HALL NEWS Olinoctober 2017 No

Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

HALL NEWS OLINOctober 2017 No. 106

REIMAGINING OLIN HALL TO ENHANCE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION 16 TABLE OF DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR: ABE STROOCK DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE DEPARTMENT, TABLE OF CONTENTS CBE Welcome...... 2 Faculty News & Awards...... 4 T Fulfilling The Promise Of “Materials By Design”...... 6 Smith Gift Funds First Initiatives...... 10 Product design curriculum evolves with industry...... 14 reimagining olin hall to enhance research and education...... 16 Shell EPOCH program a perfect fit for CBE students ...... 20 Alumni News...... 22 In Memorium...... 24 Safety Olinpics...... 25 CBE News & Events...... 26 Reunion 2017...... 27 Staff News...... 28 Graduate News...... 30 Undergraduate Profiles...... 35 Undergraduate Awards...... 38 Merrill Scholars...... 40 Congratulations to the Class of 2017...... 43 Giving Opportunities...... 44

Photos provided by Thomas Hoebbel Photography, John Reis Photography, and University Photography.

1 | OLIN Hall News CBE WELCOME

WELCOME FENGQI YOU WELCOME JEFFREY VARNER

worked in the Mathematics and Computer companies save money through more from the surface to the nucleus of a cell is the last 10 years. Science Division at the Argonne National efficient operations. a complex undertaking. Once the signal Varner spent a year at Purdue Laboratory for two years and taught at “Engineering is a way of thinking reaches the nucleus, the cell may change University and rejoined the Smith School Northwestern University for five years systematically,” says You, who is teaching its metabolism, change its shape, alter at Cornell in 2016. His lab continues before coming to Cornell in 2016. the capstone chemical engineering design the expression of certain genes or change with its focus on metabolic and signal “This position in the Smith School is course. “I want our students to include in its rate of division. Understanding the transduction processes important in really the perfect fit for me,” says You. “I sustainability in the way they think about flow of these signals through cells could biotechnology and human health. The am excited to be at Cornell. My chemical problems.” help researchers learn how to reprogram many ongoing projects in the Varner engineering colleagues are gifted and the signal’s flow in signal transduction Lab are joined together by the use of open to collaborations. Also, I think there networks. In effect, we could start to tell mathematical modeling in combination will be many opportunities to work with “I BELIEVE the cell what to do. with experimental investigation to students and professors across the College THAT CHEMICAL Varner earned his B.S., his M.S., and understand and then to eventually of Engineering and throughout Cornell.” his Ph.D. from Purdue University. He manipulate biological function. You’s long-term goal is to create ENGINEERS was then a postdoctoral researcher at the Of particular interest to Varner engqi You has joined the Smith computational and modeling tools that SHOULD BE effrey Varner, professor in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology has been the biochemistry of human School faculty as the Roxanne decision makers in government and Smith School, would not describe (ETH-Zurich), where he studied signal blood. He is working to build a better E. and Michael J. Zak Professor. industry will be able to use to make better ABLE TO DO himself as artistic. “My mom has transduction mechanisms involved in understanding of the processes that occur He is also a David Croll Faculty decisions with the idea of sustainability EVERYTHING. become a painter as she has gotten cell-death (apoptosis) under Professor following injury; for example, blood Fellow. as a guiding factor. “We have known for a older,” says Varner. “She has sold Jay Bailey. Varner then went to work at coagulation or infection. His eventual F“I believe that chemical engineers long time that people need to make better SOCIETY FACES Jmany of her works. They are good, I guess, Genencor-DuPont, in Palo Alto, California. goal is to be able to use what he learns should be able to do everything,” says You. decisions about where and how we get our MANY ISSUES IN but they are beyond me. They are abstract During his years at Genencor, Varner to create effective treatments to control “Society faces many issues in the areas food, water and energy, yet our decisions and I just don’t get them.” worked on various projects focused on hemorrhage. “Few people know that of food, water and energy production; are not as good as we expected. I want to THE AREAS OF What Varner does “get” is how to using protein therapeutics in the treatment trauma is the leading cause of death for chemical engineers can help come up develop tools that will be analogous to the FOOD, WATER use computer code to model biological of colorectal cancer, chronic lymphocytic persons 36-years-old and younger, and with sustainable solutions to important tools weather forecasters use today,” says processes. “You could say that my leukemia and the production of proteins. that hemorrhage accounts for 40 percent challenges in these areas.” You’s focus is on You, who uses advanced mathematical, AND ENERGY particular artistic bent comes out in In 2005 Varner left Genencor to of all trauma deaths,” says Varner. “I want the development of novel computational computing and optimization techniques in PRODUCTION; mathematics and computer code,” says become a professor of chemical and to understand how the body responds models, optimization algorithms, and his work. Varner. “I have written some of my biomolecular engineering at Cornell. to trauma and how we can manage this systems analysis and design methods to You believes that now is the perfect CHEMICAL programs as many as 10 times to make During this first stint at Cornell, response to save lives.” Other specific improve process manufacturing, energy time to create these tools. “With more and ENGINEERS them elegant. Clear, simple code can be Varner continued his research into the areas of study for Varner are to learn more systems and sustainability. His work more data available to researchers it is beautiful and powerful.” The code Varner development of physiochemical modeling about why cancer cells make decisions. straddles the line between operations time to take that data and push the limits CAN HELP writes models the flow of signals and tools to rationally reprogram human signal For example, why do they choose a less research and chemical engineering. of sustainability analytics,” says You. COME UP WITH materials in biological signal transduction transduction architectures. He earned an efficient route than other cells to make “Michael Zak (’75 OR) endowed Processes used to manufacture biofuels, and metabolic networks. When a molecule NSF CAREER Award in 2009 and he was energy? Varner is also interested in how the faculty chair I am in because he solar cells, shale gas and many other SUSTAINABLE from outside a cell activates a receptor honored with the Mr. and Mrs. Richard stem cells produced in bone marrow sense believes strongly that it is essential to products could be made more efficient and SOLUTIONS TO on the cell surface, a chain of biochemical Tucker College of Engineering Teaching the world around them and make lineage link the field of operations research with more sustainable. With his knowledge of events is triggered, leading to a cellular Excellence Award in 2010. He is also very decisions. chemical engineering,” says You. You chemical processes and his background in IMPORTANT response. engaged with integrating undergraduates “I love the biology behind all these received his undergraduate degree in operations research, You is ideally situated CHALLENGES IN Even though cells are the basic unit into research; he mentored several Merrill processes,” says Varner. “But what I chemical engineering from Tsinghua to take advantage of the big data available of life, their biochemistry is anything but Scholars, Rawlings Cornell Presidential really bring to the table is the ability to University. He earned his Ph.D. from to help the world better manage its THESE AREAS.” basic. Modeling the chain of reactions Research Scholars, and McNair Diversity explain the biology through mathematical Carnegie Mellon University. He then resources while at the same time helping — Fengqi You that takes place as a signal makes its way Programs Undergraduate Researchers over modeling.”

2 | OLIN Hall News 3 | OLIN Hall News FACULTY NEWS & AWARDS

hris Alabi, assistant professor and growth, major metabolic pathways, Networks: General Modeling Framework, the Nancy and Peter Meinig Family alteration of cellular information and other Efficient Global Optimization Algorithm, FACULTY NEWS & AWARDS Investigator in the Life Sciences, key topics. And Case Studies On Bioconversion” C was recognized in fall 2016 as and “Optimal Design And Operations a recipient of the Cornell Engineering im Engstrom, professor, served as a Of Supply Chain Networks For Water Research Excellence Award. This award guest editor for a Special Topic issue Management In Shale Gas Production: was given in recognition of Alabi's of The Journal of Chemical Physics. MILFP Model And Algorithms For The research contributions and leadership. J Working with Andy Kummel, a Water-Energy Nexus.” You was also Additionally, Tau Beta Pi Engineering professor at University of California invited to join the editorial board of ACS Honor Society selected Alabi as the winner - San Diego, Engstrom developed the Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. of the 2017 Tau Beta Pi Professor of the topic entitled: “Atomic and Molecular Year Award. The award includes a $1,500 Layer Processing: Deposition, Pattering ynden Archer, the James A. Friend prize that will be presented at a special and Etching.” Over 20 research groups Family Distinguished Professor of dinner. world-wide contributed to the special Engineering, and Ph.D. candidate issue, which covers thin film processing L Wajdi Al Sadat were recognized on Chris Alabi Paulette Clancy Michael Shuler Matthew DeLisa aulette Clancy, the Samuel W. technologies that promise atomic and Scientific American’s 2016 list of World and M. Diane Bodman Professor molecular-scale control, and have received Changing Ideas for their electrochemical in Chemical Engineering, received increased interest in the past several years cell designed to sequester carbon from P a 2016 College of Engineering as traditional methods for fabrication the atmosphere and turn it into electricity. Excellence in Advising Award. Clancy begin to reach their fundamental limits. Archer was also named deputy editor of was also awarded a Kaplan Family the high impact, multi-disciplinary journal, Distinguished Faculty Fellowship in atthew DeLisa, Matthew Science Advances. Service-Learning, which recognizes Paszek, Abe Stroock and the importance of civic engagement in Jeffrey Varner are among the effrey Tester, the Croll Professor higher education. Clancy was recognized M faculty members participating of Sustainable Energy Systems, as having made significant impact on in the Center on the Physics of Cancer and postdoctoral researcher Roy education at Cornell by involving her Metabolism—a new multi-institutional J Posmanik were featured by Time students in challenging community-based translational research unit established Magazine for their work on converting learning projects. at Cornell with a $1.9 million National food waste and agricultural waste Cancer Institute grant. The goal of the into liquid fuels using hydrothermal Jim Engstrom Matthew Paszek Abe Stroock Jeffrey Varner ichael Shuler, the Samuel B. center is to combine the strengths of processing. The online coverage included Eckert Professor of Engineering, different interdisciplinary research groups a video that was filmed on campus and and Matthew DeLisa, the to gain unprecedented understanding of produced by Time. M William L. Lewis Professor of the biological and physical mechanisms Engineering, published the third edition regulating how tumors function and of the book, “Bioprocess Engineering: metastasize, or spread, in the human Basic Concepts.” The third edition is an body’s microenvironment. extensive update of the world’s leading introductory textbook on biochemical engqi You, the Roxanne E. and and bioprocess engineering and Michael J. Zak Professor and reflects key advances in productivity, David Croll Faculty Fellow, was innovation and safety. The authors review F recognized by AIChE Journal relevant fundamentals of biochemistry, as having authored its two most cited microbiology and molecular biology, papers published in 2015: “Multiobject Fengqi You Lynden Archer Jeffrey Tester including enzymes, cell functions and Optimization Of Product And Process

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

FULFILLING THE PROMISE OF “MATERIALS BY DESIGN” A CHEMICAL ENGINEER’S JOURNEY By Paulette Clancy, Samuel W. and M. Diane Bodman Professor in Chemical Engineering

