries worth Lena Kourkoutis and David Muller in properties and ultimately enabled game- most dedicated years ago, a group of Cornell researchers is molecule, called a ligand. That paper pursuing again. the School of Applied and Engineering changing advances in microelectronics.“ hoping its work with quantum dot solids— referred to “connecting the dots”—i.e. “I threw the problem at my students Physics use electron microscopy to help students at This work made use of the Cornell crystals made out of crystals—can help electronically coupling each quantum dot— and we all went at it,” says Archer. “I’ve Archer see inside lithium metal batteries to Center for Materials Research, which Cornell. It makes usher in a new era in electronics. as being one of the most persistent hurdles been fortunate throughout my career to understand the nucleating events that lead is supported by the National Science The difference between these and to overcome. be surrounded by some of the brightest to dendrites. doing this sort Foundation (NSF) through its Materials previous crystalline structures is the That barrier seems to have been cleared and most dedicated students at Cornell. This research has implications beyond Research Science and Engineering Center of fundamental atomic coherence of each 5-nanometer with this new research. The strong coupling It makes doing this sort of fundamental electrolyte composition. Archer hopes that program. X-ray scattering was conducted research truly crystal (a nanometer is one-billionth of of the quantum dots leads to formation research truly enjoyable.” Archer and in time his work will lead to a complete at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron a meter). They’re not connected by a of energy bands that can be manipulated his students and collaborators have had understanding of the nanoscale organic enjoyable.” Source, which is supported by the NSF and substance between each crystal—they’re based on the crystals’ makeup, and could significant success since they turned their hybrid materials (NOHMs) at the heart the National Institutes of Health. — Lynden Archer connected directly to each other. The be the first step toward discovering and

8 | OLIN Hall News 9 | OLIN Hall News The UO Lab Project

generations of our students are receiving The UO Lab Project: A gift from this education. The decision to invest in the UO Laboratory space was among the today’s engineers to tomorrow’s most obvious of my tenure as director.” Nearly 30 years after the last major project, the UO Laboratory space has been renovated yet again, this time with an eye on both the present and the future. The smell of fresh paint still graces the lab. The main, lower level now sports a stainless steel countertop, a sink, and wooden cabinets. A ceiling now separates the two floors, with the exception of the spiral staircase and the distillation column. A new ventilation system serves upper and lower levels individually, and the distribution system that supplies the basement with domestic water, Lower level pre-renovation. compressed air, and low-pressure steam now spans three walls instead of two. Anton is the lead instructor for ChemE faculty already saw their future “What we have in the basement now is a ChemE 4320, which also makes him the moving to include more than traditional refurbished, more efficient, more flexible, keeper of the UO Laboratory space. He petroleum processing, and the School and more reliable version of what we had was a new faculty member in the late of Chemical Engineering—as it was before,” said Anton. “And we’ve made ‘80s when the east wing of Olin Hall was named at the time—was adding research the experiments easier to operate, so the gutted and completely renovated. The capacity to meet the new challenges. students can measure better data.” project converted thousands of square feet The UO Laboratory space went from This task was easier said than done. of underused floor space in the old UO three stories tall to two, its footprint was Anton began redesigning and rebuilding Lab into modern research laboratories. reduced by a factor of two, and several of the existing UO experiments five years the experiments were reconfigured, most ago, one-by-one, in anticipation of the notably the famous distillation column. renovation project. The first step was “Around the time I started my service to mobilize each of the experiments as director six-and-a-half years ago, I by unlatching them from the floor and Students taking distillation column measurements. had the opportunity to visit chemical rebuilding them on carts. Not only did engineering teaching laboratories at this ease moving the experiments during he Unit Operations Laboratory, and learn how to write technical reports, UO Lab, but has positioned it to grow to several of our peer institutions in the U.S. the renovation, but “now if something better known as the UO Lab, applying the fundamentals taught in their accommodate strong student interest in the as well as internationally,” said Professor breaks or fails, we can wheel the whole has been transformed into sophomore- and junior-level courses. field and to flex to meet future needs. Lynden Archer, who just completed his experiment out of the lab and into the shop something ChemE alumni Historically, ChemE 4320 training “Chemical engineering is moving term as the William C. Hooey Director across the hallway for repair and testing,” may not recognize after its $2 focused on the traditional unit operations in the direction of biomedical devices, of the School. “It struck me that there millionT renovation. Since the founding of petroleum processing, but as the field pharmaceuticals, microelectronic materials, said Anton. was a disconnect between the narrative I As he was rebuilding experiments on of the School in 1938, the UO Lab has of chemical and biomolecular engineering nanomaterials, and other modern was telling about the important role the carts, including the pump curve, control been the place where seniors enrolled evolves, the Lab is evolving with it. The technologies. We need experiments UO Lab course has played in educating valve, fluidized bed, heat exchanger, in the capstone Chemical Engineering finishing touches are now being placed that reinforce our teaching of these new generations of Cornell chemical engineers and process control experiments, he laboratory course ChemE 4320, work in on the renovation project, which has not topics,” said A. Brad Anton, Associate and the deteriorating quality of the replaced many piece-parts, including teams to conduct experiments, collect data, only changed the physical look of the Professor Brad Anton infrastructure in which current and future

10 | OLIN Hall News 11 | OLIN Hall News The UO Lab Project

gauges, rotameters, valves, pumps, and most challenging to operate is the one While the goal is to give students instruments to ensure every measuring alumni would recognize first when they a broad experience that lays the and control element would operate in return to the UO Lab today: distillation. It groundwork for a lifelong career, the its optimum range. He also modified was designed and built by ChemE faculty upstairs lab will also engage new faculty the overhead and bottom systems at the in the mid ’40s and used to measure heat in teaching ChemE 4320. “Because distillation experiment to solve some loads, flow rates, and stage efficiencies chemical engineering evolves, and our lingering controllability problems. for continuous distillation of mixtures department aspires to lead the field, the Anton says these upgrades were vital of benzene and toluene, both of which new professors we hire sometimes don’t because student enrollment has increased. are now known to be threateningly have chemical engineering backgrounds. In 2016, the space had to accommodate carcinogenic. In the '60s, Professor Peter They may be physicists, biophysicists, or approximately 100 seniors. Consequently, Harriott replaced the bubble cap trays with materials scientists, for example. But when lab-time is precious, and opportunities sieve trays he designed and transitioned you engage them in teaching chemical lost to bad data are more costly. “Our to safer methanol-water mixtures. The engineering students, their own way of undergraduates begin in ChemE 4320 with column was disassembled again in 1986 thinking evolves in a chemical engineering very little experience, and they only get and set aside during the renovation. In Lower level post-renovation. way,” said Anton. “And their way of one shot with all this tricky equipment. 1988, Ken Ackley (B.S. ChemE ’61, M.Eng. thinking inspires chemical engineering, It must produce good data easily, and it ’66), the first-ever Industrial Practitioner in which made it easier for undergraduate moving the whole field in new directions.” must be robust to endure heavy use by the School, and a team of student-helpers students to measure and understand A good example of this is the work unskilled hands. If you’re a Ph.D. student, rebuilt the distillation apparatus again the performance of the column. Anton Associate Professor Tobias Hanrath and Upper level post-renovation. and you’ve built a piece of equipment with new heat exchangers, pumps, and painstakingly disassembled the column Industrial Practitioner Dr. Alan Feitelberg to get your thesis data, you run it every other ancillary equipment. Ackley reduced are doing integrating product design and again last year, reconstructed it with new its newest incarnation, “the distillation and faculty in Chemical Engineering day, day after day. You figure out all the the tray count from fifteen to eight to fit development into the curriculum. To better gaskets and piping, shuffled rotameters experiment routinely generates excellent Product Design. tricks by trial and error, and eventually the column into the reduced overhead prepare Cornell students for opportunities and heat exchangers to balance capacities, data that can be analyzed and understood Now that the renovation is nearly you learn how to collect the best data your space. Having fewer trays was actually in this growing field, Hanrath launched a and upgraded some hardware, including with the classic McCabe-Thiele method we complete, Anton will be working equipment can give you. But if you’re an a clever change as it reduced the purity product design course in 2012. Since then, the feed system and instrumentation. In teach in our separations course,” Anton with faculty to identify the best new undergraduate sharing equipment in a of the overhead and bottom streams, the product design education portfolio has said. experiments to introduce. “My vision for teaching laboratory like this, you’re on a grown to include a two-course sequence The first students to use the basement the upstairs lab is to add several bench- tight schedule—a group before you and a (ChemE 4610 and ChemE 4630) that of the newly renovated UO Lab were the scale experiments that represent the future group after you—and you have only one provides instruction to seniors and M.Eng. 96 members of the Class of ’16—a full of chemical engineering,” he said. opportunity,” said Anton. students in the principles and practice house indeed. The facility performed The first addition will be installed While rebuilding the experiments, of product design and development. almost flawlessly for them, even as later this summer. It is a bench-scale Anton used a combination of new and old These courses also support a new M.Eng. construction continued around them. plug-flow reactor, donated by Corning parts to put a sidelined experiment into specialization in product design and a The UO Lab now has a full second Inc., including a syringe pump for feeding rotation—a modular membrane separator project-based product design course for floor transforming a 200-square-foot cat reactants and a visible-light spectrometer that produces oxygen enriched air. The Ph.D. students. walk and a previously adjoining room to for detecting products. It was constructed membrane separator worked, but not In ChemE 4630, the project-based approximately 1,000-square-feet of usable, and tested by Corning engineers in France with the throughput that his calculations product design course, student teams multipurpose lab space with moveable before being shipped to Ithaca. The tests predicted, so Anton replaced the aged, execute a stage-gate product development work benches, sinks, exhaust ducts, a fume were done with a dye-bleaching reaction ‘90s-era polysulfone membrane modules program. Students learn how to capture hood, a glove box, and a 3-D printer. This that exhibits simple second-order kinetics, with new modules of similar design. the voice of the customer, create a house additional infrastructure will not only but the equipment is flexible and can be Students use the data they collect from of quality to establish target specifications, allow the lab to house new ChemE 4320 used for any liquid-phase reaction that this experiment to design an apparatus generate and select product concepts, and experiments, but has also increased the yields an optically detectable product, for that supplies enriched air for people with design experiments to guide prototype functionality of the UO Lab. It has created example amylase-catalyzed hydrolysis breathing difficulties. development and testing. Among room for in-house prototyping facilities of starch, which exhibits more exotic Perhaps the experiment that had been myriad chemical products that have been Upper level post-renovation. that support rising interest among students Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

