ChBE Department Updates - December 19, 2023
Alumni News
CU Boulder engineering grad builds world-leading materials science company
As the CEO of Forge Nano, Paul Lichty (MechEngr BS‘06, ChemEngr PhD‘11) now spearheads the advancement of the company’s cutting-edge nano coating technology.
Research News
CU Boulder researchers develop arrays of tiny crystals that deliver efficient wireless energy
In a new study published in Nature Materials, the Hayward Research Group unveiled a resilient photomechanical material that can convert light energy into mechanical work without heat or electricity. Its potential applications include powering a drone with a laser beam, bypassing the need for a bulky on-board battery.
Scientists develop faster, cheaper way to count microbes, discover new antibiotics
Chatterjee group researchers have devised a method for microorganism counting that is up to 36 times faster than traditional approaches. This innovation reduces plastic usage by over 15-fold, significantly lowers costs and decreases the carbon footprint in biomedical research.
How animals get their stripes and spots
New research from the Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow, and Electrokinetics helps explain how sharp patterns form on zebras, leopards, tropical fish and other creatures. Their findings could inform the development of new high-tech materials and drugs.
Weimer Lab unveils economical method for producing clean fuel
The Weimer Lab has introduced an efficient and economical method to use renewable energy to produce fuel, opening doors to clean and sustainable energy sources for transportation, steelmaking and ammonia production.
ChBE scientists awarded $2M NSF grant to teach computers to advance more affordable, efficient solar cells
A team led by ChBE Professor Hendrik Heinz won a $2 million National Science Foundation award to develop reliable predictive models for hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, which have the potential to usher in more efficient and affordable solar energy.
CU Boulder earns NASA award for developing materials that reduce spaceflight costs
Current and former members of the Heinz Research Group have earned prestigious NASA Group Achievement Awards for their research centered on designinglightweight, high-strength materials aimed at reducing the costs of spaceflights.
Faculty News
Two ChBE professors selected for prestigious AICHE “35 Under 35” award
Assistant Professors Kayla Sprenger and Ankur Gupta were selected for the prestigious AICHE “35 Under 35” award.
Kristi Anseth selected as 2023 Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year
Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth was selected by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs as the 2023 Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award recipient.
Student News
CU Boulder's ChBE department ranks No. 14 in undergrad programs
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering continues to gain national recognition for the quality of its undergraduate school education, earning the No. 14 spot in the U.S. News and World Report's Best School rankings for chemical engineering among public institutions for 2024.
PhD student receives prestigious Acta Student Award
Nicole Day, a rising fifth-year chemical and biological engineering PhD student in the Shields Lab, concentrates on advancing particle-based systems to enhance the delivery of cancer immunotherapies.
Gesse Roure — Outstanding Dissertation Award
Gesse Roure (PhD ChemEngr'23) received the CEAS Oustanding Dissertation Award; his research explores tiny-scale flows, with applications in waste treatment, mineral recovery, medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery.
Chemical and biological engineering graduates take home top college awards
Ashish Srivastava and Katayoun Jamei received top fall 2023 honors from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Meet Keala Gapin, CU Boulder Astronaut Scholar
Keala Gapin, a chemical and biological engineering senior, received a 2023 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, an organization founded by the Mercury 7 astronauts.
Outreach
Reverse Science Fair puts CU Boulder grad students to the test
Under his NSF Career Award, Assistant Professor Wyatt Shields developed a "reverse science fair" in partnership with CU Science Ƶ18y. Graduate students presented their research, and high school students served as the judges.
Imagining new ways to teach science
Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD student Elizabeth Allan-Cole contributes to CU Boulder’s Elementary Arts Lab, a team aiding elementary school teachers with a multidisciplinary approach to traditional science education.