(and hopefully, side-effects), laptops with code and the engineering intuition to extended battery lives, a transparent solar analyze the results. These are rarely the cell that you could install yourself on your skill sets of a computer science major, or windows and not lose any ability to enjoy an electrical engineer, or even a material the view of your garden. scientist (though they come closest). In this The Clancy Group wants to hasten article, we’ll explore a few of the fascinating those days too. We are currently looking at projects that the Clancy Group has a number of exciting projects that we hope undertaken in the recent past or are actively will make their way into the marketplace, under investigation. the hospital or your home. We are a computational group, and we like to say PROJECT 1: COULD LIFE that we can study any material as long EXIST ON TITAN? AND WHAT as it has electrons! Fortunately that’s not MIGHT IT LOOK LIKE? much of a constraint. But because we are This project really exemplifies one of always pushing ourselves to tackle the most Cornell’s greatest characteristics: the ability challenging problems in materials modeling, to collaborate seamlessly across colleges. requirement for life, would be very different is important for cell division needed for speculated on Reddit about the nature of the we have extreme (indeed, unbounded) needs Cornell astronomer Jonathan Lunine to those found on Earth. Rather than long- growth or reproduction. We also identified a fish on Titan. Our next step will be to look ur daily lives are full in terms of computational resources and we asked us to make computer simulations of chain, nonpolar molecules that form the couple of other molecules, present in Titan’s at the options for metabolism inside such of benefits from the frequently find that we have to create our nitrogen-based molecules and assess which, phospholipid membranes in our own watery atmosphere, that were capable of forming vesicles and on the nature of membranes in manufacturing of new own algorithms because the calculations we if any, could self-assemble into a vesicle, as world, we found that in liquid methane at vesicles. The availability of molecules with watery moons like Enceladus. materials with some amazing want to make are not possible with standard a first step towards protobiology - namely, cryogenic temperatures, membranes on Titan an ability to form cell membranes does not properties, from incredibly tools. finding shelter. could be formed from acetonitrile molecules by itself demonstrate that life is possible. PROJECT 2: CAN YOU MAKE Obright colors in the camera on your cell At this point, you might ask: “What While those early ideas did not pan in the atmosphere. The polar nitrogen-rich However, it does direct our search for exotic 2D MATERIALS INTO DEVICES phone (thanks to quantum dots), to athletic does a chemical engineer bring to these out, chemical engineering Ph.D. candidate “heads” of these short-chain molecules metabolic and reproductive chemistries THAT PROMISE 100X gear (ultra, water-repellent or heat and problems?” The answer is that we James Stevenson decided to look at all self-assembled into a vesicle. We called that could be compatible under cryogenic THE SPEED OF CURRENT moisture-conducting), to orthotic devices invariably need to understand both the the molecules identified by the Cassini such membranes azotosomes, and found conditions. SILICON-BASED COMPUTER to help the disabled walk more stably thermodynamics and the kinetics of the spacecraft as being present in Titan’s that they were, at least thermodynamically, Not surprisingly, this first CHIPS? AND GROW THE KEY (employing phase change materials to system. Increasingly, we need to understand atmosphere. It’s so cold on Titan that its metastable. Perhaps most fascinating of demonstration of possible vesicle formation COMPONENT IN A BEAKER? sense mechanical stress). Our imagination chemical reactions that create those materials methane seas are barely liquid and water all, we found that the flexibility of the in a methane-rich cryogenic world sparked a The breadth of our work surrounds allows us to hope for even more amazing and the “reactors” and processing conditions would be as solid as a rock. This gave us acetonitrile membranes to mechanical lot of public attention in the media. The BBC studies of electronic materials, especially the materials in the future: suits that will allow that allow exquisite control of the process, a list of potential “ingredients” and we stress is almost the same as phospholipid made a documentary about azotosomes that leading edge of electronic devices that are us to walk up vertical walls, fully functional perhaps down to the molecular level. You found a winner! Our atomically realistic membranes on Earth. Is this a pre-requisite aired in 2016; the Cambridge Science Center faster and smaller than any that currently artificial skin that can be printed, designing also need the mathematical skills to translate simulations suggested that the vesicles for other protobiological lifeforms? You in the U.K. used our images in a display exist. A lot of interest currently resides in drugs with full control over polymorphs these physico-chemical phenomena into needed for compartmentalization, a key could imagine that a flexible membrane about life on other planets; and children two-dimensional materials, which offer

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

proved to be very helpful in cutting down substrate in single lines like toy soldiers. “WE OFTEN undergraduates) we have used cutting- solution in only 11 tries! options for Dichtel’s students in the lab and While this was disappointing, it has pointed SEEM TO ACT AS edge computational tools (ranging from We are now tackling the more complex it provided some underlying “design rules” the way forward to make better devices from quantum mechanical calculations at the problem of solvent blends. Our predictions which gave physico-chemical insight into these exotic materials. “MYTH BUSTERS” level of describing electrons to molecular- of the best combination of cations, good choices without having to perform any And along the way, we had fruitful BY PROVIDING scale reactive force fields to continuum halides and solvent blends (a number simulations. tightly interwoven collaborations, not only FUNDAMENTALS- level optimization methods) to understand far too high to tackle experimentally or We also calculated the far more with Dichtel and Loo, but also with NSF BASED RESULTS what factors affect the solubilization of computationally without the help of the computationally free energy of aggregation program officers and, especially, industrial the lead cations (step 1 of the process) Bayesian optimization) are in the works. because it was clear that entropy (as well as company representatives from IBM, Intel, THAT PROVIDES versus those (rather different forces) that And predictions of poor, good and best enthalpy) is important. We found that there Micron, etc., since part of the funding was DEFINITION AND promote aggregation of the perovskite options for the pure solvent case are now is one very favored aggregation mechanism provided by the Semiconductor Research GROUNDING TO THE lattice’s building blocks. As validation, our being verified experimentally in Professor (sliding one ribbon over another) and Corporation. In fact, the success of projects FIELD.” calculations correctly ranked about a dozen Lara Estroff’s lab (Materials Science and one that is highly disfavored (face-to-face like mine in this inaugural NSF program solvents in terms of their ability to solubilize Engineering, Cornell University). This fast- unimaginably thin (one atomic layer) approach, because you have to squeeze the has encouraged a new NSF/SRC funding — Paulette Clancy the lead cations (confirmed experimentally moving field is a challenge, but we have materials capable of transporting electrons solvent out of the way). None of us expected model that was just announced. There were (usually lead, but increasingly a lead-tin in Lynn Loo’s group at Princeton), which the chance to be one of the very few groups at speeds that are orders of magnitude faster the simulation-derived result that no matter other benefits too: My student (now Dr.) mixture), B is a ‘chaperone’ cation whose gave us the confidence to predict that providing molecular-scale insight that than current silicon-based materials. how these long, flat, snake-like ribbons Jonathan Saathoff spent a summer in Lynn role is unknown (this could be organic, like (and why) an additive (THTO) found by will help shape the future progress of this One of the leading contenders in the 2D approach each other they always reorient Loo’s lab learning to make electronic devices. methylammonium ions and formamidinium Professor Josh Choi, Ph.D. ’12, would be a material, now that the “low-hanging fruit” materials world is graphene nanoribbons, to align themselves along the ribbon. But But he also formed friendships with the Loo ions, or inorganic like caesium) and X is a better solvent than any other currently used have been harvested. which are semiconducting if the ribbons are the net result of hundreds of these ribbons team that led to other collaborations, and halide (could be a mix of Cl, Br, I). Also, the solvent. Our discovery of a quick metric for As you’ve read, the Clancy Group less than 1.5 nm in diameter (less than 1/10 touching at random locations creates the ultimately papers and funding. And several processing requires that you use a suitable improved solubility and dative bonding (comprised of 15 to 20 students) is working of the diameter of a human hair). In a recent “ink blot.” Understanding the aggregation undergraduates and a high-school physics solvent mixture of some composition. There (reviving a 1930’s discovery by Mayer) was on some very exciting projects. We often paper in ACS Nano, we described the first process allowed us to design better side- teacher were trained in quantum mechanical are about a dozen solvent and additive published in Chemistry of Materials in 2016. seem to act as “Myth Busters” by providing experimental graphene nanoribbon devices chains to lessen aggregation. calculations of electronic properties and choices that have been reported in the The value of such a metric goes beyond fundamentals-based results that provide to conduct electrons. This result belied a lot The second phase of our contributions molecular simulation techniques. A literature. the HOIPs and has already attracted two definition and grounding to the field. Our of problems that the Clancy Group worked to this project occurred when, after a heroic wonderfully productive project. If you are keeping score, there are new collaborations to our team, from strides in hastening the emerging area of hard to overcome. The main issue arose from struggle by our Princeton ChE collaborators thousands of combinatorial options that University of California, Los Angeles, and physical analytics are gaining traction and the fact that these nanoribbons are incredibly (Lynn Loo’s group) to make a working PROJECT 3: HOW DO YOU could be investigated as potential solar cell University of Virginia. We are now tackling will open some truly amazing opportunities sticky. Once any part of these micron-long device (albeit not a great one), we were SIFT THROUGH THOUSANDS materials. Since the solar cell efficiency of step 2 in the process, the aggregation of for fulfilling the goal of President Obama’s ribbons contacts another ribbon, they “zip” asked to give our opinion of the reason OF POTENTIAL SOLAR the best current prototype is comparable to building blocks into the correct crystal lattice Materials Genome Initiative: faster, together and roll up into a ball (for an why the electronic properties weren’t as CELL MATERIALS TO that of the market-leader, silicon (around 22 and learning why experimentalists need an cheaper, better. We won’t get there without analogy, think of the sugary snack Fruit by good as we expected. We used accurate FIND THE FEW THAT HAVE percent in the lab!), research to find better “anti-solvent” at that stage. Importantly, we computation shining a light on the most the Foot). Our organic chemist collaborator, quantum mechanically-based models BETTER EFFICIENCY THAN choices of cations and processing is intense, are tackling the otherwise overwhelming productive paths to take. That’s where the Will Dichtel, who created the chemistry to and a lot of computational cycles to show SILICON SOLAR CELLS AND with key labs working around the world to task of judging which combination of Clancy Group intends to go. make ribbons in solution, called them “ink the quantitative effect of misaligning the ARE FAR MORE ENERGY make the best device. This headlong rush cations, halides and solvent blends work blots” for the dark clumps of precipitates ribbons. We showed that stacks of ribbons, CONSERVATIVE TO MAKE? has proceeded in a largely trial-and-error best. As a test case, we have predicted the that formed. especially if their long axes weren’t well I want to conclude this article with way, with top labs creating processing best combination (as judged by our Mayer Adding long chains to the ribbons’ aligned, had a seriously deteriorating effect our most ambitious study to date, one that protocols that seem to work (albeit not very Bond Order metric) of cations and halide edges could probably help solubilize them on the electronic properties. This proved deals with a remarkable new solar cell reproducibly). Our lab has been trying to option in a choice of 10 pure solvents (72 in a suitable solvent, but which side-chain/ our collaborators’ fears that you really need material that falls into a big class of crystal inject some fundamental understanding combinations in all). We used expensive solvent combination to choose? We found single, well-aligned graphene nanoribbons structures called perovskites. Actually, they into finding the best process to make the quantum mechanical calculations to a metric, the enthalpy of binding, which to have the impressive electrical properties are known by the unwieldy name “hybrid best performing material in a reliable, determine which of all 72 was the best at was fast enough to calculate that it allowed that they promised. This effectively meant organic-inorganic perovskites” (HOIPs) reproducible way. solubilizing the lead cations; then we used us to quickly “triage” which were the best that we needed other means of fabricating because this perovskite sub-set involves an With a large team of talented Cornell a Bayesian search optimization to accelerate side-chain/solvent combinations to use. This the materials and depositing them on a ABX3 structure in which “A” is a metal ion students (Ph.D., M.S., M.Eng. and our search. This option found the best

8 | OLIN Hall News 9 | OLIN Hall News SMITH GIFT FUNDS FIRST INITIATIVES

and societal impact,” said Abe Stroock, the William C. Hooey Director and Gordon SMITH GIFT FUNDS FIRST L. Dibble '50 Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “We are investing the gift in ‘Smith initiatives’ INITIATIVES, KEEPS CBE AT proposed by faculty and students to seed new research directions, open new educational opportunities in Olin Hall and FOREFRONT OF RESEARCH increase the diversity of students across all of our programs. The great ideas are out AND EDUCATION there in our community. The Smith gift is allowing them to blossom.” esearch into the development of life-saving drugs, THE NEWLY FUNDED bioreactors to expand student INITIATIVES ARE: learning, new curriculum to merge chemical engineering BIOREACTORS FOR Rwith computational optimization, and BIOMOLECULAR a plan to make STEM more inclusive at Conuel ’92, former brewmaster at Ithaca such as biopharmaceuticals. Cornell are among the first initiatives CURRICULUM, Beer Company, and Greg Peck, assistant The Smith gift is also funding funded by a transformative gift from PRODUCT DESIGN, UNIT professor of horticulture and Cornell’s probes, computers, hydrometers and entrepreneur Robert F. Smith ’85 and his OPERATIONS LAB resident hard-cider specialist, in accessing other accessories needed to operate the Fund II Foundation. supplies and designing the experiment. bioreactors. Smith, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Through the Smith gift, CBE has The other bioreactors will first serve in made national news in 2016 when he and purchased seven bioreactors that will ChemE 2880 – Biomolecular Engineering his foundation committed $50 million CELL-FREE PROTEIN bring a more hands-on experience to Fundamentals and Applications to teach toward endowments to support chemical SYNTHESIS RESEARCH undergraduate students learning about the biotechnology and bioprocess involved and biomolecular engineering at Cornell biomolecular engineering. Four of the in protein engineering. The equipment and to support students traditionally Seed funding provided by the New Brunswick Scientific BioFlo 310 has allowed the course to evolve from a underrepresented in the STEM fields. In Smith gift has helped a research project bioreactors will be used in the Unit lecture-only course into one with hands-on recognition of his support, the university blossom into a $374,000 endeavor with the Operations Laboratory as a fermentation lab sessions. named the Robert Frederick Smith potential to improve the way life-saving experiment, and are the lab’s first in many Matt Paszek, assistant professor and School of Chemical and Biomolecular pharmaceutical drugs are manufactured. years designed to demonstrate principles course instructor of ChemE 2880, says Engineering. A collaborative CBE research group of bioprocess engineering. students will use the lab time to design Smith’s vision for transforming the hopes to create a microfluidic platform The bioreactors present a unique a DNA sequence that encodes a product school at all levels is now coming to that can organize biological reactions opportunity for students to learn about of interest—such as industrial enzymes, fruition with CBE expanding opportunities in a way that mimics cellular processes. fermentation kinetics and how to measure pharmaceuticals and biologics—transfect for faculty and students through new In particular, the team is using tailored bacterial growth and byproducts, the custom DNA into a host organism, research, equipment, curriculum and biomembranes to provide the organization according to Brad Anton, associate such as the bacterium E. coli, perform a inclusion. Although the first initiatives of protein machinery that cells use to professor and instructor of ChemE 4320 fermentation in the new bioreactors, and are funded with a small portion of the sequence reactions when attaching – Chemical Engineering Laboratory. The recover their protein product for analysis. gift, they’re having a large impact on the complex sugar molecules to proteins, bioreactors also make for one of the most Paszek says the lab experience will be school. a process known as glycosylation. The fun experiments in the lab, as students valuable to all students, but especially to “The Smith gift to CBE has put the group consists of Susan Daniel, associate will use them to brew beer and make hard those that are biomolecularly-focused and school in a strong position to define the professor; Matt DeLisa, the William L. cider. Anton has enlisted the help of Jeff preparing for an internship in an industry future of our field in research, education Lewis Professor of Engineering; Matt