12 | OLIN Hall News 13 | OLIN Hall News The UO ALUMNI Lab Project NEWS

“T he renovated flammable electrolytes for high-capacity are additional prospects for innovation UO Lab offers next-generation lithium-ion batteries. The in research- and development-oriented Lab also features 3-D printing capabilities projects that will pay dividends in the long enough space to that are rapidly becoming a powerful run. Being able to design, test, and run enable students and versatile fabricating and prototyping aspects of the car is essential for not only to converge more tool for student teams studying product the present but also the future, and the UO ALUMNI NEWS quickly and safely concepts ranging from scaffolds for tissue Lab will continue to act as a medium that at Haas Formula 1 during his job search, it engineering and materials for energy to fosters team growth and success. Cornell’s quickly rose to the top of his list. on new ChemE Car emerging printed electronics and many ChemE Car team won the annual national He got the job. prototypes, as more. competitions in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2015. As a Computational Fluid Dynamics it enables more “We are currently developing two Cornell’s is the only team to win four Engineer on a racing team, Ober combines experiments 3-D-printing projects for the cohort of national titles. his physical knowledge with computer students who will enroll in ChemE 4630 “A $2 million investment in Olin software to analyze the flow field around to be run next year. The first project focuses on Hall has created extraordinary potential the race car to improve downforce and simultaneously developing 3-D-printable ‘inks’ with for multifaceted, even transformational reduce drag. The Reynolds numbers than before.” engineered formulations that meet impacts on the education generations of he’s working with now are much higher Cornell chemical engineers will receive,” — Roseanna Zia customer attributes and engineering than when he was studying viscous fluid characteristics. The second project will said Professor Archer. “We are grateful flows at Harvard, but, he says, “The integrate design, fabrication and testing to the many alumni and friends of the overarching fluid mechanics concepts I successfully developed with this approach, of impellers that maximize mixing while department who have given generously learned throughout my master’s and Ph.D. food products stand out as a convenient minimizing shear. The latter in particular to make the project a reality.” The names coursework relates very well to what I’m example for accelerated product presents compelling opportunities to of John Herslow ’63, Jack Huddleston doing now, even though it’s not directly development in the 14-week timeframe integrate product design projects with ’51, Dr. Billie Nelson ’49 in honor of Earl related to what I was doing with my of a regular semester. In 2015 and 2016, Yingying Lu Ph.D. ’14 Thomas Ober ’08 future experiments in the unit operations C. Nelson ’49, Fred Hoffman “Dusty” Ph.D.” product design students collaborated named to Forbes 30 lands job at Haas course for ChemE seniors,” said Hanrath. Rhodes, Rick Sommer ’62, Ken Wattman In a lot of ways, says Ober, the startup with the Cornell’s Food Processing Looking ahead, the provision of a ’49, Peter Wright ’75 MBA ’76, and the Under 30 Asia Formula 1 atmosphere of the Haas Formula 1 racing Development Laboratory to develop dedicated chemical product prototyping Class of 1975 are now displayed on the team is very similar to working in a prototypes of their products. ingying Lu Ph.D. ‘14 has been homas Ober ‘08 was a Post- space enables important hands-on UO Lab wall with gratitude for their major research group: It’s a small, passionate “Beyond food products, we saw named to Forbes’ inaugural Doctoral Associate at Harvard education opportunities to train our contributions to the project—a gift from team working together closely to solve a many compelling opportunities to 30 Under 30 Asia list, which University when the application graduates for careers in product design today’s engineers to tomorrow’s. “We also particular set of problems. expand product development projects to features young innovators and of Gene Haas, Founder of Haas and development. owe a deep debt of gratitude to several entrepreneursY under 30 years of age who AutomationT and Co-Owner of the Stewart- “In a research group, everyone is an include examples in growing areas such The upper-level UO Lab space is persons: Professors A. Brad Anton, T. expert in their own sub-area,” says Ober, as energy- and bio-related products. The are transforming business, technology, Haas NASCAR racing team, was accepted also providing much needed fabrication Michael Duncan and Tobias Hanrath, Dr. “and you get the chance to learn from expansion in size and diversity of product industry and more. into the Formula 1 Championship with facilities for Cornell's ChemE Car student Alan Feitelberg, Celia Szczepura-McLean, everyone else as a result. Because the Haas design experiences creates the need Lu made the list in the manufacturing his newly created Haas Formula 1 racing project team. This last year the team Brian Watson, and Jeff DeGregorio the F1 team is a startup, I’m getting that same for prototyping capabilities previously and energy category. A recent graduate team. designed and built two cars that placed lead architect from Payette who gave their type of experience here. I work in a fairly not available in Olin Hall. The upper of the Archer Research Group, she is A motorsports fan in high school first and fourth at the AIChE 2016 Regional time and talent in bringing this complex, small group of eight or 10 engineers. We level space in the renovated UO Lab currently an Assistant Professor at and a member of the FSAE team at Competition. “The renovated UO Lab ambitious project to a satisfying end,” said are all working on our own small projects, provides the student teams with valuable Zhejiang University in China. Cornell, Ober has always been interested offers enough space to enable students to Archer. but at the end of the day, we’re using the prototyping space in Olin Hall, allowing Lu was honored during a ceremony in racing. In fact, during his time as a converge more quickly and safely on new same types of tools and helping each other us to offer a unique and comprehensive at the Forbes Under 30 Summit Asia in Ph.D. candidate, Ober had interned at ChemE Car prototypes, as it enables more develop new solutions and learn more learning experience,” said Hanrath. Singapore this May. Lotus Renault GP, another Formula 1 experiments to be run simultaneously about the performance of our car.” The renovated UO Lab space, team in the United Kingdom, working than before,” said Assistant Professor Designing a race car, he says, is at for example, already houses a new in their aerodynamics department. So Roseanna Zia. Apart from bringing these once both an innovative and iterative controlled-environment glove box to when he came across a job opening for a prototypes to competition readiness, there process, one that requires engineers to support student teams developing non- Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer

14 | OLIN Hall News 15 | OLIN Hall News ALUMNI NEWS

incrementally improve their car each race Dennis Trinkle, College Mentors with the same intensity that characterized of dishes all night long. Order classics such to keep up with their competitors but also for Kids CEO, shared, “John is richly her academic scholarship. She worked as Iberian dry-cured ham, fried marcona to outfox them in a groundbreaking way to deserving of the Lifetime Achievement in Spain at Ferran Adrià’s famed ElBulli, almonds or berenjenas la taberna—fried speed ahead. Award. He represents what the Inspire widely regarded as the best restaurant eggplant drizzled with wild mountain “Right now, as we develop our first Awards and College Mentors are all about, in the world at the time. “From the day I honey and garnished with rosemary. car,” says Ober, “we’ve really been looking a commitment to community service, to stepped foot in that restaurant, I made it The menu’s shining star is the pulpo a la at all areas of possibility because we’re mentoring, and to lifting up those who clear that I was trying to prove myself so Gallega, perfectly tender Spanish octopus designing from scratch. Historically, as a most need positive role models. Countless that I could come back the following year to served with olive oil, sea salt, smoky season moves on and you start to see all youth, civic leaders, and business leaders work in the kitchen,” Button says and did pimenton and a Yukon Gold potato purée. the designs of the other teams, you notice have benefited from John’s commitment to just that, soaking up everything she could Around the corner from Cúrate is the areas of the car that teams are focusing their success and his caring heart.” from ElBulli’s team. “The more precise and Nightbell, housed in a large brick building on and try to keep up. organized you are, the less mistakes are with a first-floor reception area. Head “On the other hand,” he continues, likely to happen—and the best restaurant in upstairs and you’ll find a variety of dining “if you want to get ahead of the grid, the world can’t afford mistakes,” she says. options: couches in the comfy jewel-toned you have to innovate. I think a lot of that “That level of organization is something I’m lounge, a seat at the long communal table is organic. You try a few things that you always striving for in my restaurants.” or several private, romantic tables. Start think are going to work and find it doesn’t Robert Langer ’70 John T. Thompson ’76 Button was raised in New Jersey, but with the steak tartare made with hand- do at all what you wanted—but you awarded Queen receives Lifetime her roots trail back to South Carolina, and cut Brasstown beef strip loin and topped discover something new that might have she’s a southern girl at heart. When the with smoked horseradish cream. From an application for another part of the car. Elizabeth Prize Achievement Inspire opportunity to open her own place arose, the “small plates” section of the menu, So you have a direction, but a lot of the big obert Langer ‘70 was awarded Award she picked Asheville, N.C. “It’s a beautiful try the shaved asparagus salad with peas, successes you have are kind of by accident. town in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Button carrots, radishes, pea shoots and petite the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Prize ohn T. Thompson ‘76, CEO/ Quite a bit like research, in a way.” says. “There are great outdoor activities, but lettuces or the braised veal cheeks, which for Engineering. The ground- President, First Electric Supply, Personally, Ober has no intentions of it also has a wonderful, vibrant downtown are cooked sous vide for 48 hours and breaking chemical engineer received a Lifetime Achievement moving onto the next thing any time soon. wasR given the prize for his revolutionary full of music, art, great beer and food.” served with a red wine bone marrow sauce, Award in mentoring from He’s quite content working his dream job. It’s also home to fantastic farmers markets a smoked Yukon Gold potato purée and a advances and leadership in engineering at Indianapolis-basedJ nonprofit organization and world-class ingredients, which is what hint of white truffle butter. Button hopes Originally published in MechE Connects by the interface with chemistry and medicine. College Mentors for Kids at the 2016 the food at Button’s restaurant Cúrate—a diners save room for pastry chef Carmen Alissa Mallinson. Langer was the first person to Inspire Awards in February. Katie Button ’05 bright, energetic Spanish tapas bar that Vaquera’s impeccable desserts, such as the engineer polymers to control the delivery The Inspire Awards recognize top pursues passion for opened in 2011—is all about. warm molten-center peanut butter cake that of large molecular weight drugs for the mentors in the workplace and in the Her second and most recent concept, comes with chocolate sauce and a mandarin treatment of diseases such as cancer and community. Thompson credits the mentors cooking Nightbell Restaurant & Lounge, which sorbet. mental illness. Over two billion lives and advocates in his life who gave him he Katie Button ‘05 story is a life offers more modern American fare in a Button’s current life is about have been improved worldwide by the educational guidance and helped him to lesson in following your passion. moody and romantic setting, also feeds as far removed as possible from the technologies that Langer’s lab has created. apply to college for his success. Knowing It goes like this: Cornell graduate off the local farms and food producers. neuroscientist’s path she had been on for the value of those mentors made him in chemical and biomolecular “The menus are very product-focused,” so long, but she wouldn’t have it any other want to give back to his adopted city of engineeringT moves to Paris to earn a Button says. “I spend a lot of time and way. “I come from a long line of wonderful Indianapolis. master’s degree in biomedical engineering. effort sourcing the best ingredients. Both of female cooks,” she says. “My mother was Thompson shared, “The mentoring Then, as she’s gearing up for a neuroscience my restaurants serve small plates because the first one to take it on as a career, running that I received from a child to an adult has Ph.D. program, she has an epiphany. I love cooking that way. It allows me to her own catering business. It was with her been tremendously impactful on my life “It was while reflecting back on my hyperfocus on the ingredient at hand.” that I found my love of food and cooking. It and that of my family so it is imperative time in Paris that I realized that my true Small plates are about all the two have just took me a little while to figure out that that I mentor others. For several years, passion was in cooking,” says Button. She in common. Cúrate’s 20-foot bar serves as I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else I’d visit a local tea shop from 10 a.m. to 2 quit academia and never looked back. So the restaurant’s focal point, with an open professionally.” p.m. and meet with any entrepreneur that long lab coat, hello chef’s coat. kitchen directly behind it that provides a walked in.” Article appeared the September 2015 issue of Button threw herself into the kitchen view of the cooks rapidly firing hundreds Delta Sky magazine. Reprinted with permission.

16 | OLIN Hall News 17 | OLIN Hall News In SMITH Memoriam GIFT

School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering IN MEMORIAM named in recognition

John “Jack” Weikart ...... B.S. ChemE, 1942...... 3/6/2016...... Hockessin, D.E. of the leadership of James M. Davison...... B.S. ChemE, 1943...... 12/30/2015...... South Charleston, W.V. philanthropist Richard P. Klopp...... B.S. ChemE, 1943...... 1/17/2016...... Vero Beach, F.L. Robert Frederick Smith ’85 John R. Powers...... B.S. ChemE, 1943...... 12/8/2015...... Wilmington, D.E. Chester L. Knowles...... B.S. ChemE, 1945...... 9/9/2015...... Cushing, M.E. Support for underrepresented African-American and women John D. Lewis...... B.S. ChemE, 1948...... 8/25/2015...... Piney Flats, T.N. students at New York City and Ithaca campuses

Richard L. Fairchild...... B.S. ChemE, 1949...... 11/12/2015...... Cincinnati, O.H. In recognition of Smith’s support, training the next generation of critical Jerome J. Hargarten...... B.S. ChemE, 1950...... 5/11/2016...... San Diego, C.A. the university has named the Robert thinkers who will solve global problems. A Frederick Smith School of Chemical and significant portion of the endowment will Bruce D. Davis...... B.S. ChemE, 1950...... 2/22/2016...... Audubon, P.A. Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell, be dedicated to scholarship and fellowship John A. Watts...... B.S. ChemE, 1951...... 6/4/2016...... Cape Cod, M.A. as well as the Robert Frederick Smith support for populations traditionally Tech Scholars Program spanning Cornell underrepresented in engineering and Jerome M. Jenkins...... B.S. ChemE, 1951...... 4/30/2016...... Copley, O.H. Engineering and Cornell Tech. technology, particularly African-American James K. Preston...... B.S. ChemE, 1951...... 1/10/2016...... North Canton, O.H. Established in 1938, the newly named and female students. Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical “We are thrilled to receive this gift. Paul J. Wisniewski...... B.S. ChemE, 1953...... 11/1/2015...... Mesa, A.R. and Biomolecular Engineering awards It comes at a time of unprecedented John H. Manley...... B.S. ChemE, 1955...... 5/16/2016...... Fort Myers, F.L . approximately one of every 100 bachelor’s growth in student interest in chemical degrees in chemical engineering granted and biomolecular engineering and during John P. Page...... B.S. ChemE, 1955...... 9/8/2015...... Thousand Oaks, C.A. in the United States each year. The school a period when research in the school is Donald A. Bernard...... B.S. ChemE, 1956...... 12/28/2015...... Sorrento, F.L. is known nationally for its rigorous defining the next frontiers of the field. It undergraduate program of study and has also speaks volumes about the impacts Robert F. Smith ’85 Leonard B. Hittner...... B.S. ChemE, 1956...... 2/1/2016...... West Windsor, N.J. earned a reputation for educating students the school continues to have in educating combined $50 million who can thrive in any field. Now it bears students like Robert who go on to become Stan Hutchison...... B.S. ChemE, 1958...... 2/22/2016...... Chestertown, M.D. commitment from Robert F. the name of one of its most successful leaders in diverse fields,” said Professor Smith ’85, founder, chairman Donald E. Buzzelli...... B.S. ChemE, 1959...... 4/28/2016...... Washington, D.C. graduates, Robert F. Smith, whose private Lynden Archer, who was director of the and CEO of Vista Equity equity firm focuses on investments in school when the gift was announced in Barry F. Croasdale...... B.S. ChemE, 1959...... 2/6/2016...... Glenfield, N.Y. Partners, and the foundation enterprise software and technology- January. ofA which he is a founding director will William Robert Foltin...... B.S. ChemE, 1961...... 7/6/2015...... Latham, N.Y. enabled businesses. The gift will also create a program support chemical and biomolecular The Robert Frederick Smith School fund for diversity initiatives in engineering Victor W. Morgan...... B.S. ChemE, 1963; M.Eng. 1969...... 1/28/2016...... North Kingstown, R.I. engineering and African-American and will receive an endowment from Smith’s and provide the resources to create the female students at Cornell Engineering. Robert F. Slagle...... B.S. ChemE, 1963...... 2/21/2016...... Presto, P.A. commitment, an investment that will Robert Frederick Smith Tech Scholars The gift will also create a unique transform the school’s programs at Program. Through the latter, select high William C. Rippe...... B.S. ChemE, 1981...... 7/21/2015...... Westport, C.T. fellowship program at Cornell Tech that all levels—expanding opportunities school seniors with financial need— further strengthens the New York City for faculty and student discovery and again focusing on African-American campus’s ties to engineering in Ithaca.

