Author: Zachrich Jeng, Sarah

A University of Florida professor is developing a fast, powerful tool for blocking harmful human enzymes, a process that could result in better medicines and more precise treatments for diseases. 

University of Florida’s Elizabeth Aikman, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate studying biomaterials from Bombyx mori silk, attended summer school in California in July to advance her studies. Bombyx mori are also known as domestic silk moths and are economically important to the billion-dollar sericulture (silk) industry. 

Albert DaCosta (BS ‘98) returned to his old stomping grounds recently to discuss life after the University of Florida and offer advice for future graduates.

Third-year doctoral University of Florida student Yunhan Chuai credits his parents with being “brave and supportive enough” to send him across the ocean to study engineering.   

With a background deeply rooted in engineering, Taofeek Tejuosho is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in chemical engineering working to accelerate the design and development of polymer materials for diverse technological applications.

The goal: Healthier organs ready for transplant. The UF-developed process stands to revolutionize organ transplants and post-surgical treatment.

Sunil Roy’s journey started in India, wove though Gainesville and – for now – landed him in Silicon Valley. He came back to UF in January and spoke to students about those years, and more specifically, his experiences at the University of Florida.  

Professor Mark Orazem started with the University of Florida in 1988, nearly 20 years after the current Chemical Engineering building was constructed. What does he remember most?  His office door.  “Because of the building’s shifting, unstable foundation, I would be unable to open the door to my office,” said Orazem, now a distinguished professor and […]

Department faculty Joshua Moon recently won a coveted National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award, the foundation’s premier honor recognizing rising academic leaders.  

An elite team of student scientists and their “cube” qualified for the AIChE ChemE Cube national finals recently through a virtual presentation.

Dear Friends, As we reflect on the past few months, we are excited to share several highlights from our department in this latest edition of our newsletter.  In October, a group of our students traveled to San Diego to attend the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) conference, where they brought home several prestigious awards, […]

Six chemical engineering faculty members were recently awarded professorships in recognition of their academic accomplishments. The three-year appointments, lasting from 2024 to 2027, provide supplementary funds to support teaching and research efforts. The recipients were selected by a faculty advisory committee and approved by department chair, Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos, Ph.D., and Forrest Masters, Ph.D., PE, interim […]

Ambar Coral Velázquez-Albino, a Ph.D. candidate defending her dissertation this summer, attended the NextProf Nexus program this past summer after meeting a professor from the University of Michigan at AIChE 2023 in Orlando. Sasha Cai Lesher-Pérez, Ph.D., encouraged her to apply during a poster presentation, where they met and had an opportunity to speak.  Velázquez-Albino, […]

Until recently, Hansel Montalvo was a fourth-year Ph.D. student exploring reaction mechanisms and material catalysts to produce alkenes and aromatics. However, it’s networking that helped him get selected into two prestigious programs this summer and helped him determine his next career step.  Montalvo met Beata Kilos, Ph.D., a Dow Fellow, when she delivered a graduate […]

Students, staff and faculty from the department came together to celebrate the achievements of the past year at a dinner on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in the Reitz Union after having to reschedule due to Hurricane Helene’s visit.  Department Chair Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos welcomed the crowd in his opening remarks. He was followed by Dmitry Kopelevich, […]