10 | OLIN Hall News 11 | OLIN Hall News SMITH GIFT FUNDS FIRST INITIATIVES

Paszek, assistant professor; and Mike resulted in a larger grant from the National “THE SMITH GIFT “WE ARE INVESTING Shuler, the Samuel B. Eckert Professor of Science Foundation that will allow the TO CBE HAS PUT THE GIFT IN ‘SMITH Engineering. research to advance. There would be several advantages THE SCHOOL IN A INITIATIVES’ to using the platform over an actual COMPUTATIONAL STRONG POSITION PROPOSED BY cell culture, one of which is in the OPTIMIZATION COURSE TO DEFINE THE FACULTY AND manufacturing of protein-based AND TEXTBOOK FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS TO SEED pharmaceuticals. Such a platform would allow for cell-free protein synthesis, FIELD IN RESEARCH, NEW RESEARCH The Smith gift is funding the in which essential raw materials and EDUCATION AND DIRECTIONS, OPEN development of a new textbook on biological enzymes are mixed together to computational optimization in chemical SOCIETAL IMPACT.” NEW EDUCATIONAL produce batches of high-value biological engineering that will be used in — Abe Stroock OPPORTUNITIES products without the complications conjunction with a proposed senior/ of keeping cells alive. Synthesizing IN OLIN HALL masters-level course on the same topic. Fellow—will include carefully selected these products without a cell culture AND INCREASE The curriculum will broaden the Smith optimization applications on process would be transformative for in-vitro School’s impact on operations research systems design, operations and control, THE DIVERSITY biomanufacturing and would allow as well as computer informatics and and emerging applications on biochemical OF STUDENTS production of novel compounds that might data analytics, and aims to support the engineering, energy systems, sustainability, not exist in nature, but have therapeutic ACROSS ALL OF development of students seeking future big data analytics and automated benefits. OUR PROGRAMS. careers in those areas. manufacturing. You says while there are The seed funding was key to The textbook—to be authored by a variety of textbooks on optimization THE GREAT IDEAS establishing a proof of principle for the Cornell articulated his hopes that he had inclusive university lives on today, barriers Fengqi You, the Roxanne E. and Michael theory, very few target chemical ARE OUT THERE IN microfluidic biomembrane platform, and laid the foundation for “an institution still exist to improving diversity among J. Zak Professor and David Croll Faculty engineering applications that span across where any person can find instruction faculty and staff, particularly in STEM- OUR COMMUNITY. multiple scales, from molecules to global in any study.” While his vision for an related fields. THE SMITH GIFT IS ecosystems. This textbook will help fill The Smith gift is funding a key aspect that gap and be a strong resource not only ALLOWING THEM TO to a diversity recruitment initiative led by for undergraduate and graduate students, BLOSSOM.” CBE’s Susan Daniel, associate professor; but also for researchers and industrial Paulette Clancy, the Samuel W. and M. — Abe Stroock practitioners interested in applying state- Diane Bodman Professor in Chemical with, faculty members from minority- of-the-art optimization algorithms and Engineering; and Chris Alabi, assistant rich institutions will visit Cornell for one data analytics tools to various engineering professor and the Nancy and Peter month, give a research seminar, explore applications. Meinig Family Investigator in the Life new research possibilities and provide The textbook will be used in Sciences. One of the initiative’s aims is to mentoring to students. The faculty will be conjunction with the new course ChemE improve the diversity of CBE’s M.S. and honored as Robert Frederick Smith Visiting 6800 – Computational Optimization, cross Ph.D. student cohort by connecting with, Scholars, supported in part by the Smith listed as SYSEN 6800, being offered this and mentoring, targeted undergraduate gift. The goal is to provide inspiring role fall. students, particularly underrepresented models for students, empowering and minorities. Research shows that these early guiding them toward an academic future KEEPING EZRA’S connections help provide a pathway and at Cornell or another prominent research PROMISE: ANY encourage students to apply to universities university. PERSON, ANY STUDY and programs that they may have The initiative’s first cohort of otherwise not considered. undergraduate students visited Cornell In his address at the opening of In order to better facilitate connections from the University of Puerto Rico and Cornell University in 1868, founder Ezra with faculty that students can identify spent the summer working in Olin Hall.

12 | OLIN Hall News 13 | OLIN Hall News PRODUCT DESIGN

retaining a certain helium permeability. PRODUCT DESIGN CURRICULUM “It’s a good chemical product design problem because now you can say, ‘you need to design a polymer that has this set EVOLVES WITH INDUSTRY of characteristics. Can you do it?’” says Hanrath. is a lower risk model for corporations But until now, ChemE 4630 had The industry involvement is described that can afford it. And even within larger mostly focused on food products, as a win-win. Students will benefit corporations, “the engineer is no longer which are easier to prototype, test and not only from the learning experience, isolated amongst other engineers, solving refine all within a 15-week semester. but from the opportunity to showcase a particular problem. They’re part of a The spring 2018 version of ChemE 4630 their product design talent. Hanrath product development team, so they need will introduce options for prototyping says partnering companies can scout to understand more about the business consumer products, something Hanrath potential employees by evaluating student aspects of what the company is doing.” says will help broaden student skillsets performance—an insight that isn’t possible A long-time product developer for while incorporating more of the chemical through a traditional resume or interview. Pall Corporation, Hurwitz spent the latter engineering education they’ve received. Both the students and the companies years of his career assessing startups “We’re trying to make the product design also stand to gain ideas for new products. and small companies for acquisitions. experience similar to the capstone design “One of the intended outcomes is that “So I watched that transition occur, I if the students wanted to do a startup participated in it,” says Hurwitz, who now “WE’RE TRYING around this, then they would be in a sits on the board of startup companies position in May, at the end of the semester, TeraPore Technologies and AguaClara, TO MAKE THE experience that they already have in so Hanrath says students will be divided to do that,” says Hanrath, noting a number LLC. PRODUCT DESIGN process design, where it’s essentially like into two teams: one will explore the of startup facilitators tied to Cornell. That’s Hurwitz—along with Alan Feitelberg, your first year in industry but in the safety “upstream” components of making a also the reason why ChemE 7070 and senior lecturer, and Tobias Hanrath, EXPERIENCE Mark Hurwitz net of an academic environment,” says product, such as engineering a surfactant other product design studio courses within associate professor—is leading the Smith SIMILAR TO Hanrath. from non-petroleum-based resources; Cornell Engineering have moved to the fall School’s Product Design and Development hemical engineering To make the course truly relevant the other team will use that component semester. Initiative aimed at ensuring the product THE CAPSTONE companies are increasingly to industry, Hanrath sought corporate to design the final product. “So one team The former version of ChemE 4630 design curriculum provides students relying on startup acquisitions DESIGN partnerships in which companies does the process design and one team that focused on food design sometimes with the knowledge and skills needed in to bring innovative new EXPERIENCE THAT would provide students with real-world does the product design and they have to offered glimpses of the course’s potential today’s industry. “The traditional training products and improvements to product design challenges. One of the work together, and that’s similar to how to produce real products. In 2015, four doesn’t go away,” says Hurwitz, “but we THEY ALREADY Ctheir business, a trend that has shifted the first corporate challenges students will they do it at Procter & Gamble,” says students prototyped a unique granola bar need to incorporate training that helps way the industry approaches research and HAVE IN PROCESS experience in the spring comes from Hanrath. And according to Hurwitz, inter- that contained crushed avocado pits. The students understand how to operate in an development, and one that is changing the consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble. team communication is a valuable skill students eventually ran into regulatory entrepreneurial environment.” DESIGN, WHERE way students learn at the Smith School. The corporation is proposing a personal in today’s industry: “Chemical engineers issues while marketing the product outside In 2012, the school launched ChemE “It used to be that large corporations IT’S ESSENTIALLY cleansing product, such as a body wash, need to be able to communicate with of the classroom, but it demonstrated the 4610 – Concepts of Chemical Engineering had very robust research and development derived from natural resources other other engineers and scientists. It’s part of interest undergraduate students have in Product Design and ChemE 4630 – LIKE YOUR departments where a lot of very than petroleum-based feedstocks. The larger trend of engineering becoming more entrepreneurship. Practice of Chemical Engineering Product FIRST YEAR IN exciting engineering and science was design challenge is also facilitated by new interdisciplinary in general.” “I would like to see Cornell become Design. The courses were structured to accomplished. That’s changing,” says INDUSTRY BUT IN benchtop bioreactors housed in the Unit A second partnership that has been a major source of new companies,” says inspire students to think of their role Mark Hurwitz, an adjunct professor in Operations Laboratory thanks to a gift secured for the spring semester is with Hurwitz. “Entrepreneurship is the way not just as technical experts, but also as THE SAFETY NET the Smith School. “The large companies from from entrepreneur Robert F. Smith ’85 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. The technical innovation is happening. There’s entrepreneurs who must consider market are more and more spending their R&D OF AN ACADEMIC and his Fund II Foundation. company is challenging students to design a few schools that have figured this out analysis, patents, regulatory issues and dollars on acquisitions and buying small Designing a body wash is a difficult a new type of balloon that, unlike today’s and there’s no reason Cornell can’t be the the feasibility of a product spanning from ENVIRONMENT.” companies,” he adds, noting the approach assignment to accomplish in one semester, mylar foil balloons, is biodegradable while best of them.” concept to early stage development. — Tobias Hanrath

14 | OLIN Hall News 15 | OLIN Hall News OLIN HALL RENOVATIONS

lin Hall is being reimagined initial design was revealed, as the building The changes made in the UO Lab offer with a proposed renovation was to be made of brick. Traditionalists a glimpse of some of the guiding thoughts OLIN HALL RENOVATIONS project that will bring believed that brick construction was too behind the larger changes to come in significant changes to how modern and had no place on the Ivy Olin. When the UO Lab renovations the building’s interior looks League campus. The firm then added were completed in 2015, Associate TO ‘REIMAGINE’ BUILDING, Oand operates. A budget and timeline for several large sections made of grey and Professor A. Brad Anton said “Chemical the project have not been announced, brown stone in a nod to the critics. engineering is moving in the direction but early planning is underway and Olin Hall was completed in 1941 and of biomedical devices, pharmaceuticals, ENHANCE RESEARCH AND school leaders have offered a vision for occupied in 1942. microelectronic materials, nanomaterials how the renovation can provide room 75 years later Olin Hall is still home, and other modern technologies. We need EDUCATION for a growing school, and can strengthen but the school has a broader focus and a experiments that reinforce our teaching of research and education initiatives on the new name. In 2002, Cornell became the these new topics.” forefront of chemical and biomolecular first college of engineering in the country Despite these updates, Olin Hall is not engineering. to add the word “biomolecular” to its yet where the Smith School, the College name, acknowledging the increasingly of Engineering and Cornell University BUILDING A HOME important role played by the study of want it to be. Which is why Olin is slated The School of Chemical Engineering biomolecules like proteins, RNA and for some major renovations in the coming at Cornell was founded in 1938. Right DNA. Now, as a visitor approaches Ho years. Even with recent changes, the away, Director Fred “Dusty” Rhodes Plaza on College Avenue, that new name bottom line is it is hard to do 21st century and Dean Solomon Cady Hollister began is prominently displayed on the grey and research in a mid-20th century building. raising funds to construct a building to brown stone wall of Olin for all to see: The College of Engineering is in the early serve as home to the new school. Franklin Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical stages of a roughly $250 million project Walter Olin, Class of 1886, donated $685,00 and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE). The to make all of its buildings better suited in memory of his son, Franklin W. Olin, Jr., name is in recognition of the generous to the kinds of research and the types who was a 1912 Cornell civil engineering support CBE alumnus Robert Frederick of collaborations that characterize the graduate. The New York City architecture Smith ’85 has shown the students and frontiers of engineering. Anton’s desire firm Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon was hired faculty of the school. to get the UO Lab facilities out in front to design the building. This is the same of what the field will require is the same firm that had just a few years earlier (in ADAPTING TO THE TIMES underlying impetus behind the entire Olin 1931) designed the Empire State Building. As the school has changed and grown Hall project. There was some grumbling when their over the years, Olin Hall has had to change “We are going to renovate Olin Hall to keep pace. “When Olin was built, all in ways that make all of our programs of the lab space was in the context of professional practice,” says Abe Stroock, William C. Hooey Director and Gordon “WE ARE GOING L. Dibble ’50 Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “Then in the TO RENOVATE 1980s we added the East Wing, which OLIN HALL IN showed the school’s growing commitment to research.” The much-loved Unit WAYS THAT Operations (UO) Lab has been updated MAKE ALL OF and streamlined in the past few years to OUR PROGRAMS better reflect the equipment and processes students entering the job market might BETTER.” encounter. — Abe Stroock