18 | OLIN Hall News 19 | OLIN Hall News SMITH CBE NEWS GIFT & EVENTS

Smith’s gift, including the contribution from the foundation of which he is the founding director, is one of the CBE NEWS & EVENTS largest ever from an African-American philanthropist to a higher education institution. Eric J. Degenfelder ’86 gives 2015 “I have had the privilege of being raymond G. Thorpe Lecture a Cornell graduate with a degree in engineering,” said Smith. “I credit much of my career success to being an engineer by training. Engineers solve problems and fix things. Along my career I have become increasingly concerned by the lack of diversity across the engineering and tech disciplines. My direct intention here is to work directly with Cornell Tech and Cornell Engineering, in New York City and in Ithaca, to create direct on-ramps for African-Americans and young women to enter tech so that they can help lead us into the fourth industrial revolution.” Under Smith’s leadership, Vista From left to right: Robert F. Smith '85 and Professor Lynden Archer. Equity Partners has become one of the most successful investment firms in the and female students—will be invited to to engage with Cornell Tech faculty and world. Smith’s accomplishments have earn an undergraduate degree at Cornell programs throughout the bachelor’s/ landed him at No. 268 on the most recent Engineering, followed by a one-year master’s cycle. The majority of the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans. technical master’s degree at Cornell Tech. program’s funding will be dedicated He is the only African-American male on “Robert’s generosity will not only to fellowships at Cornell Tech, thereby that list. elevate our School of Chemical and ensuring a steady level of financial support Smith is also well known for his Biomolecular Engineering, but it will when students transition to their graduate philanthropy, receiving the SEO Reginald ensure it becomes more accessible than program. It creates a special opportunity F. Lewis Achievement Award, the ever,” said Lance Collins, the Joseph for students who might otherwise consider Humanitarian of the Year Award from Silbert Dean of Cornell Engineering. “I Cornell and graduate education outside the Robert Toigo Foundation, and the Left to right: Mark Thorpe, Professor Lynden Archer, Eric Degenfelder, Wyatt Thorpe, Garrett Thorpe, and Kathy Wainwright. believe an affordable educational path their reach. Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. from engineering in Ithaca to Cornell Tech “At Cornell Tech, we are dedicated Kennedy Center for Justice and Human ric J. Degenfelder ’86 presented the 2013, Degenfelder was given a special was Director of Strategic Planning for in New York City, for those who wouldn’t to increasing and diversifying access to Rights, among other accolades. 2015 Raymond G. Thorpe Lecture assignment to separate the business from Millennium Chemicals. Before that, he otherwise be offered such an opportunity, tech education. We deeply thank Robert He is the founding Director of E on Nov. 2, 2016, with a talk titled, DuPont. He was based in Shanghai from spent a total of 12 years with Air Products will produce some of the sharpest minds in Smith for his leadership and for creating the Fund II Foundation, a nonprofit “Whom Do You Work For? Experience 2008 through 2012 for three roles including and Chemicals where he had a variety of engineering and technology. I’m thankful the Tech Scholars program, giving students organization working to advance social from a Corporate Carve Out.” Vice President for Asia Pacific. He joined engineering, operations management, and Robert shares this vision and is making it the opportunity to experience our unique change and preserve African-American Degenfelder is currently Vice the coatings business in 2002 as Director of marketing management positions. a reality.” graduate programs, connect with the culture, human rights, music education, President for Global Product Management New Business Development and Strategy Degenfelder earned a Bachelor of The Robert Frederick Smith Tech growing New York City tech industry, and the environment and American values at Axalta Coating Systems’ Transportation and from 2004 to 2008 he was the North Science in chemical engineering from Scholars will benefit from the strong join the next generation of innovators and such as entrepreneurship and innovation. Business. Axalta is a leading supplier of American Business Manager for Industrial Cornell University in 1986 and an M.B.A. entrepreneurship and leadership programs entrepreneurs,” said Dan Huttenlocher, coatings for automobiles, commercial Coatings. from Northwestern University Kellogg at Cornell Engineering and opportunities Dean of Cornell Tech. vehicles, and industrial applications. In From 2000 to 2002, Degenfelder School in 1992.

20 | OLIN Hall News 21 | OLIN Hall News CBE NEWS & EVENTS

David T. Allen ’79 delivers 2016 Julian C. Smith Lecture Reunion 2016 while discussing high school engineering education’s rapid evolution. The talk also detailed “Engineering Your World,” a year-long curriculum developed at the University of Texas at Austin and currently completed by thousands of high school students annually.

Abe Stroock, William C. Hooey Director addressing Reunion attendees. Bill Troxell '66 and Pattie Troxell. Professor Lynden Archer leading a tour of the new UO Lab.

n June 11, 2016, classes from years of beloved faculty and fun times with Professor T. Michael Duncan, Professor of O ending in six and one gathered classmates, and learned what’s new in the Practice Al Center ‘65, Professor Lynden on Cornell’s campus. In keeping school. Archer, and Assistant Professor Roseanna with tradition, the Robert Frederick Smith William C. Hooey Director, Abe Zia. Emeritus Professor Claude Cohen, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Stroock, welcomed the group. Other along with Professors Archer and Stroock, Engineering welcomed close to 100 faculty who were present to welcome gave alumni a tour of the newly renovated alumni for breakfast. Ranging from 1946 honored returnees include Associate Unit Operations (UO) Laboratory. to 2011, classmates shared reminiscences

From left to right: Professor Lynden Archer and David T. Allen '79.

avid T. Allen ’79 delivered the the energy supply infrastructure in the Julian C. Smith Lectures on April United States changing dramatically over D 18 and 19, 2016. This marked the past decade. Increased production of the first lectures since Professor Smith’s oil and natural gas, particularly from shale passing in 2015. resources using horizontal drilling and Allen is the Melvin H. Gertz Regents hydraulic fracturing, made the U.S. the Chair in Chemical Engineering at world’s largest producer of oil in 2014. University of Texas at Austin. His first talk Allen’s second talk, “High school was entitled “Emissions from oil and gas engineering courses: content, structure and operations in the United States and their implications for university engineering Class of 1976 alumni from left to right: Gary Schmidt, Joseph Wilson Jr., Howard air quality implications,” and discussed curricula,” involved a broader audience Allen Philip Gisser '46 signing the guestbook at Reunion 2016. Greenburg, Pete Salazzo, Randy Johnson, Rich Mohring, and Richard Sasson.