16 | OLIN Hall News 17 | OLIN Hall News OLIN HALL RENOVATIONS

from synthesis to characterization to “ONCE CBE Lounge, an M.Eng. Study Room, a incorporation into energy systems. We will Graduate Computer Lab, Engineering be in an even better position to support ENCOMPASSES Student Groups space and the Scheele Cornell Engineering’s four main strategic ALL OF OLIN Undergraduate Lounge. While some areas of research. We are pushing well students profess to like the windowless beyond the traditional definition of what a HALL, WE CAN 75-year-old spaces in the basement, ChemE does.” CREATE SOME Stroock is certain they will like the new planned spaces better. IMAGINING THE FUTURE WELCOMING “We have never been able to take In discussing the future of CBE SPACES ON THE full advantage of that beautiful space that at Cornell, Stroock makes it clear that GROUND FLOOR opens up onto Ho Plaza on the west side Robert Smith’s gift gave a huge boost to of the building,” says Stroock. “Once CBE morale and momentum. “He made an AND GENERATE A encompasses all of Olin Hall, we can create investment in the school mid-way through some welcoming spaces on the ground better,” says Stroock. “Undergrads, REAL PRESENCE our growth in prominence and size and floor and generate a real presence on Ho M.Eng. students, graduate students, that investment gave us the momentum ON HO PLAZA. Plaza. We can use that first floor space to postdocs, professors and staff will all see to just keep going and tackle this major WE CAN USE create a real gateway to the department.” the benefits. This will be the first time reimagining of Olin Hall.” Smith’s gift “Chemical engineering has a long since Olin opened for business that CBE THAT FIRST as a bridge to people outside of the Of course, some of what makes Olin enabled the school to address many history at Cornell,” says Stroock. “There will have the entire building.” Currently, Smith School, that is not just feel-good Hall beloved to so many CBE alumni will programmatic needs. Stroock is now FLOOR SPACE TO is a strong feeling of continuity, and the ground floor of Olin also hosts rhetoric. A quick glance at some of the remain. The unique raised panels depicting encouraging donors to help the Smith part of that feeling comes from the fact the Engineering Leadership Program, CREATE A REAL most recent papers to come out of CBE metallurgical equipment and chemical School create lab, classroom, collaboration that we have been in Olin Hall from the Diversity Programs in Engineering, the shows co-authors from Applied and processes on the building’s exterior and office spaces that will allow CBE GATEWAY TO THE very beginning. These changes to Olin Engineering Registrar’s Office, and several Engineering Physics, Materials Science will stay, as will the mural in Rhodes to remain one of the best schools in the don’t represent a severing from the past. programs of the Engineering Advising DEPARTMENT.” and Engineering, Operations Research Lounge. The mural is a distinct feature country. Instead, they represent natural growth and and Student Services Office. As part of — Abe Stroock and Information Engineering, Systems of the school. It depicts (humorously) the That word “reimagining” is entirely continuity. The changes we are making the $250 million project, these offices and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, the students’ journey through the five-year accurate in the case of the current plan are a natural outcome of the success of the programs will move to a space across the Hall are designed to meet the research College of Arts and Sciences’ Department chemical engineering curriculum in place for Olin. In many ways, the Smith School school, so far.” street in the new Hollister Hall when it is and professional practice needs of faculty of Astronomy and the College of when the mural was painted in 1949. The and the college are creating the adaptable In those two words, “so far,” Stroock renovated—and the Smith School will gain and future students. When completed, the Veterinary Medicine. New, flexible lab lounge itself will double in size in order building chemical engineering students makes it clear that the Smith School and 6,000 additional square feet. renovated and reconfigured Olin Hall will spaces will serve to make these sorts of to comfortably host more Smith School and researchers will need 30 to 50 Cornell Engineering are looking forward, The Smith School has enjoyed steady have hybrid lab spaces that are able to host faculty collaborations more accessible. events. Olin Hall currently has two of the years from now. As Stroock mentioned, not back. The history of the school can growth since 2000. The faculty has doubled many different sorts of activities. There largest lecture halls on campus and these bioengineering and energy are two provide the foundation for all that is to in size, as has the number of graduate will also be more space for student project will also remain. important focus areas of the college and it come next, but it is the future of the Smith researchers. Undergraduate enrollment teams and other student groups to work One area that will change is the is clear they will continue to be important. School that is the first priority now. The has been at record levels, with an average on prototypes and to think about product basement. In its current state, the basement But it will also be important for the new support of Smith, of the university trustees of 90 students graduating in each of the design. “Some of these new spaces will floor of Olin Hall serves many purposes, Olin Hall to have built-in opportunities to and administration, of the College of past five years. “It looks like we will serve as a bridge across programs within some of which will remain just where train undergraduates and M.Eng. students Engineering and of other generous alumni continue on this trajectory,” says Stroock. CBE, but also to people outside the Smith they are. There is the Unit Operations in professional practice. “Professional have put the Smith School in a position “The things this department excels at are School,” says Stroock. Lab, a machine shop, mechanical rooms, chemical engineering is starting to include to dream big and create the classrooms, also areas of focus for the entire college. A particular strength of Cornell cylinder and chemical storage, and other a lot more of the ‘upstream’ processes,” offices, labs and collaborative spaces So much of bioengineering is chemically Engineering has always been the number infrastructure that would be impractical says Stroock. “Our students will need necessary for the school to remain one of and molecularly focused. And CBE is and quality of collaborations that happen to move. But there are also several more exposure to the design process and the most innovative and well-respected also a critical hub for many of the Energy across the university with researchers student lounges and work areas in the all that entails.” schools of chemical and biomolecular Institute activities on campus. New lab from other units at Cornell. When Stroock basement. There is a Senior Computer Many of the changes coming to Olin engineering in the country. space will allow us to do everything talks about the new Olin Hall serving Lab, a Diversity Programs in Engineering

18 | OLIN Hall News 19 | OLIN Hall News SHELL EPOCH PROGRAM

condition ratios, they also evaluate equipment performance in a test run SHELL EPOCH PROGRAM environment. M.Eng. student Hao Su ’16 does not A PERFECT FIT FOR CBE STUDENTS plan to work in the oil and gas industry, but still found value in the program. “My so the EPOCH program is a valuable, specialization is product design,” says first-hand way for them to learn about Su, “which involves the optimization the equipment and processes they and assessment of systems. Shell EPOCH might encounter if they chose to pursue offered a great opportunity for me to employment in the oil and gas industry. understand how a system works and also Jianqiu Wang ’17 M.Eng. spent his how to operate it.” recent fall break at the EPOCH program. A program like this is valuable “It provided us such a fast-speed learning to any chemical engineering M.Eng. environment and let us gain hands-on student with an interest in the process experience,” says Wang. “During the industries, including oil and gas, chemical, training process, we applied all the energy, water or agriculture. As with any chemical engineering knowledge we program involving travel and extensive learned to make assumptions, build the and complex technological systems, model and solve it. It provided us with participation in the EPOCH program a perfect example of how we can apply production. Second, they learn the basics equations they have been learning are requires a significant financial investment. engineering to practice.” of gravitational separation processes that applied to real equipment.” The three visits to the Shell training facility Hurwitz believes the experience is are used in many industries and have the During the course of the four-day this year have all been sponsored by the valuable not just for students considering opportunity to build a predictive model program, students first tour the facility to generous support of CBE alumni, most he M.Eng. program at the created a for-credit course centered on a work in the petroleum industry. “As I and use it to understand a real process become familiar with the equipment and notably, Michael A. Gibson '65, M.Eng. Robert Frederick Smith School working visit to the facility. The course see it, there are four valuable aspects to system. Third, the students have hands on to receive direct instruction in operation '66, Ph.D. '73, and Center ’65, M.Eng. ’66. of Chemical and Biomolecular includes pre-visit lectures on separation the experience,” says Hurwitz. “First experience troubleshooting and operating of the simulator. They then work as either If you are interested in helping to ensure Engineering (CBE) has teamed system design and performance, drafting and most obviously, the students get a process system. Fourth, each student inside or outside operators to put into that Cornell students continue to have up with the Shell Oil Company a test run protocol, and a post-visit group a brief but intense introduction to oil learns how to interact productively with action what they have learned prior to this valuable opportunity, please contact toT offer CBE M.Eng. students and seniors report that documents the students’ and gas technology, especially offshore experienced and skilled process operators. the visit. While operating the equipment June Losurdo at [email protected] or a unique opportunity to experience what assessments of the system’s performance. This last aspect is especially important and under different gas/oil/water operating 607.254.1643. it might be like to work on an offshore Hurwitz travels with the students in the will serve the students well as they start oil and gas production platform. Shell’s role of group advisor during visits to the their careers in industry.” training facility in the town of Robert, facility. Center agrees with Hurwitz on Louisiana, hosts their Engineering, The initial group visit in January was the value of the EPOCH program to Process, Operations, Competence-Based, led by Hurwitz and Al Center, professor Cornell students. Center, who had a Hands-On Program (EPOCH) and in 2016- of practice and associate director of the long and distinguished career in the 17 four different groups of Cornell CBE Master of Engineering Program at the oil and gas industry before joining the students participated in training sessions Smith School. Since then, Hurwitz has led faculty at Cornell, adds, “A number of there. The simulators at the Shell training the program with 10 students attending our M.Eng. students do not come to facility are fitted out with the same types during spring break at the end of March, us with an undergraduate degree in of production equipment and handle the and another 12 during fall break. chemical engineering and this experience same types of fluids that employees on an It would be very difficult for students provides them with a crash course in unit actual offshore facility would encounter. to get on an actual offshore production operations that very much increases their Mark Hurwitz, adjunct professor, has facility in the Gulf of Mexico or elsewhere, understanding of how all the descriptive

20 | OLIN Hall News 21 | OLIN Hall News ALUMNI NEWS

molecular features that lead to the specific pharma technical development for Roche. boards of many non-profit companies. She recognition and interaction of RNAs and Her lecture was entitled, “How Goliath wanted to do something with more social proteins. Beats David: Leveraging Learnings and impact but didn't know how to go about Knowledge to Out Sling the Start-ups." making her next move. So she launched arshall Frank ’61, and Rosanna Landit, together with a friend she met ALUMNI NEWS obert F. Smith Frank, ’61, were awarded the ’85, was named while studying at business school. William “Bill” Vanneman ’31 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Lisa will also present the 2017 M Outstanding Class Leader Year 2017. Smith’s company, Raymond G. Thorpe Lecture in the school Award. The award, named in honor of R Vista Equity Partners, manages on Monday, Oct. 23. William “Bill” Vanneman, who served equity capital of more than $26 billion his class for over 75 years tirelessly, was and oversees a portfolio of more than 35 iuming Yu, Ph.D. ’95, was recently established by the Cornell Association software companies that employ more promoted to research professor at of Class Officers in January 2005. The than 42,000 people worldwide. Under the University of Washington in award continues to recognize alumni who, his leadership, Vista has exclusively Q chemical engineering. in their capacity as class officers, have focused on enterprise software, data and Professor Yu was awarded a Ph.D. provided long-term exemplary service technology-enabled solutions. from Cornell in the Clancy Group where to the university and to their individual Smith earned his bachelor’s degree she worked on rapid solidification in David T. Allen Lydia Contreras Marshall Frank Rosanna Frank Julie Goddard classes. in chemical engineering at Cornell and SiGe alloys, both experimentally and his MBA from Columbia Business School. computationally. After a postdoc at ulie Goddard ’99, joined Cornell He worked at Kraft General Foods, NASA/JPL, she joined the faculty at University’s food science faculty in where he earned two United States and University of Washington's chemical July 2016 as an associate professor two European patents. In 1994, he joined engineering department. She is also a J with tenure. Her research focuses on Goldman Sachs in tech investment former associate director of University of biomaterials and biointerfaces in food and banking, first in New York and then in Washington's nanofabrication facility. agriculture. Silicon Valley. Her current research focuses In 2016 he, together with the on photonics, plasmonic biosensors ob Langer ’70, received the 2016 foundation of which he is a founding and nanostructured materials. Both Hoover Medal, which honors civic director, gave $50 million combined of her children are currently Cornell and humanitarian achievements to support chemical and biomolecular undergraduates. B of engineers. Langer, the David engineering and African-American H. Koch Institute Professor at the and female students in the College of Bob Langer Ann Lee Robert F. Smith Lisa Skeete-Tatum Qiuming Yu Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering. It also created a fellowship was recognized for his numerous program at Cornell Tech that strengthens technical accomplishments in biomedical ties to Cornell Engineering. The Robert avid T. Allen ’79, was elected research and practice, including pioneering ydia Contreras Ph.D. ’08, was engineering, his unparalleled productivity Frederick Smith School of Chemical and to the National Academy of new and developing areas of technology recently promoted to associate as an inventor, and his success as a mentor Biomolecular Engineering was named in Engineering. Allen is professor and making major advancements in the professor in chemical engineering and entrepreneur. recognition of Smith’s philanthropy. D in the McKetta Department of engineering field and profession. The L at the University of Texas at Austin. Chemical Engineering at The University of election citation for Allen states: “For Professor Contreras was awarded a Ph.D. nn Lee ’83, presented the 2016 isa Skeete-Tatum ’89, was featured Texas of Austin. Election to the academy contributions to improving air quality and from Cornell in the DeLisa Group. Her D.I.C. Wang Award Lecture in BBC News in an online article is among the highest professional for developments in the education and current research focuses on biomolecular for Excellence in Biochemical titled, “The career crisis that distinctions bestowed upon an engineer. practice of sustainable engineering.” Allen engineering, genetic studies and A Engineering at the annual L sparked a ’Linkedin for women.’” Membership honors those who have made was the 2016 J.C. Smith Lecturer at Cornell computational modeling to understand meeting of the AIChE. Lee is senior vice Skeete-Tatum had worked in venture outstanding contributions to engineering in 2016. president of Genentech and global head of capital for 11 years, but also sat on the