22 | OLIN Hall News 23 | OLIN Hall News STAFF GRADUATE NEWS NEWS

STAFF NEWS graduate NEWS equipment and devices. He interacts with students, faculty, and staff with regards to all aspects of equipment design and fabrication, including materials science, Fleming Scholar award processes, purchasing, and practical applications. He also provides education he Fleming Scholar award in the Robert Frederick School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) was related to safe lab practices, particularly established in 2015 by a generous gift from CBE alumnus Samuel C. Fleming ‘62 and his wife Nancy Fleming to recognize with regard to the handling of compressed the very best graduate students working on biomolecular engineering research themes. By providing early recognition to gases and electrical devices. students with exceptional talent, the long-term goal of the Fleming Scholars program is to attract, educate, and graduate Swan’s support to CBE and CornellT Ph.D.s capable of leading their fields and pioneering new areas of study that advance biomolecular engineering science. beyond has always and continues to Nominations for the award are solicited annually and typically come from a student’s thesis advisor. Although the be appreciated. His more recent efforts Fleming Scholar award recognition will be bestowed yearly, students receiving the recognition in any given year will retain the contributed in a notable way to the distinguished title of Fleming Scholar. The 2016 awardees are: efficient operation of the school during a period of unprecedented growth in student enrollment and research activity. One contribution in particular to note is his commitment to teaching students the basic tenet of equipment design—to clearly experience by investigating the application define what it is they want to build and of degradable polymer scaffolds in how to formulate the design to make it drug delivery. Proving that antibody Swan receives 2015 easier to manufacture. He effectively and Tuttle hired as Graduate drug conjugates (ADCs), a class of William C. Hooey professionally supports a significant and Student Services pharmaceuticals designed for targeted Outstanding Staff Award diverse set of needs and we congratulate Coordinator delivery of cytotoxic small molecule him, recognizing his diligent and drugs, are powerful tools in the treatment Glenn Swan has received the 2015 dedicated efforts. Johanna Tuttle was hired into the of cancer. ADCs combine the potency of William C. Hooey Outstanding Staff Graduate Student Services Coordinator cytotoxic drugs with the antigen specificity Award. The award was established in position on Dec. 2, 2015. She came to the of antibodies to limit cytotoxic effects in 2011 by the Smith School of Chemical Congratulations! School after working seven years for the healthy tissue. and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) Schuyler County Department of Social However, recent studies to recognize a member of the staff who The Smith School of Chemical Services as a Senior Caseworker in child have demonstrated inherent drug goes “above and beyond” their job and Biomolecular Engineering protective services, prior to which she hydrophobicity as the limiting factor for responsibilities in helping the school and thanks its student colleagues held positons in disability services and ADC circulation time. The Alabi Group its faculty execute all aspects of CBE’s mental health. She is originally from North proposes to use sequence-defined polymer Sean Finnegan, Alison Gabay mission. Carolina and has a bachelor’s degree synthesis techniques developed in the Swan has worked at Cornell since and Vivian Montes for their in psychology with a concentration in lab to design drug scaffolds to mask 1982 and in CBE for the last 17 years. He contributions to CBE and social work from the University of North Michelle Sorkin this hydrophobicity, in hopes that these Tyler Moeller manages the Olin Hall Machine Shop and congratulates them on their May Carolina at Wilmington. scaffolds will increase the efficacy of ADCs supports the school and university by Since joining the Alabi Research by enabling them to achieve high drug Moeller’s research focus is using 2016 graduation. overseeing the design, construction, and Group in the spring of 2014, Sorkin loading while maintaining low plasma carbohydrates as targets for new vaccines repair of complex research and teaching has continued her previous research clearance. and immunotherapies. He says, “Diverse

24 | OLIN Hall News 25 | OLIN Hall News GRADUATE NEWS

polymers of carbohydrates, (glycans) extracurricular activities. When Nathan can be found on pathogenic bacteria, joined the Daniel Lab, the largest Ebola CBE WOMEN event inspires students viruses, and tumor cells making them outbreak in history was underway in West compelling candidate targets for diseases Africa. Investigating the entry mechanism from rural communities including cancer and infection. However, of Ebola seemed like a natural way to glycans are difficult to synthesize and apply the group’s research expertise to generate a suboptimal response from the address a global health concern. immune system, the details of which are When a viral particle infects a cell, incompletely understood.” the virus has to merge its envelope with His interest lies in better understanding the membrane of a cellular compartment the glycan-immune system interaction in order to release its genetic material and by utilizing glycan production platforms turn the cell into a virus-producing factory. developed in the DeLisa Laboratory and For Ebola, the trigger for this fusion of applying this fundamental knowledge virus and host membranes is not known to generate a robust immune response and there are competing ideas about what for monoclonal antibody and vaccine roles pH and proteases play in fusion. discovery. Even when it is possible to observe fusion within living cells, it is hard to control the environment the virus experiences, which Carolyn Shurer makes it difficult to determine precisely what triggers fusion. Shurer’s thesis work in the Paszek To overcome this difficulty, Nathan Lab presents a fresh new biophysical uses microfluidics coated with a cell perspective on how cancer cells acquire membrane mimic to control the exposure a highly motile phenotype in 3-D Local high school attendees at the Women Event. environments. While the dogma has been of the virus to potential fusion triggers. somewhat on your own. community in Upstate New York,” that adhesion receptors are imperative for f you grow up in Boston and are Using special microscopy techniques she Members of CBE Women, which is says Schaefer, who is now an Assistant cancer cell invasion, she has found that lucky enough to go to the John D. can watch individual viral particles fuse the graduate women’s group of the Robert Professor at the University of Notre Dame. fast motility in 3-D requires the breakage O’Bryant School of Mathematics and with the membrane mimic. This allows Frederick Smith School of Chemical and “I thought that the WOMEN event would of adhesive bonds that anchor the cell in Science or to Boston Latin School, her to determine the requirements for Biomolecular Engineering are doing what be an opportunity for CBE to connect with place. Cells overcome adhesive restraints then you have many examples fusion and investigate how host factors I they can to make sure the young women the surrounding smaller school districts by coating their surfaces with a slimy of classmates and recent grads who are impact the rate of fusion. Knowing what who go to high school in the Finger Lakes and provide high school girls and their protein called mucin, which is covered in heading off to Cornell or MIT or Stanford conditions are the most important for region get a taste of what undergraduate parents information about career options sugar molecules called glycans. By literally to study engineering. If you are from fusion will help to rationally design engineering is all about. and college preparation that may not pumping out more slime, cancer cells New York City and you go to the Bronx antivirals that can prevent the virus from Since 2010, CBE Women has been otherwise be available to them.” break their adhesive bonds, enabling them High School of Science or the Staten entering host cells. Nathan hopes her work hosting an event they call WOMEN “Sitting in the lab one day between to migrate with remarkably high velocity Island Technical High School then you will improve responses to outbreaks in the (Women’s Outreach in Materials, Energy, experiments, Jen and I were talking in 3-D environments. Shurer proposes that probably know people who are majoring Lakshmi Nathan future. and Nanobiotechnology) on the Ithaca about what inspired us to go into the the sugary coating on cell surfaces—the in engineering at Georgia Tech or Carnegie campus. The event is unique in two ways: engineering,” recalls Corona, who now As an undergraduate, Nathan used glycocalyx—is a complex and dynamic Melon. it focuses on tenth grade students from works as an engineer at the Boeing her spare time to work closely with several biomaterial which transduces biophysical But what if you grow up in Norwich rural districts and it includes parents in the Corporation. “Jen told me a story about an different Engineers Without Borders properties at the cell surface. This work or Weedsport in Upstate New York? These scheduled activities. inspiring lecture she heard by a professor chapters on projects including a water will provide a blueprint for stopping are small towns with small high schools. The event was the brainchild of she nicknamed the Ape Man. I told Jen system in Costa Rica and a solar-powered cancer metastasis through therapeutic The schools are excellent, but if you are a Alexandra Corona and Jennifer Schaefer, the story of my high school days where fruit dryer in Rwanda. In graduate school, manipulation of glycosylation and female student who is strong in math and who were both CBE graduate students an enthusiastic chemistry teacher got me she wanted helping others to be the normalization of cell surface polymer science and wondering how to develop back in 2010. “I grew up in a rural to dream about working for NASA one primary focus of her research instead of synthesis and biophysics. these strengths into college, you might be

26 | OLIN Hall News 27 | OLIN Hall News GRADUATE NEWS

day. We realized that it might take just are excited to add that to our repertoire. In said, “This was a great opportunity for me one passionate person or event to open addition, several students stated they are to see things I might not be exposed to at girls’ eyes to the possibilities of careers seriously considering a career in science my school in Norwich. My trig teacher told 2015-16 Austin Hooey Awards in science and engineering. From that or engineering. If the students and parents me about it and it sounded like something conversation, the idea of WOMEN was leave feeling empowered to take on a I would like, so I came.” first conceived, and I’m extremely proud STEM career, we have done our job.” One of the parents in the audience that it is still inspiring young girls today.” Susan Daniel, Associate Professor at for the question-and-answer session at Twenty-one high school students the Smith School, has been involved in the end of the day summed it up like this: attended WOMEN that first year, along the WOMEN event since its inception. “This was an excellent experience. My with their parents. In 2016, there were 34 “Many young girls are still not sure what daughter and all the girls got exposure students and 25 parents present. a technical career entails and some do to engineering and to a great campus “Everything went smoothly and the not have any role models to show them, environment. It’s inspirational—once you girls really seemed to enjoy themselves,” especially those from rural communities,” see it, you want it.” says Yaset Acevedo, Outreach Coordinator says Daniel. “And because many parents CBE Women conducts ongoing for CBE Women. “The parents left inspired also don’t know what these careers follow-up with past participants in the and happy to have spent the day with their involve, we felt it was important to involve program. Of those responding to the daughters. We find that the young women them.” follow-up survey, an impressive 73 percent who attend are genuinely curious about While there is certainly a growing report that the WOMEN event had an their opportunities and this event gives awareness of the value of diversity in the impact on their choice of college major. From left to right: Professor Clancy and James Stevenson. From left to right: Professor Clancy and Jonathan Saathoff. them an opportunity to understand what a STEM fields, the reality in the classroom, One anonymous respondent said, “It was career in STEM would be, while avoiding the lab, and the tech companies has not at the WOMEN event that I learned about CBE has announced the recipients Saathoff of the Clancy Group in Fall 2015, Graduate Studies, honors the late Austin all the associated stereotypes.” yet caught up. Cornell Engineering has biomedical engineering. I didn’t even of the 2015-16 Austin Hooey Graduate and Kyle Watters of the Lucks Group and O. Hooey (1922–2004). Her father, William This year’s event included lab been recognized nationally for its efforts to know it existed before that.” Research Excellence Recognition Award, James Stevenson of the Clancy Group in Hooey, earned his degree in chemical activities focused on process engineering, enroll more women in its undergraduate Another past participant wrote, which is the school’s highest honor Spring 2016. Award recipients delivered engineering in 1912. Both father and materials engineering, and bioengineering and graduate engineering degree “The WOMEN event was a turning point given to graduate students, recognizing oral presentations on their research as part daughter deeply valued higher education as well as faculty research talks for parents programs. In fact, this year’s freshman for me. Prior to the event, I had no idea outstanding contributions to scholarship of the school’s seminar series and received and Cornell University. To date, 24 CBE to attend. There was also a parent-student engineering class is half female. what I wanted to study in college. There and research towards a Ph.D. a monetary award along with a certificate. graduate students have been recognized lab, a student panel to answer questions, Daniel continues, “The WOMEN seemed to be too many options and no The awards were presented to Eugene The award, established in 2005 by with the award. and an information session for parents. event gives the girls a lot of confidence that way to decide. I had not even considered Choi of the Stroock Group and Jonathan Professor Lynden Archer, then Director of Acevedo, who is a Ph.D. student in they could be successful in engineering engineering until attending the WOMEN CBE, put in a lot of work to get ready for one day. For many, this is their first event and seeing that I could combine my the WOMEN event. To make an event experience being on a college campus interest in science with problem solving to like this successful takes many people and it makes a strong impression that solve real-world issues.” If further proof is working together. “Preparing for a full day stays with them and makes them want to needed of the effectiveness of the WOMEN of laboratory and educational activities work hard in school so they can get here. event, at least four of the past participants is time consuming, but our team of 35 Of course, parents are still the biggest are now enrolled at Cornell in STEM volunteers is excited and personally influence on their kids, so including them majors. motivated to get everything right. Starting is an important part of our program.” The members of CBE Women are in October, we spend time using feedback One participant this year said she pleased with how well the event went from the students and parents to improve heard about the event from her chemistry this year. They can relax and get back to on lab activities and talks,” said Acevedo teacher in the small town of Honeoye— their own research for a while. But, come after this year’s event. “I could not be about two hours northwest of Ithaca. “I October, they will start planning next more happy with how things went. This loved it,” she said. “I am very glad I came year’s event. year, we ran a new biology lab and many today. I got to learn about all the different girls named that as their favorite so we kinds of engineering.” Another student From left to right: Professor Clancy and Eugene Choi. From left to right: Professor Lucks and Kyle Watters.

28 | OLIN Hall News 29 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE PROFILES

Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Advice for future student for seven semesters and spent two years leaders: UNDERGRADUATE serving the national organization of AISES My advice would be to find as one of seven regional representatives. something you truly care about, something I also served as the Fundraising Director that makes each day seem like a short on the founding executive board of opportunity to work with your passion. STUDENT PROFILES College Mentors for Kids, the last Lecture The worst thing you can do is force Chair for Mortar Board National Senior yourself into a leadership position for the Leadership positions Honor Society, recruitment and Social wrong reason. This will not lead to success held at Cornell: Post-graduation goals: Chair for the social fraternity Beta Theta as a leader or create the happiness and At Cornell, I co-managed the student I will be returning to New Jersey Pi, and Leadership Council for Diversity pride that come with accomplishment. organization Cornell Health Advocacy after graduation to attend the New Jersey Programs in Engineering. I was also given Your passion for a particular cause or Topics, a group focused on helping local Medical School (NJMS). I have not yet the opportunity to walk-on to the varsity organization is what will drive you to be a Ithaca residents become more involved decided what type of medicine I’d like sprint football team. better leader. in their healthcare. I was also a teaching to study, but I’m open to exploring the assistant (TA) for ENGRD 2190: Mass and different strengths of the New Jersey Major accomplishments as a Goals post-graduation: Energy Balances. medical community. leader: My goal is to earn my Ph.D. at The My major accomplishments as a Ohio State starting in fall 2016. The Major accomplishments Favorite Olin leader were mostly found within AISES, research I intend to pursue in Ohio is as a leader: Hall/ChemE memory: as it was my main leadership focus on computational modeling and simulation Having the opportunity to develop I’m a bit nostalgic, so between the campus. As a regional representative, it of natural processes as unit operations. relationships with both Ithaca residents late night/early mornings watching the was my responsibility to host a regional My hope is that the outputs of industrial and underclassmen made me feel like I sunrise from Olin to the kickoff barbecues conference for all chapters within 12 states process can be paired with the capacity was making a positive difference in the on the lawn, I don’t know if I can choose and five Canadian provinces. Within the of natural processes to suggest change to community. Being a leader of a large a favorite. In recent memory however, Michael Charles ’16 College of Engineering, there are eight environmental policy. In particular, I hope Maxine Chan ’16 group was definitely something new I had a lot of fun making costumes for Why Cornell? engineers (out of 3,150) who identify to work with the Indian Energy Policy and Why Cornell? that pushed me out of my comfort zone, senior design’s Fancy Dress Day. Parading I decided to attend Cornell because I as American Indian or Alaska Native. I Programs Office within the Department of but these experiences have been very around Olin Hall and Ho Plaza in am currently the only American Indian Energy. When applying to college, I wasn’t was impressed with the variety of students rewarding. I think that teaching others is ridiculously unwieldy Pacman costumes chemical engineer enrolled according to really sure what I wanted to study. My at the university. I was considering many one of the most meaningful ways to make felt like the ultimate reward after weeks the fall 2015 undergraduate enrollment Favorite Olin Hall/ChemE interests in high school leaned toward technical schools, but realized that I valued a difference. It has been very satisfying to spent dressed in business formal. summary. memory: biology and chemistry, but were otherwise the diversity of people and did not find the help people reach their “Aha!” moment. However, with a team of about five My favorite memory is rehearsing for largely scattered. Cornell appealed to me same wide range of interests elsewhere. I students, the Cornell AISES chapter the senior skit for the Holiday Party in the because it’s a large university and I knew wanted to interact with people studying Advice for future was able to bring together about 100 senior lounge. It was one of the few times that I would have the opportunity to different majors, coming from different student leaders: indigenous students and professionals in Olin Hall that work was off my mind explore a variety of interests before settling cultures, and sharing stories from different Develop your relationships in a few for a weekend to discuss the idea of and acting through a ridiculous script was into one major. Additionally, Cornell has backgrounds. organizations that you care about, but sustainability. Over my four years, I all that mattered. an extensive (and very friendly) alumni don’t spread yourself too thin. Being was also involved in planning 10 total network, and I felt reassured that I would Leadership positions held at involved in student groups can be great conferences for AISES across six different always be able to reach out for help. The Cornell: with the right people, but can also be a states with the opportunity to speak famous Cornell Weather Machine was in At Cornell, my main leadership role burden if you’re overworked. Above all, in front of 1,600 people at national full effect the day of my visit, which also focused on improving the representation find something that you are passionate conferences. probably had a role in influencing my of American Indian students and other about and your enthusiasm for it will be decision to attend. Though I soon found indigenous cultures within the STEM infectious. There really is something for out that the weather isn’t always quite as fields. I held the position as President/ everyone at Cornell. From left to right: Pacman Group - Team Green Co-President of the American Indian nice. Forest: Matthew Ferguson, Jennifer LI, Mandy Wang and Maxine Chen.