22 | OLIN Hall News 23 | OLIN Hall News IN SAFETY MEMORIAM OLINPICS

IN MEMORIAM

E. Firth Perryman...... B.S. ChemE, 1943.....Batavia...... NY...... 5/14/2017 Richard W. Poinsett...... B.S. ChemE, 1967.....Estero...... FL...... 5/5/2017 ecognizing the value of a strong safety culture is an important aspect of work in Richard Lee McQueen... B.S. ChemE, 1969.....Oklahoma City... OK...... 3/25/2017 Olin Hall and beyond. To promote awareness Erwine T. Buckenmaier.. B.S. ChemE, 1955.....Oceanside...... NY...... 3/24/2017 Rof safety actions, attitudes and behaviors, the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Richard C. Lofberg...... B.S. ChemE, 1953.....Rochelle Park...... NJ...... 3/21/2017 Engineering (CBE) Safety Committee organized the 1st Annual CBE Safety Olinpics as an entertaining educational (EH&S)—organized a number of engaging the high level of engagement among Robert H. Morrow...... B.S. ChemE, 1953.....Medford...... NJ...... 3/10/2017 initiative to promote a strong safety culture safety disciplines including first responder the graduate students while they were within the department. CPR training, waste disposal and personal creating activities for the Safety Olinpics. Frederick S. Frei...... B.S. ChemE, 1968.....Washington...... DC...... 2/25/2017 The committee—which includes CBE protective equipment. Also, as a safety instructor I was delighted professors Brad Anton, Tobias Hanrath, “The graduate students spent to witness them having fun while leading William H. Abraham...... B.S. ChemE, 1951.....Ames...... IA...... 12/28/2016 Matthew Paszek and Roseanna Zia, lab significant time planning the Safety the activities on the day of the event.” safety officers from all research groups Olinpics to include safety and compliance Overall, the inaugural CBE Safety and representatives from Cornell's topics that will stay with them while Olinpics was a great success and the Herbert T. Kaplan...... B.S. ChemE, 1960.....Broomfield...... CO...... 12/8/2016 Environmental Health and Safety Office at Cornell and beyond. This was an organizers are eagerly preparing for the impressive event and we were excited 2017 event. Clarence T. Shoch...... B.S. ChemE, 1951.....Coatesville...... PA...... 12/5/2016 “THE GRADUATE to be invited to participate,” said Brenda STUDENTS SPENT Coolbaugh, chemical hygiene officer with Paul S. Nix...... B.S. ChemE, 1951.....Basking Ridge..... NJ...... 11/24/2016 EH&S. SIGNIFICANT TIME The event kicked off with a talk PLANNING THE from Dan Vaughn, manager of external William C. Hagel...... B.S. ChemE, 1951.....Ann Arbor...... MI...... 11/5/2016 technology collaborations and intellectual SAFETY OLINPICS assets at Corning, Inc., about value-based Charles R. Yoh...... B.S. ChemE, 1959.....Hollister...... MO...... 11/2/2016 TO INCLUDE safety culture. The closing ceremony was SAFETY AND marked by a departmental mixer which Sparsh Bhargava...... B.S. ChemE, 2007.....New York ...... NY .... 10/28/2016 COMPLIANCE included a jeopardy-style safety quiz and TOPICS THAT WILL an award ceremony for winning teams. William W. Wallis The event was made possible by the ...... B.S. ChemE, 1963.....Scotch Plains...... NJ...... 10/23/2016 STAY WITH THEM generous support of external sponsors WHILE AT CORNELL including Corning, Inc., and VWR Edward L. Hoffman...... B.S. ChemE, 1960.....Greenwich...... CT..... 10/13/2016 International. AND BEYOND.” EH&S specialist Alan Bitar — Brenda Coolbaugh commented, “I was impressed with

24 | OLIN Hall News 25 | OLIN Hall News CBE NEWS & EVENTS

DISTINGUISHED LECTURES REUNION 2017 SAVE THE Prior to joining the administration Computational Science and Engineering, at UB, Stenger was a professor at Lehigh the Princeton Environmental Institute, DATE University's College of Engineering the Princeton Institute for the Science and Applied Science, where he also and Technology of Materials, and the served as dean for six years and served Andlinger Center for Energy and the terms as co-chair of the Department of Environment. She was the founding Chemical Engineering and director of the director of the Andlinger Center from Environmental Studies Center. 2010-2016. Since his arrival at Binghamton, he Dean Carter’s research spans the launched the “Road Map to Premier” fields of chemistry, physics, applied n June 10, 2017, classes from strategic planning process, involving more mathematics and engineering and has years ending in 7 and 2 gathered than 400 students, faculty, staff, alumni, included creating quantum mechanical on Cornell’s campus. In keeping community members and business leaders. tools for understanding and analyzing O with tradition, the Robert Frederick Smith With a focus on academic excellence, the behaviors of large numbers of atoms School of Chemical and Biomolecular operational excellence and university and electrons in materials. This highly Engineering welcomed close to 100 growth, the university is moving forward influential work led in recent years to her alumni for breakfast. Ranging from 1942 on its journey to becoming the premier research on creating effective fuel cells, to 2017, classmates shared reminiscences public university. using sunlight to generate electricity and of beloved faculty and fun times with make liquid fuels from carbon dioxide and classmates, and learned what’s new in the THE 2017 JULIAN C. SMITH water, and investigating lightweight metal THE 2016 RAYMOND G. THORPE school. A SYMPOSIUM LECTURE WAS PRESENTED BY LECTURES WERE PRESENTED BY alloys for vehicles and fusion reactor walls. William C. Hooey Director Abe honoring the HARVEY STENGER, B.S. ’79, ON EMILY CARTER OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ON THURSDAY, APRIL Stroock welcomed the group. Other achievements of MONDAY, OCT. 17. faculty who were present to welcome our 13, AND FRIDAY, APRIL 14. is talk titled, “Higher Education: honored returnees included Associate aculty, students and colleagues Challenges and Opportunities Professor T. Michael Duncan, Professor of from across campus gathered to from an Engineering Perspective,” Practice Al Center ’65, Professor Lynden Michael L. Shuler H hear her talks titled, “Sustainable was well received by faculty, students and F Archer and Emeritus Professor Peter Samuel B. Eckert Production of Fuels and Chemicals From colleagues from across campus. Harriott. Professors Stroock and Archer First Principles,” and “How Quantum Professor of Engineering Harvey Stenger is a native of upstate provided interested alumni a tour of the Mechanics Helps Discover Materials for New York, was appointed as president newly renovated Unit Operations (UO) Sustainable Energy.” at Binghamton University in November Laboratory. 2011 and assumed his duties Jan. 1, 2012. Emily A. Carter is the dean of the JUNE 22, 2018 Prior to Binghamton, he served as interim School of Engineering and Applied Science Cornell University and the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in provost at the University of Buffalo (UB), Ithaca N.Y. where he had been dean of the School of Energy and the Environment, as well as a Engineering and Applied Sciences since professor in the Department of Mechanical 2006. A chemical engineer by training, he and Aerospace Engineering and the earned his bachelor's degree in chemical Program in Applied and Computational engineering from Cornell University Mathematics at Princeton University. shulersymposium. in 1979 and his doctorate in the same She is an associated faculty member engineering.cornell.edu discipline from Massachusetts Institute of in Chemistry, Chemical and Biological Technology in 1983. Engineering, the Princeton Institute for

26 | OLIN Hall News 27 | OLIN Hall News STAFF NEWS

the department for 18. Our Congratulations director’s assistant, Breana he Smith School of Chemical and N. Yessman, has been at Biomolecular Engineering thanks STAFF NEWS Cornell 10 years and in CBE T our student colleague, Candice for seven. Both have been Johnson, for her contributions to CBE Marion recipients of the William C. throughout her undergraduate years receives Hooey Outstanding Staff at Cornell, especially her efforts on the 2016 Awards and their efforts CBE WOMEN and M.Eng. projects. Breana N. are highly valued in the Glenn Swan Candice Johnson We congratulate her on her May 2017 William Yessman department. C. Hooey graduation. Outstanding Staff Award Bailey Kline Tamesha M. Matthew D. Fred M. Polly Marion Colvin Muhammad Pitcher Broome STAFF RETIREMENT olly Marion has received the 2016 Welcome Bailey, SUNY Cortland in 2008 and her bachelor’s William C. Hooey Outstanding Tamesha, Matt and Fred degree in Italian with a concentration finance role. resource on many fronts to many P Staff Award. The award was in international relations from Cornell Carland was first hired by Cornell’s people within CBE, the college and the established in 2011 by the Smith School of amesha M. Muhammad and University in 2006. She has held various Department of Neurobiology and Behavior university.” Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Matthew D. Pitcher were hired into positions since graduating from Cornell, in 1983, and remembers processing Before retiring, Carland said she (CBE) to recognize a member of the staff T Account Representative V positions most recently teaching Italian at the high procurements on a typewriter with carbon would miss the collaborative team who goes “above and beyond” their job on May 8, 2017, and June 22, 2017, school and college levels before returning sets at the time. Years later, she was part environment at Cornell as well as her responsibilities in helping the school and respectively. Muhammad came to CBE to Cornell and to living in Ithaca with her of a staff team that piloted an online form fellow co-workers, who she likened to its faculty execute all aspects of CBE’s from Materials Science and Engineering family. for procurement, paving the way for other family members. Her husband Rich mission. where she was actively ramping up in the Fred M. Broome provides IT support departments to adopt the more efficient will be retiring later this year and the CBE has been the beneficiary of role of supporting faculty with account to CBE faculty, staff and students. He process. After stints in the Departments two are looking forward to doing more Marion’s professional skillset since 2009, management. She is originally from North joined the College of Engineering IT of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and of gardening, camping and traveling. which she developed during her 34 year Carolina and earned her bachelor’s degree Service Group on June 15, 2017, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, They plan to travel the country to career at Cornell. She is the administrative in accounting from Guilford College came from a similar position at Stanford she arrived at CBE where she helped visit their three children and two lead in the Cornell Energy Institute and in 2013. Pitcher earned his bachelor’s University. In addition to desktop support, to pilot and streamline several other grandchildren more often, and look for ably juggles a myriad of responsibilities and master’s degree in accounting with Broome has been working with Cornell’s services as Cornell moved to a model of potential places to call their new home. and priorities, always putting forth her a tax concentration from Binghamton new encryption initiative, software usage centralized transactions, human resources Sally Carland absolute best. She effectively supports a University’s School of Management monitoring in the computer labs, and and proposal development. She was “SALLY WAS significant and diverse set of needs and and prior to that his associates degree supported distance learning between also instrumental in helping Biomedical THOROUGH, provides thoughtful strategic advice on in business administration and sports Cornell University and the Cornell Tech ally Carland retired on June 21, Engineering transition financially from a RESPONSIVE, matters large and small, which has been management from Tompkins Cortland campus. His experience from Stanford has 2017, after dedicating 34 years of CBE program to its own department, prior KNOWLEDGEABLE, beneficial in moving the institute forward Community College. He taught in the proven valuable to the whole IT Service S service to Cornell, 18 of which to it becoming a school. in overcoming challenges as well as Groton Central School District and was Group. were with CBE. Throughout that time, “Sally was thorough, responsive, DETAIL ORIENTED pursuing opportunities. She is valued as a a staff accountant at Mengel Metzger she remained a key player during times knowledgeable, detail oriented and AND COMMITTED TO colleague and her day-to-day management Barr CPA & Co., LLP prior to coming to Years of Service of transition, helping to shape many of committed to serving faculty at a very Cornell. the administrative tools and processes SERVING FACULTY of ongoing initiatives clearly exemplifies e recognize and sincerely high level,” said Celia Szczepura-McLean, Bailey Kline Colvin joined the Cornell used by the department today. Her AT A VERY HIGH her dedication to excellence, support for appreciate the dedicated staff director of administration. “She was Energy Institute on August 23, 2016, as efforts were also held in high regard both research and teaching programs, and in CBE and at Cornell. Our always willing to step up and assist the LEVEL.” her concern about the welfare of faculty, an administrative assistant. She earned W by faculty she supported in her lead department and faculty, and was a great — Celia Szczepura-McLean research support specialist, Glenn Swan, her master’s degree in teaching from students and visitors. has been at Cornell for 35 years and in