30 | OLIN Hall News 31 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE PROFILES

Leadership positions held at that involves a written application and/ engaging exercises for a weekly two-hour themed) and played the role of Professor Cornell: or interview, make sure you can articulate class of about 20 students. My junior year, Zia. It was nice to spend an evening I am currently the President of CU why you care about the opportunity I became one of the Lead Facilitators of with my friends outside of the Scheele Winds (the wind ensembles of Cornell as well as specific ideas you have the AEW program who assists in training Undergrad Lounge and get to know the University) and am a member of the and skills you can bring to the table. I other AEW facilitators. I am also the faculty outside of the classroom. Student Advisory Board for the Hunter R. have interviewed many candidates for President of the Cornell Club Softball Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research leadership positions over the past couple Team, and I work as an Undergraduate Scholars (RCPRS). Previously, I was of years and I am always impressed when Teaching Assistant (TA) in Fluid Co-Chair of Engineering Peer Advising someone has obviously thought about Mechanics, and Mass and Energy Balances. and a member of the Executive Board these things in advance and presents them of Cornell’s chapter of the American well. Major accomplishments as a Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). leader: Additionally, I have served as a teaching Post-graduation goals: As an AEW Facilitator and assistant (TA) for Introduction to Chemical After graduation, I will be joining the Undergraduate TA, I’m able to help Engineering as well as Chemical Kinetics Securities Division of Goldman Sachs as students grasp difficult concepts they’re and Reactor Design. a Commodities Trading Strategist in New struggling with. As the Club Softball York City. President, my largest accomplishment Major accomplishments as a has been fostering an inclusive team leader: Favorite Olin Hall/ChemE environment and building strong As Co-Chair of Engineering Peer memory: relationships with my teammates. Advising, I interviewed, trained, and Some of my favorite memories managed over 100 undergraduate of ChemE have been the social events Advice for future student volunteers as part of the ENGRG 1050 hosted by AIChE, such as the Drink of leaders: program. As President of CU Winds, I have the Week (DOTW). As an underclassman, I never necessarily felt ready to take Will Gregg ’16 spearheaded an alumni outreach initiative DOTWs provided a low-pressure and on these roles, but I took the risk anyway. Why Cornell? which resulted in productive dialogue social environment to interact with McKenzie Hubert ’16 Pushing myself to take on leadership about how alumni can be more engaged upperclassmen and gain valuable advice roles has significantly improved my self- Although I was interested in studying Why Cornell? chemical engineering, I wanted to attend with the ensemble moving forward. As for the road ahead. More recently, as confidence and teamwork skills. I learned What first attracted me to Cornell was a school where I could continue to a member of the student advisory board a senior and a TA, these events have how to feel comfortable in uncomfortable the stellar reputation in undergraduate play bass clarinet in a wind ensemble/ for RCPRS, I have focused on improving provided me with an opportunity to get situations, which I think is one of the most engineering programs. When I visited orchestral setting. After submitting an social interaction and community within to know my students more personally and useful skills I have developed at Cornell. during Cornell Days, I fell in love with arts supplement to my application, I was the program by organizing social events pass on advice of my own. the campus and surrounding area but contacted by the director of orchestras on and off campus as well as organizing a Goals post-graduation: what really sealed the deal for me was and informed that he had recommended peer advising program for students newly This fall I will pursue my doctorate the diversity of campus organizations. me to the admissions committee. Between admitted to the program. degree in chemical engineering at Ranging from club sports to engineering Cornell’s broad institutional strengths, the Stanford University. I plan to research project teams, the opportunity to study school's research and teaching emphasis on Advice for future student surface reactions and catalysis with abroad, and the extensive network of sustainable energy (my primary academic leaders: possible applications including biofuel Cornell alumni and affiliates. interest), and the positive feedback from Taking on a leadership role is a great development or carbon sequestration. learning experience, but it is also an the music department, I thought that Leadership positions held at Cornell was a great choice. important responsibility. Make sure that Favorite Olin Hall/ChemE your schedule is able to accommodate Cornell: memory: the additional time commitment/ As a sophomore, I became an My favorite memory is from the responsibilities that come with the role. In Academic Excellence Workshop (AEW) ChemE Holiday Party. I performed in terms of locking down a position, whether Facilitator, in which I developed the senior skit (which was Harry Potter interactive lesson plans and created

32 | OLIN Hall News 33 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE CORNELL’S PROFILES CHEME CAR

Major accomplishments as a success of the organization. However, leader: it is important to also take the time to Cornell’s ChemE Car wins first On the field hockey team, we have check in with others in your organization. fostered a team culture of personal Academics at Cornell can be tough, and place at national competition accountability and hard work to be the it’s important that we look out for each best player you can be for the team. We other. turned the program around from being one of the worst in the Ivy League to Goals post-graduation: consistently finishing in the top three. We I will be working for Procter and were ranked nationally in the top 20 for Gamble in Albany, Ga., as a Process the first time in program history in 2014 Engineer in Papermaking. (junior year). This past season in 2015 (senior year), we finished in the top 20 of Favorite Olin Hall/ChemE the Ratings Percentage Index and strength memory: of schedule for the first time in program The CBE Holiday Party last winter history. We also set school records for wins, was a great way to end the semester before goals, and assists in a season as well as winter break. It was nice to see our class goals in a single game and penalty corners there with our professors and staff while per contest within the last two years. having some fun through the senior skit. For the Society of Women Engineers, we have organized and volunteered at multiple events throughout the school year to teach children about science and engineering. Athlete Ally (a nationwide, non-profit Marisa Siergiej ’16 organization that fosters a message of tolerance, respect, and acceptance for the Why Cornell? lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender When I was deciding which university (LGBT) community) has evolved into to attend, I knew I wanted a strong balance being a place for LGBTs and allies to find of academics and athletics. The College acceptance of all people across campus. Professor Roseanna Zia, far right, with the winning ChemE Car team at nationals. of Engineering at Cornell University has Over the past two years during my time a great reputation, and the varsity field as Marketing Director, we have brought in ompeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier in the year. Cornell’s ChemE Car Teams then break out their computers hockey team was competitive within the speakers including Brendon Ayanbadejo on Nov. 8 at the Annual American team did remarkably well at the Northeast and crunch the numbers to figure out the Division 1. (Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl Champion) C Institute of Chemical Engineers Regional Competition in Boston in March. technical settings for their two allowed and Megan Rapinoe (U.S. Women's (AIChE) Conference against 34 Split into two smaller teams, they finished runs. On Cornell’s second run, their car Leadership positions held at National Team soccer player, Olympic student teams from around the world, in first place and third place, respectively, came to a stop just 5.3 centimeters from the Cornell: Gold medalist, FIFA World Cup Gold Cornell’s ChemE Car took first place in in the car competition and also won first target. My most memorable leadership medalist) to educate the campus on LGBT the Chem-E-Car Competition. This makes for the technical poster competition. Their Cornell’s ChemE Car team has 45 positions at Cornell include being issues. the fourth time the team has been national performance in Boston earned them their members, representing six different the Varsity Field Hockey Captain, a champion since 2008. This year, they trip to Utah. majors. The team leader is chemical Community Outreach Chair for the Society Advice for future student shared top honors with the team from The ChemE Car competition is engineering senior Dan Recalde (center, of Women Engineers, and the Marketing leaders: McGill University of Montreal. not a race. Rather, one hour before the back row) and the team’s faculty advisor is Director, Cornell's chapter for Athlete Ally. As a leader, you will gain All 34 teams competing in Salt Lake competition, teams are given a specific Professor Roseanna Zia. responsibility that is integral for the City had earned the right to be there by target distance for their car to travel as doing well in regional competitions held well as a specific weight to be carried.

34 | OLIN Hall News 35 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATE Awards & Honors American Chemical Society Award for Outstanding Genentech/Scheele Merck Engineering and Mortar Board Senior Honor Outstanding Scholar Award Scholar Fellowship Service to the School Outstanding Junior AwaRD Technology Fellowship Society and Genentech Award

Alexander Settle Matt Ferguson and Iyore Olaye Jean Ye Sheridan Wakimoto and Kevia Qu Michael Charles and Zachary Cesaro Settle is recognized for his “outstanding Left to right: Matt Ferguson, Professor Zia and Iyore Sanjeev Dhara Ye is recognized for her continued support to Recipients are chosen by Merck on the basis The Mortar Board is a national honor society scholarship, mastery of chemical engineering Olaye. the director and to the faculty to improve the Carol Scheele awards Sanjeev Dhara with the of scholarship, leadership, and character and that recognizes college seniors for outstanding fundamentals, demonstrated application in the AIChE Othmer Award professional and social community of the school. Genentech/Scheele Outstanding Junior Award. receive $5,000 for two years and summer achievement in scholarship, leadership, and capstone laboratory and design courses and Left to right: Professor Archer and Jean Ye. internships at Merck. Left to right: Sheridan public service. Left to right: Michael Charles, professional promise.” Wakimoto, Professor DeLisa and Kevia Qu. Professor Steen and Zachary Cesaro. Left to right: Professor Duncan and Alexander Settle. ConocoPhillips Scholarship Merrill Presidential NSF Graduate Fellowship Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Teaching Assistant Award

Matthew Ferguson Dhara was recognized in 2014 by Sarah Miller, This award recognizes the student with the Master Production Planner Clinical Demand highest GPA after sophomore year. Left to right: Tyler McDevitt and Supply Planning, Genentech, for his Professor Duncan and Matthew Ferguson. leadership and achievements in campus and This award is given to exceptional students with professional activities. Eric McShane career intentions in the oil and energy industry. Award for Outstanding Michael Statt The award “recognizes high scholarship, Left to right: Professor Tester and Tyler McDevitt. McKenzie Hubert Research by an extracurricular contributions, unusual promise Merrill Scholars are selected from across the Hubert is recognized for her contributions to Undergraduate of substantial achievement, and a program that Frank and Rosa Rhodes university for “leadership ability, community Fluid Mechanics, Mass and Energy Balances, advances the engineering profession.” Left to Scholar involvement, and potential for continued and Process Control Strategies. Left to right: right: Professor Hanrath and Eric McShane. contributions to society. Left to right: Professor Professor Zia and McKenzie Hubert. Archer and Michael Statt.

Eric McShane The award “recognizes a student’s McKenzie Hubert demonstrated record of ability, indication of leadership, and professional promise.” Left to Left to right: Professor Tester and McKenzie Hubert. right: Professor Hanrath and Eric McShane.

36 | OLIN Hall News 37 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF AWARDS 2016

Outstanding Undergraduate Quill and Dagger Society Sphinx Head Society Induction Teaching Assistant Award Induction congratulations to the class of 2016!

Brian George and Marisa Siergiej Michael Statt Michael Charles The Society recognizes demonstrated Statt is recognized for his contributions to Quill and Dagger recognizes exemplary respectable strength of character on top of a chemical engineering thermodynamics and undergraduates who have shown leadership, dedication to leadership and service at Cornell chemical kinetics and reactor design. Left to character, and dedication to service. Left to right: University. Left to right: Brian George, Professor right: Professor Hanrath and Michael Statt. Professor Clancy and Michael Charles. Tester and Marisa Siergiej. Xerox/Rodriguez Award for P&G Technical Excellence Shell Technical Scholarship Research in Polymers or Award Semiconductors

Ge Qu and Daniel Recalde James Raiford Daniel Recalde This award supports engineering students Class of 2016 This award is given for the best technical interested in energy issues. Left to right: Professor Raiford is recognized for his outstanding 1. Sharon Spear presentation. Left to right: Professor Zia and Daniel Center, Ge Qu and Daniel Recalde. research in polymers and electronic materials. 18. Kelsey Weber 35. Veronica Peltz 52. Jiamin Zhang 69. Jun Yan 86. Jimmy Raiford Recalde. Left to right: Professor Clancy and James Raiford. 2. Sarah Parrotte 19. Deanna Lye 36. Sarah Maguire 53. Dan Hanggi 70. Will Gregg 87. Eric McShane 3. Dorothy Zhang 20. Daniel Recalde 37. Brittany Wun 54. McKenzie Hubert 71. Andrew Bhak 88. Maxx McClelland 4. Grace Tan 21. Ge (Caroline) Qu 38. Jean Ye 55. Alex Settle 72. Max Cohen 5. Meghan Fullman 22. Jayne Zurek 39. Michelle Ma 56. Arnav Malkani 73. Jeremy Alderman Not pictured 6. Jennifer Li 23. He (Richard) Wan 40. Mindy Wang 57. Tyler McDevitt 74. Jackson Rosenblatt Aaron Gittelman 7. Yunmei Zhang 24. Sophia Young 41. Annie Leung 58. Dhruv Ragunathan 75. Marion Quien Ha Young Lee 8. Ivy Lai 25. Brian George 42. Soo Lee 59. Matt Ferguson 76. San Ha Yoo Tianze Pan 9. Xiaolu Wen 26. Mandy Mofei Teng 43. Aly Gruber 60. Sanjeev Dhara 77. Nick Ornitz Sam Rubenstein 10. Sanaya Shroff 27. Beth Guilherme 44. J. Pablo Alvarez 61. Kwan Lee 78. Sam Johnson Rebecca Schneider 11. Joanna Churches 28. Sheridan Wakimoto 45. Hanqing Xiao Xia Yang 62. Harold Fu 79. Michael Charles Alexander Schonenberg 12. Andrea Plat 29. Michelle Chen 46. Matthew Levy 63. Love Patel 80. Sam Schraer Colin Travers 13. Kevia Qu 30. Emily Jen 47. Marisa Siergiej 64. Siddharth Ramakrishnan 81. Zac Cesaro Kenneth Wronka 14. Pradeep Prathibha 31. Maxine Chan 48. Iyore N. Olaye 65. Sam Young 82. Joel Lawson 15. Meng (Michelle) Wu 32. Michael Statt 49. Jitao Deng 66. Shane Heil 83. Jacob Aloia 16. Alisha Khan 33. Jesse Garcia 50. Jess Levine 67. Zhe Chen 84. George Schnaars 17. Rachel Langley 34. Sarah Turgeon 51. Luis Gracian 68. Parth Trivedi 85. Justin Khalil

38 | OLIN Hall News 39 | OLIN Hall News Enhance the Graduate Experience Product Design for Manufacturing (PDM) Masters Fellowships Graduate Fellowships GIVING OPPORTUNITIES CBE now offers a Master of Engineering concentration Attracting talented graduate students to the school is a key in Chemical Product Design for Manufacturing. The goal in our pursuit of excellence in research. Your gift will program combines coursework in chemical engineering, We are grateful to the many alumni and friends of the department for their generous support allow the school to meet its goal of providing competitive principles and practice of product design and new business of the school and its programs. Your continued generosity allows us to sustain and enhance graduate fellowships to every first-year graduate student development with industrial internships to prepare enrolled in the chemical engineering program. chemical engineers able to innovate and lead the emerging the quality of the school’s programs and its reputation for educating engineers at the top of field of product design for manufacturing. As with the EEE the field. Please review the list of giving opportunities below and consider a gift that will help Teaching Immersion Fellowships for Doctoral concentration, the high cost of matriculating in the Master the school accomplish one of the following objectives. Students of Engineering program presents an insurmountable barrier to many talented applicants. With the specific aim The goal of CBE’s teaching immersion fellowships is to of increasing the quality of the student pool enrolled in the For an up-to-date list of opportunities, you can also visit our website at facilitate the development of doctoral students committed https:// www.cheme.cornell.edu/alumni/giving.cfm. PDM Master of Engineering program, gifts will be used to to careers in academia. Gifts in support of these fellowships provide named, competitive fellowships for select students will be used to fund graduate students who serve as pursuing the PDM concentration. teaching assistants in multiple courses. Graduate Student Research Symposium Modernizing Olin Hall Infrastructure Attract Talented Faculty to Support for Research and Education Undergraduate Education In 2010 CBE launched an annual graduate student research For more symposium in which advanced graduate students present information Creation of a Cornell Institute for Biological Chaired Professorship of Industrial Practice talks and junior students present research posters to an Design and Manufacturing audience of their peers, faculty and guests from industry. on these or any Industrial Practitioners (IPs) are chemical engineers Chemical engineers at Cornell are using the principles This naming opportunity will provide endowed funds with considerable practical experience who return to of biological and engineering design to harness living to be used to continuously support the graduate student other giving Cornell to serve as lecturers. Since the mid 1990’s, CBE organisms for manufacturing chemical products. The research symposium. undergraduates have benefited greatly from continuous opportunities, Institute for Biological Design and Manufacturing will service of IPs in our capstone Chemical Process Design capitalize on this trend to catalyze progress towards a Energy Economics and Engineering (EEE) Course and Unit Operations Laboratory. More recently, contact new ‘biomanufacturing economy,’ in which engineers Masters Fellowships IPs have played a central role in the development of new develop biological systems to manufacture new products— components of our curriculum in Product Design and Our Energy Economics and Engineering Master of materials, therapeutic drugs and fuels—that address some June Losurdo, Director of Development Energy Economics. Engineering concentration continues to provide a unique of the world’s most pressing problems. mechanism for preparing students with physical sciences [email protected] A naming gift to endow a Professor of Practice position to and engineering backgrounds for careers in public policy, Gifts in support of the institute will allow the School to support a long-term IP would have major impact on our engineering management and consulting. The high cost of renovate and upgrade space in Olin Hall that will house 607-254-1643 ability to attract and retain the highest quality individuals matriculating in the program presents a barrier to many the institute. Your gift will also provide annual support for for our program. talented applicants. Gifts will be used to provide named, research and education programs that embody the mission competitive fellowships for select students pursuing the https://www.cheme.cornell.edu/alumni/giving.cfm of the institute. EEE Master of Engineering concentration.

40 | OLIN Hall News 41 | OLIN Hall News Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

42 | OLIN Hall News