28 | OLIN Hall News 29 | OLIN Hall News GRADUATE NEWS

and aid in the design of biomaterial In the 2016-17 school year, CBE Engineering Graduate Student Association advice for current graduate students. scaffolds for cell and tissue growth. Women organized several events, to invite Ph.D. alumni in industry careers CBE Women has also been able FLEMING SCHOLAR AWARD including professional development back to campus for career seminar series. to expand professional development he Fleming Scholar award in the Robert Frederick Smith School of Kevin Weyant workshops, the welcome dessert social The series offers a unique educational activities thanks to a generous gift from Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) was established in 2015 by a Outer membrane and the WOMEN outreach event, which and networking opportunity for CBE alumna Lisa Walker ’86. During the generous gift from CBE alumnus Samuel C. Fleming '62 and his wife Nancy vesicles (OMVs) are welcomes tenth-grade girls and their students interested in industry careers. 2016-17 school year, CBE Women began Fleming to recognize the very best graduate students in CBE working on liposomes of variable parents from rural areas to Cornell. The During spring and summer 2017, three offering the Lisa Walker Travel Grant. T biomolecular engineering research themes. By providing early recognition to students with exceptional talent, the long-term goal of the Fleming Scholars program size (20-300 nM) WOMEN event aims to equip participants alumni shared their industry experience The grant is designed to provide funding is to attract, educate and graduate Cornell Ph.D.’s capable of leading their fields and that are produced with the inspiration and the tools to seek with graduate students: Dr. Rebecca for women graduate students who of pioneering new areas of study that advance biomolecular engineering science. constitutively by out engineering education and careers, Stehle Ph.D. ‘11 (Clancy Group) from demonstrate the need to travel to specific Nominations for the award are solicited annually and typically come from Gram-negative and was recognized this year with the 2017 ExxonMobil; Dr. Bernardo Aguilera Ph.D. conferences, workshops and classes that a student's thesis advisor or from someone knowledgeable about the nominee's bacteria. Previous studies have shown WEPAN Women in Engineering Initiative ’12 (Escobedo Group) from Proctor & directly enhance their careers prospects. scholarship and potential. Although the Fleming Scholar award recognition will be that OMVs can be engineered to express Award from the Women in Engineering Gamble; and Dr. Geoffrey Genesky Ph.D. In 2018, CBE Women will be entering bestowed annually, students receiving the recognition in any given year will hold recombinant protein or carbohydrate ProActive Network. ’09 (Cohen Group) from Kiehl’s Since 1851. its tenth year. It plans to continue fostering the distinguished title Fleming Scholar in CBE for the duration of their Ph.D. The antigens. These OMVs can then be To strengthen the Olin Hall network In addition to discussing the technical an engaging and encouraging community 2017 awardees are: administered in mice to generate protective and provide more contact between aspects of their work in industry, the while promoting CBE’s culture of immune responses. However, frequent the graduate students and alumni, speakers discussed the soft skills needed recognizing the strength and contributions Zhu Cheng physical properties of the extracellular difficulties expressing complex antigens CBE Women partners with Chemical for success, industry career paths and of all graduate students. Cheng’s research matrix, including its stiffness, are key on OMVs limits their utility. Moreover, focuses on regulators for cell behaviors. Recent immune responses to recombinant OMV elucidating how studies have illustrated that solid surface vaccines are not sufficient for some LISA WALKER ’86 Siyu Zhu, Ph.D. student in the Stroock mechanical stresses can have a dominant role in the pathogens. Weyant aims to enhance the FUNDS TRAVEL GRANT Group, used her Walker Travel Grant to properties of mechanical behaviors of soft materials versatility of OMV vaccines both by FOR CBE WOMEN advance the work of her group. “I got an biomaterials can with vanishingly small elasticity. Cheng facilitating the display of multiple antigens opportunity to travel to U.C. Davis and regulate cellular experimentally shows that cells interacting for broader protection and by targeting n 2016, CBE alumna Lisa Walker U.C. Berkeley to test our newly developed functions, with the aim of programming with soft materials with appreciable OMVs to specific cell types to modulate ’86 gave a gift of $25,000 to the water stress sensor, called a micro- complex biological processes and tissue surface stresses primarily sense and immune responses. Specifically, he is I CBE Women group to enhance the tensiometer, with our collaborators,” says assembly through biomaterial design. respond to the surface stresses and not the engineering a system in which purified professional development of women. The Zhu. “In Berkeley, I got my first chance Cells physically probe their extracellular bulk moduli of the materials. This study antigens or receptor-binding molecules can members of CBE Women used the gift to to install the sensors into the redwoods, environment to inform decision making unveils the role of solid surface stresses be bound to a protein scaffold on OMVs. create the Lisa Walker Travel Grant. the world's tallest trees! This travel has related to cell proliferation, differentiation, in physically directing cellular behaviors. His work may provide tools that will In deciding to use the gift to fund me to attend the 2017 Gordon Research pushed forward our in-plant testing of the migration and other critical processes. Cheng hopes that her work will help to facilitate the production of a wide range of travel opportunities, CBE Women Conference on Physical Virology in Barga, micro-tensiometer, and brought us closer In addition to biochemical signals, better understand cell-matrix interactions vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer. acknowledged the fact that networking Italy,” says Nathan. “This conference to the study of climate change on crops experiences can be key to building a career. emphasizes networking and I was able to and forests.” Susan Daniel, associate professor and meet researchers from all over the world In 2017, Ph.D. student Laura Sinclair CBE WOMEN GROUP REMAINS ACTIVE AS IT APPROACHES TENTH YEAR advisor to the CBE Women, explained, who work in my field. Many only hire from the Tester and Thompson Groups will “when students get out to visit labs and go postdocs they have networked with in use her Walker Travel Grant to observe a he Chemical and Biomolecular and outreach activities to the graduate to conferences they might not normally go person, so without this conference those pilot copper mining operation in Florence, Engineering Graduate Women’s student body, and fostering fellowship to, some really valuable connections get opportunities would have remained Arizona. Blaire Sorenson, from the T Group (CBE Women) has remained within CBE. Through this programming, made. Funding travel is an effective way to closed to me.” In addition, Nathan has Clancy Group, will attend the Perovskite active as it approaches its tenth year at CBE Women supports the dual mission of reach Lisa Walker’s goal of enhancing the been invited to be a student chair of the Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (PSCO) Cornell, expanding opportunities for addressing issues pertinent to the women professional development of our female next Gordon Conference, “which is a great Conference in Oxford, U.K., in September. members and earning national accolades of the department and encouraging grad students.” professional development opportunity Walker’s grant is expected to fund in 2017. young girls to enter engineering through Lakshmi Nathan, a student in the and an important step toward achieving travel opportunities for several CBE Since 2008, CBE Women has been outreach. Daniel Group, agrees wholeheartedly. my goal of becoming a professor,” says Women in each of the next three years. providing key professional development “The Lisa Walker Travel Grant enabled Nathan.

30 | OLIN Hall News 31 | OLIN Hall News GRADUATE NEWS

CBE GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION GROWS ITS FOOTPRINT 2015-16 AUSTIN HOOEY AWARDS their potential applications in numerous fields. They have emerged as model and a bake-off, which were hugely graduate students in CBE. This year the systems to understand the structure, successful in bringing together new planning committee focused on improving dynamics and phase stability of molecular groups of students. And ChEGSA board CBE’s visibility to industry, and invited and atomic liquids. One such class of members continue to play a large role in representatives from select industrial polymer-tethered nanoparticles are the new student orientation by assisting with sponsors to attend. New this year was a self-suspended hairy nanoparticles. recruitment events, and serving as peer post-symposium dinner, which included Created by densely grafting polymer mentors to better acquaint new students to an awards presentation and TED-style chains on the surface of inorganic the department when they arrive. talks from select speakers. ChEGSA nanoparticles, these particles are uniformly ChEGSA participates in several hopes to continue to improve upon the dispersed even in the absence of a solvent. community outreach events as well. It department’s signature research event of These self-suspended hairy nanoparticles provides many of the volunteers for the the year. are shown to have interesting structural award-winning WOMEN Event, a one-day Finally, ChEGSA helps to promote and mechanical properties, which vary event hosted by CBE Women for female professional development through contact with the core size, corona size, corona high school sophomores to explore the with industry. This year a number of chemistry and temperature. world of science and engineering. ChEGSA graduate students were able to visit a Agrawal’s research aims to he 2016-17 academic year was an also continued its annual food drive this manufacturing facility through a ChEGSA- systematically study how these different excellent one for the Chemical year, where members of CBE collected coordinated tour of Corning, Inc.’s variables influence the dynamics, transport & Biomolecular Engineering T over 1,000 items for the Ithaca Kitchen production facility. Other events included and mechanical properties of the hairy Graduate Student Association (ChEGSA), Cupboard, with the Varner, Archer and Joo a career seminar series, co-hosted with nanoparticles. The present work looks at as it introduced new programming and Groups making the largest contributions. CBE Women. This seminar series invites the jamming, yielding and flow transition expanded the annual CBE Graduate ChEGSA board members helped plan CBE alumni back to Cornell to give insight of self-suspended silica nanoparticles Symposium. and ran the CBE Graduate Symposium. on their experiences after finishing their and aims to explain the molecular ChEGSA serves as the primary This is an annual research symposium that degrees. The association hopes to continue origins of these transitions using various graduate student organizational unit features posters and presentations from this successful series in the future. experimental techniques supported by within CBE. Its mission is to promote theoretical analysis. Specifically, it is found fellowship within the department, enable RESEARCH INTO that the grafted polymer chains affect the professional development opportunities, To date, 24 CBE graduate students NANOPARTICLE PROPERTIES, mechanical and dynamical properties of run community outreach events and have been recognized with the award. The DOPANT ACTIVATION EARNS these materials by varying their degree of help showcase graduate student research latest recipients are Akanksha Agrawal STUDENTS HOOEY AWARD inter-penetration. The stronger the inter- achievements. of the Archer Group and Victoria Sorg of he Austin Hooey Graduate Research penetration of the tethered corona chain, ChEGSA has a long tradition of the Clancy Group. Both delivered oral Excellence Recognition Award the more jammed the material tends to be programming social events in the presentations on their research as part is the highest award given to a with slower dynamics. These trends are department, with key events including T of the department’s seminar series and graduate student by the Smith School of observed not only by varying the core size the Thanksgiving and Halloween mixers, received a monetary award and certificate. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. and the temperature, but also by utilizing the weekly coffee hour, a wine-tasting No awards were distributed in spring It recognizes outstanding contributions to the differences in enthalpic attraction mixer in collaboration with CBE Women, 2017. scholarship and research towards a Ph.D, of the polymer chains with different and intramural sports teams. This year and was established in 2005 by Professor AKANKSHA AGRAWAL, chemistries. the association fielded teams in soccer, Lynden Archer, then director of graduate ARCHER RESEARCH GROUP Furthermore, the fundamental football, basketball, inner-tube water polo studies, in honor of the late Austin O. Structure, Rheology, and Transport knowledge of tuning the mechanical and golf, and won the Cornell intramural Hooey (1922–2004). Her father, William Properties of Self-Suspended properties of these hairy nanoparticles softball championship. Hooey, earned his degree in chemical Nanoparticle Fluids is utilized in enhancing ion transport in The association also introduced events engineering in 1912. Both deeply valued Polymer grafted nanoparticles have them when they are used as electrolytes to cater to different student populations higher education and Cornell University. been of increasing scientific interest due to for lithium metal batteries. A binary blend within CBE, such as a board game mixer

32 | OLIN Hall News 33 | OLIN Hall News GRADUATE UNDERGRADUATE NEWS PROFILES

of these hairy nanoparticles exhibits a ADVICE FOR FUTURE STUDENT high ionic conductivity, low flammability UNDERGRADUATE PROFILES LEADERS: and stabilizes the surface of a lithium Find a balance! If you’re at Cornell, metal electrode, which makes them an During senior year, I was a teaching you’re an overachiever. If you’re in immensely viable candidate as electrolytes assistant for Chemical Engineering the Smith School of Chemical and for improving the capacity and lifetime of Thermodynamics. However, to many of Biomolecular Engineering, you’re a super a rechargeable lithium metal battery. my classmates I am probably best known overachiever. Plan for the future, but not as the student most likely to ask questions at the cost of all present happiness. You VICTORIA SORG, CLANCY (along with Meghan Pierson!). made it this far, so you are smart and RESEARCH GROUP capable. Hold yourself accountable for Dopant Activation of III-V and III-N MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A your performance, because you will get Materials Using Laser Spike Annealing LEADER: out of your education what you put into it. For the past 50 years, the electronics As an AIChE class representative, I But don’t make yourself unhappy to meet industry has profited from its ability was mindful not to simply be a bystander someone else’s expectations. to follow Moore’s Law, doubling in the executive board meetings. I Don’t wait for someone to appoint the performance of the computer represented my class with ideas and you as a leader. Lead even without chip approximately every two years. suggestions of course, but also with recognition. Ask questions. Traditionally, these improvements Meghan Barton ’17 feedback about practical limitations of came from reducing the size of the logic junior and sophomore schedules with POST-GRADUATION GOALS: switches, or transistors, so that more WHY CORNELL? AIChE events. This was something I felt Immediately, I plan to travel some could fit in a given sized computer chip. When considering a major as a was lacking prior to my attention, because this summer. I already have plans to However, the electronics industry has senior in high school, I chose to pursue most executive positions were held by hang out with my Senior Design group in hit a roadblock where merely shrinking engineering because I like to help people seniors. Washington, D.C., and I will go to Cuba components no longer improves the and solve problems. I chose chemical By far, the most challenging later this summer with my family. I’m very performance. To overcome this hurdle, engineering because I enjoy and excel at leadership position was as a Thermo excited! manufacturers are beginning to implement chemistry. With this decision in mind, I teaching assistant. I was well prepared After this summer of fun, I intend non-traditional device structures and addresses—studying how fast thermal concentration beyond a previously decided on Cornell University because to explain correct answers to the juniors to work in the pharmaceutical industry. materials into computer chips. processing affects the electrical properties established thermodynamic limit, I knew that Cornell would provide a as I had taken the course only one year I have focused on biological applications Compound semiconductors are of doped III-V and III-N materials. improving dopant activation by 29 percent. great engineering education. I knew of prior and understood the material well. of chemical engineering during my strong candidates for materials to replace Using sub-millisecond to millisecond In contrast to longer timescale Cornell’s chemical and biomolecular However, I was unprepared to explain undergraduate career, and have completed silicon based on their improved speed laser spike annealing (LSA), Sorg anneals, like those from furnace anneals or engineering reputation for high standards, why some of their incorrect answers were research in the DeLisa Lab which I and efficiency with, importantly, lower can transiently reach high annealing RTA, no deactivation is observed during and my respect for the program and its wrong. It was definitely a different way enjoyed. I hope to be able to continue power requirements. III-V materials, temperatures, and in this way, improve LSA processing for InGaAs samples with professors has only grown through the of looking at Thermo! I needed to prepare research which will improve healthcare. like InGaAs and InAs, are promising conductivity by achieving high active dopants grown in to active positions. years. In hindsight, I am especially glad myself by considering how I would do candidates to replace silicon in areas in the concentrations of dopants in these The research group’s latest LSA studies that I chose Cornell because I appreciate problems correctly, then determine how to FAVORITE OLIN HALL/CHEME transistor that require high conductivity materials. She has broadly characterized of GaN resulted in nearly 100 percent the ability to combine biological and explain where it went wrong. MEMORY: semiconductors. Low-power device LSA for III-V and III-N materials with activation of dopants. In these millisecond chemical engineering knowledge, which Personally, I believe I accomplished There are so many to choose from! architectures can be realized with GaN and a high-throughput, combinatorial time frames, LSA is effective for ion- is not common to all chemical engineering most as the class questioner. It certainly Some of the most memorable include: other III-N materials. Although charge- processing method. With this method, implantation dopant activation and for curriculums. helped me to learn and understand the Bananagrams in the Undergrad Lounge carrying electrons can move much faster she explored kinetically limited states retention of metastable as-grown dopant material better, but apparently it helped with Carol Casler, wings over a late night in these materials, a fundamental issue that are inaccessible using typical heating concentrations. The work shows that this LEADERSHIP POSITIONS HELD AT others too! I determined this during junior problem set (also in the lounge), casino is getting enough free electrons into the approaches like furnace and rapid thermal kind of metastable processing will be CORNELL: year, after multiple people independently night, ice cream at Purity with my Senior materials through a process called doping, annealing (RTA). Sorg found that LSA critical to future device applications that The first formal leadership position thanked me after a Process Dynamics and Design group, the CBE Holiday Party and hence limiting the conductivity that can be increased the activation of high-dose use III-V and III-N materials. I held at Cornell was as an AIChE class Control lecture for asking some clarifying senior year Holi. achieved. This is the problem Sorg’s work implanted dopants in InGaAs to a peak representative during my junior year. questions.

34 | OLIN Hall News 35 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE PROFILES

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS HELD AT I begin working for Johnson & Johnson, I and will truly teach you how to become a CORNELL: want to lead projects that will challenge better leader. Manager of both the Melodramatics me intellectually, as well as create projects and Flexible Theatre Companies, sub-team that will enhance the quality of life for POST-GRADUATION GOALS: leader of the AguaClara Project Team, all. Also, I will win a Tony Award for Best I will be heading to Houston to work Engineering Ambassador. Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role as a process designer for ExxonMobil. in either a play or a musical and be invited Once I obtain the necessary experience MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A to MET Gala. and networks, I desire to become an LEADER: entrepreneur in the renewable energy Major accomplishments include FAVORITE OLIN HALL/CHEME field. uniting the Ithaca community by putting MEMORY: on musical productions that were relevant On senior awards night, I had a FAVORITE OLIN HALL/CHEME to modern-day political and socioeconomic moment in time where I felt that all my MEMORY: issues, as well as performing within 15 hard work and dedication in both the Although the last 4 years were productions in Ithaca during the past engineering world and the theatre world rather difficult in Olin Hall, there is not four years. Also, being able to provide my were being recognized. It was when a singular "best" memory I can recall. fellow ChemEs with theatre activities that Professor Paulette Clancy awarded me What I did truly enjoy were the countless helped enhance their presentation and with the Outstanding Service Award conversations and bonds formed at 3:00 people skills. on behalf of the Robert Frederick Smith a.m. in the Scheele Undergrad Lounge, as School of Chemical and Biomolecular we were all trying to finish our problem ADVICE FOR FUTURE STUDENT Engineering. This moment was sets. I will truly miss this place. LEADERS: monumental for me because it was a Be fearless, be bold, be relentless. moment where my 24-hours-per-week Jorge Guevara ’17 Change will not happen unless you are dedicated to rehearsal were more than Stwart Pena ’17 MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A pushing for it. You will be faced with worth it, where my countless caffeinated LEADER: adversity and it will not be easy, but if teas and endless nights on problem sets WHY CORNELL? WHY CORNELL? Accomplishments for the ChemE you persevere and focus on your purpose, were more than worth it, where my The second I stepped foot on this To be honest, I fell in love with the Car Team include winning the AIChE you will shine brighter than any star. Be weekends in the lab for AguaClara were campus, something clicked. Out of the campus at first sight. From the beautiful 2015 National Competition; Cornell informed and inform those who need more than worth it, where my bruised legs 17 universities I had seen, I had never scenery to the peaceful locations one can Cheerleading won its first Ivy Classic it, but be humble. Utilize the resources and bad knees were more than worth it. I felt more at home and welcome than go to relax, I truly felt at home on this title; and the Skiing and Snowboarding available to you as soon as you step foot came to Cornell to leave my mark in both on Cornell’s campus. With its beautiful campus. While visiting for my first time, Club went farther than ever for club on this campus and set up meetings with the engineering and theatre fields and in Botanical Gardens, incredible McGraw every student was so friendly and the trips, organizing events in Switzerland the administration and the student groups that exact moment, I felt that I had. Clock Tower, and magnificent view of administration was so approachable and and obtaining major sponsorship from you want to speak with as to make the Cayuga Lake, how could I not fall in always ready to help. In addition to having companies. love with Cornell? I also chose Cornell most of these four years. They will go by one of the best engineering colleges in the Engineering because I wanted to be able faster than you know. world, there was no doubt in my mind that ADVICE FOR FUTURE STUDENT to major in chemical engineering while Cornell was truly meant for me. LEADERS: POST-GRADUATION GOALS: still being able to pursue my passion in the My one piece of advice is to never be I want to ensure that more people arts, specifically in dancing, singing and LEADERSHIP POSITIONS HELD AT afraid to make a name for yourself, despite from the Latinx community become acting. I knew I would have the proper CORNELL: the risk of making mistakes. In order to affiliated with majors in the STEM field, resources and networks that would allow ChemE Car Finance/Business Team succeed, you have to let the world know especially with chemical engineering. The me to flourish in both the ChemE and executive, senior member of Cornell who you are. If you make mistakes along fact that I can count the number of Latinx theatre worlds. Also, having Cornell Dairy Cheerleading, junior officer for Skiing and the way, learn from them. Those errors students within my senior class with both ice cream in the dining halls was a major Snowboarding Club. are what will make you a wiser person plus. my hands worries me. Additionally, when

36 | OLIN Hall News 37 | OLIN Hall News UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

Left to right: Professor Duncan and Robert PHILLIPS 66 UNDERGRADUATE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT AWARDS & HONORS 2016-2017 Lee SCHOLARSHIP OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR AWARD AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GENENTECH AND GEORGE who have shown leadership, character MERRILL PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS OTHMER SCHEELE OUTSTANDING JUNIOR and dedication to service. Left to right: SOPHOMORE ACADEMIC AWARD Professor Stroock and Jorge Guevara EXCELLENCE AWARD DIVERSITY PROGRAMS IN ENGINEERING OUTSTANDING STUDENT OF THE YEAR Alyssa Restauro ’17 Oliver Lake ’17 Recognizing exceptional academic This award recognizes outstanding Charles Wan ’17 achievement with professional potential in scholarship, mastery of chemical This Cornell program honors outstanding the oil and energy industry. Left to right: engineering fundamentals, demonstrated Robert Lee ’17 seniors and their academic mentors who Professor Stroock and Alyssa Restauro application in the capstone laboratory and Natalie Goh ’17 This award is sponsored by Genentech in most inspired their scholastic development design courses and professional promise. This award was established by the AIChE memory of Professor George F. Scheele, from high school and a Cornell faculty AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING Left to right: Professor Duncan and Oliver to recognize undergraduate academic former associate director of the school, member who most significantly SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Lake excellence. Left to right: Professor Duncan to recognize academic excellence and Stwart Peña ’17 contributed to their college experience. and Natalie Goh achievement in campus and professional Left to right: Professor Duncan, Stwart Left to right: Professor Duncan and FERDINAND RODRIGUEZ activities. Left to right: Professor Anton Peña and Professor Al Center Charles Wan OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP and Robert Lee IN POLYMERS AND ELECTRONIC DIVERSITY PROGRAMS IN PHILLIPS 66 UNDERGRADUATE MATERIALS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ENGINEERING’S ZELLMAN SCHOLARSHIP GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP WARHAFT COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE AWARD Jorge Guevara ’17 Recognizing outstanding service to improve the professional and social culture of the school. Left to right: Professor Robert Lee ’17 Clancy and Jorge Guevara Recognizing intellectual curiosity Grace He ’17 and excellence in mathematics and Natalie Goh ’17 OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE Honoring Professor Rodriguez and engineering. Left to right: Aravind Charles Wan ’17 Recognizing exceptional academic TEACHING ASSISTANT OF THE recognizing outstanding achievements Natarajan and Robert Lee Recognizing high scholarship, achievement with professional potential in YEAR AWARD in academics and in the professional extracurricular contributions, unusual Paola C. Torres ’17 the oil and energy industry. Left to right: community. Sponsored by the Xerox GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP promise of substantial achievement and Left to right: Professor Stroock and Paola Professor Stroock and Natalie Goh Foundation. Left to right: Professor Alabi a program that advances the engineering Torres and Grace He profession. Left to right: Professor Stroock PHILLIPS 66 UNDERGRADUATE and Charles Wan MERRILL PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR SCHOLARSHIP OUTSTANDING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE QUILL & DAGGER SOCIETY RESEARCH AWARD INDUCTION Jennifer Bushnell ’17 Chosen by the faculty for outstanding Charles Wan ’17 teaching by an undergraduate assistant Recognizing intellectual curiosity and contributions to fluid mechanics, and excellence in mathematics and mass and energy balances and analysis engineering. Left to right: Professor Robert Lee ’17 Jason Herritt ’17 of separation processes. Left to right: Duncan and Charles Wan This Cornell program honors outstanding Recognizing exceptional academic Professor Anton and Jennifer Bushnell seniors and their academic mentors who achievement with professional potential in Aron Coraor ’17 Jorge Guevara ’17 most inspired their scholastic development the oil and energy industry. Left to right: Recognizing a demonstrated record A prominent and legendary Cornell from high school and a Cornell faculty Professor Stroock and Jason Herritt of ability, indication of leadership and University senior honor society member who most significantly professional promise. Left to right: recognizing exemplary undergraduates contributed to their college experience. Professor Clancy and Aron Coraor

38 | OLIN Hall News 39 | OLIN Hall News MERRILL SCHOLARS

TWO CBE STUDENTS NAMED MERRILL SCHOLAR: ROBERT LEE ‘17 MERRILL PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS

ach year, Cornell recognizes a select group of seniors as Merrill Presidential Scholars—one of E the highest honors for undergraduates at Cornell. Merrill Scholars rank among the top one percent of the class in their respective colleges and only 33 students were chosen in 2017. The program also recognizing the educators who have played a significant role in ensuring their success. Each scholar is given an opportunity to recognize the high school teacher who most inspired his or her scholastic development and the Cornell faculty member who most significantly contributed to his or her college experience. The outstanding seniors were recognized by Cornell President Martha E. Pollack at the 29th annual Merrill Presidential Scholars Convocation luncheon on May 24.

High School Teacher: Jack Bungarden, Cornell Faculty Member: Matthew Robert Lee performs research with Palo Alto High School, California DeLisa Aravind Natarajan (Ph.D. candidate, microbiology) in the lab of Professor Mr. John Bungarden is the reason AP Professor Matthew DeLisa helped me Matthew DeLisa and is a co-author on U.S. history was my most difficult class find a research and career path. I entered a recent publication in the journal ACS in high school. As I analyzed historical Cornell unsure whether I could merge Synthetic Biology. He has served as a co- documents and parsed arguments of my interests in biology with chemical lead facilitator for the Academic Excellence professional historians, I found myself engineering. After getting involved in Workshop program, a teaching assistant scared of Mr. Bungarden’s responses to Professor DeLisa’s lab, I realized that for classes in chemical engineering and is a my positions, well-founded and insightful there are many opportunities for me to member of the Engineering World Health rejoinders that occasionally made me feel grow in both fields. Just as impactful was project team. He interned at DuPont foolish. Nevertheless, this refusal to accept being able to see what a career in research Industrial Biosciences and Genentech, and less than the best forced me to better looks like on a day-to-day basis. Professor is a member of the Cornell chapters of defend my conclusions. Being challenged DeLisa balanced countless responsibilities Tau Beta Pi and the American Institute of every day helped me begin to grow my and still found time to champion me, Chemical Engineers. strengths: thinking about cause and effect, nurture my development as a researcher Lee has received scholarships from critiquing arguments and holding myself and even stay updated with my progress the Goldwater Foundation, the Rawlings to the highest standard. outside of lab. He and his group gave me Cornell Presidential Research Scholarship a place to flourish and set me on my path program, Genentech and Tau Beta Pi. He toward a Ph.D. has begun a Ph.D. program in chemical engineering since graduation.

40 | OLIN Hall News 41 | OLIN Hall News MERRILL CLASS OF SCHOLARS 2017

MERRILL SCHOLAR: CHARLES WAN ’17 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2017!

Wan received a 2016 Goldwater took two advanced calculus math classes early on as an undergraduate researcher Scholarship for his research on Li-O2 with her, and she advised the Math League in his group, by which I mean Professor batteries in the Archer Group. His research team I was a part of. What I remember Archer was willing to take a chance on a resulted in an upcoming first-author about her class, first and foremost, was shameless freshman banging on the CBE publication to Science Advances. He the open and welcoming environment she director’s door asking for research. From interned at UC Berkeley and ExxonMobil, facilitated, in which students collaborated the start, Professor Archer stressed the filing a patent memorandum with the and put heads together to master new importance of approaching problems using latter. In addition to research, Wan has concepts and overcome tough problems. scientific first-principles and focusing on been a member of the national champion Mrs. Vibber’s style was engaging, and practical research that would lend itself to Cornell ChemE Car Team since freshman her enthusiasm unmatched. She gave an important cause. He treated me with Class of 2017 a part of herself to every student she respect as if I were one of his graduate year, and had assumed the role of senior 1 Brielle Hohne 18 Soomin You 34 Robert Lee 51 Dan Harianja 68 Stwart Peña Not pictured: captain. He held teaching assistant taught, because teaching was not only students, finding time in his busy schedule 2 Q. Linnette Teo 19 Sharon Chiu 35 Thomas Cohn 52 Aditya Misra 69 Liz Durand Maddie Baehre positions for three core ChemE classes: her profession, but also her passion. I for weekly meetings. He is always full 3 Rosa Zhang 20 Angely Liang 36 Jeancarlo Vélez 53 Ed Kang 70 Nick Shebek Maria Blechl Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and did not choose to follow a career in pure of new ideas, and carries himself with 4 Hannah McFetridge 21 Jorge Guevara 37 Kevin Wan 54 Raychie Tang 71 Evan Chou Yoonsik (Shane) Chung Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design. mathematics, but I can trace the roots of an infectious energy. Chemical engineers 5 Katherine Dao 22 Yan Zhang 38 Caitlin Gee 55 Max Renaud 72 Justin Love Jon Kibel After graduation, Wan will be pursuing a my academic career to her classroom, often have attractive job options right after 6 Kristen Fawole 23 Jenny Bushnell 39 Melissa Duan 56 Jackie Cheong 73 Brittany Ward Yang (Kate) Peng Ph.D. in chemical engineering, funded by where I discovered an interest for applying undergrad, and so I wasn’t always set on 7 Ngan (Sophie) Le 24 Meghan Barton 40 James Dong 57 Dan Jun 74 Xintong (Shay) An Tiffany Tate the National Science Foundation Graduate math to real-world situations and learned graduate school. But seeing the ground- 8 Alyssa Restauro 25 Gregory Bielat 41 Ileana D'Aloisio 58 Mohyeddine (Dine) Algui 75 Shawn James Paul Varga 9 Grace He Research Fellowship Program. tools essential to becoming a successful breaking research Professor Archer does 26 Jason Herritt 42 Kristin Hirsch 59 Will Borchert 76 Oliver Lake 10 Justine Lee engineer. Mrs. Vibber is largely responsible on a daily basis and his impact on the 27 Christina Urban 43 Bethany Buck 60 Will Knutson 77 Tom Ricciardulli 11 Allee Vito 28 Kyle Wheeler 44 Makayla Mellas 61 Olivia Adams 78 Charles Wan High School Teacher: Jennifer Vibber, for where I am today, pursuing my scientific education of others influenced 12 Yoo-Jung Yang 29 Jada Murray 45 Natalie Goh 62 Colleen Garrigan 79 Mason Montgomery Penfield High School, Rochester, New passions in chemical engineering. my career path. I strive to one day be the 13 Brooke Cohen 30 Kayla Kemler 46 Alex Schwab 63 Sarah Blythe 80 Michael Lu York role model for others that he has been for 14 Bianca Piccione 31 Meghan Pierson 47 Caroline Ladley 64 Matt Schofield 81 Alex Marzilli When I found out I could invite a Cornell Faculty Member: Lynden Archer me. 15 Amy Penick 32 Christine Leu 48 Kate Dick 65 Tyler Fitzpatrick 82 Paola Torres high school teacher, Mrs. Vibber came to I had the good fortune of getting 16 Emily Mendelsohn 33 Olumide (Baba) 49 Joseph Diaz 66 Jake Grist my mind as the first and obvious choice. I acquainted with Professor Lynden Archer 17 Sueyeon Kim Sosan 50 Aron Coraor 67 Byung Hee (Brian) Ko

42 | OLIN Hall News 43 | OLIN Hall News energy sources; Product Design—Product design principals CURRENT USE NEEDS UNDER $100,000 as they apply to chemicals, devices and systems. Support for undergraduates and master’s GIVING OPPORTUNITIES Students come to the school’s M.Eng. program from a degree students to participate in off-campus Gifts to in support of the institute will allow the school to diversity of educational backgrounds, across the U.S. and learning experiences. Current programs We are grateful to the many alumni and friends of the renovate and upgrade space in Olin Hall that will house around the world, to acquire valuable skills in chemical include a one-week training program with department for their generous support of the school the institute. Your support of the institute will also provide and biomolecular engineering. The ability of the school to faculty mentorship at Shell Oil’s offshore and its programs. Your continued generosity allows annual support for research and education programs in provide financial support to students in this program operations simulator in Louisiana and summer us to sustain and enhance the quality of the school’s support of the institute’s mission. programs and its reputation for educating engineers allows for increased selectivity and opportunities for unit operations and pilot plant laboratory at the top of the field. Please review the list of giving students with insufficient financial means. course at Imperial College London. Gifts opportunities below and consider a gift that will help ENHANCE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE will make these opportunities financially the school accomplish one of the following objectives. ATTRACT TALENTED FACULTY accessible to all interested students. Graduate Fellowships Endow a Professor of Practice Startup funds for new student project teams. MODERNIZING OLIN HALL INFRASTRUCTURE Attracting talented graduate students to the school is a FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION key goal in CBE’s pursuit of excellence in research. Your Industrial Practitioners (IPs) are chemical engineers Support for the CBE WOMEN (Women in gift will allow the school to meet its goal of providing with considerable practical experience who return to Engineering) group to provide professional First Floor Shared Space competitive graduate fellowships to every first-year Cornell to serve as lecturers. Since the mid 1990s, CBE development to women leaders in CBE. graduate student enrolled in the chemical engineering undergraduates have benefitted greatly from continuous As part of the reimagined and fully renovated Olin Hall program. service of IPs in our capstone Chemical Process Design Support industrial field experience and (see Page X), the school aims to create, for the first time, Course and Unit Operations Laboratory. More recently, international opportunities for students. a space on the first floor to serve as the home-base of its Teaching Immersion Fellowships for Doctoral IPs have played a central role in the development of new programs. This “heart” of CBE would provide shared Students components of our curriculum in Product Design and CBE DISCRETIONARY FUND space for work in small teams, student-faculty interactions, Energy Economics. studying (late into the night) and social activities. It would The goal of CBE’s teaching immersion fellowships is to Unrestricted gifts of any amount may be strengthen the community and provide a window into facilitate the development of doctoral students committed A naming gift to endow a professor of practice position directed to CBE and will provide the director CBE’s vibrant programs from Ho Plaza. to careers in academia. Gifts in support of these fellowships to support a long-term IP would have major impact on with flexibility to support the priorities listed will be used to fund graduate students who serve as the school’s ability attract and retain the highest quality above, aggressively recruit and retain junior Gifts can be made in support of this shared space, and teaching assistants in multiple courses. individuals on its faculty. faculty, seize other opportunities and address naming opportunities exist for many sub-spaces including challenges at his discretion. a student center, break-out rooms and lounges, and the Professional Masters Fellowships Endow a Named Chair in Biomolecular administrative suite. Engineering The school’s Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program Institute for Biological Design and has grown significantly in size and vibrancy over the past Gifts to this fund will support salary and research startup FOR MORE INFORMATION ON Manufacturing decade, welcoming more than 40 students a year in five costs for hiring a member of the faculty who will facilitate specializations: growth of biomolecular engineering. THESE OR ANY OTHER GIVING Chemical engineers at Cornell are using the principles OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT of biological and engineering design to harness living Computational Informatics—Data science and data Faculty Startup Funds, Faculty Renewal organisms for manufacturing chemical products. analytics in the context of problems of interest to chemical June Losurdo, Director of Development The proposed Institute for Biological Design and engineering; Energy Economics and Engineering—Energy- Current use gifts to support the hiring of faculty in CBE. Manufacturing will capitalize on this trend to catalyze related technology, management, and public policy; Food [email protected] progress towards a new ‘biomanufacturing economy,’ Science—Process and product design relevant to the 607-254-1643 in which engineers develop biological systems to food industry; Medical and Industrial Biotechnology— manufacture new products—materials, therapeutic drugs Engineering and life sciences for biotechnology industries and fuels—that address some of the world’s most pressing including manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, https://www.cheme.cornell.edu/alumni/giving.cfm problems. tissue culture, agricultural products, and new food and

44 | OLIN Hall News 45 | OLIN Hall News Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

46 | OLIN Hall News