Category: Faculty

A new, easy-to-use HIV-detection test kit being developed at the University of Florida using advanced CRISPR technology shows promise as an early-warning alarm system that could save millions of lives.   While at-home test kits have become increasingly common for various health screenings, innovations in HIV testing have been limited. Current HIV tests are effective only […]

  When Dr. Whitney Stoppel isn’t working as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, she loves spending her free time outdoors and tending to her garden. During these moments, she reflects on the intriguing connections between healthcare, medicine, and the natural world, particularly plants and insects. As a result, she has studied […]

Mark Orazem, Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE), was recently named a lifetime fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which has been honoring distinguished scientists, engineers and innovators since 1874. Orazem was one of 12 faculty from the University of Florida elected to the newest […]

Ranga Narayanan, Ph.D. – 2023-2024 Teacher/Scholar of the Year    Long-time Chemical Engineering Professor, Ranga Narayanan, Ph.D., has been recognized again for his dedication to higher education. He was recently named the 2023-2024 Teacher/Scholar of the Year at the college level. Dr. Narayanan joined UF in 1981 after spending five years conducting industry research at […]

Championing Excellence: Kirk Ziegler, Ph.D. Honored for Transformative Mentorship in Chemical Engineering  Kirk Ziegler, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been selected as a Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Awardee for the academic year 2023-2024 in recognition of his excellence, innovation, and effectiveness in doctoral student advising and mentoring. […]

Piyush K. Jain, Ph.D., an assistant professor and Shah Rising Star Professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, has received the UF Provost’s Excellence Award for Assistant Professors for 2023. The awards are focused on junior faculty and recognize excellence in research. Dr. Jain’s Nano-Biomolecular Precision Lab is focused on developing multi-scale biomolecular engineering platforms using nucleic acids chemistry, protein […]

Janani Sampath, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering has been selected as one of 35 recipients of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards. This competitive research award provides seed money for junior faculty members that often results in additional funding from […]

Richard Dickinson, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the assembly and organization of cells in epithelial tissue. This project, in collaboration with Tanmay Lele at Texas A&M University, aims to unravel the biomechanical principles underlying the formation […]

Carl Denard, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award. His research focuses on cellular and protein engineering to develop novel strategies to diagnose, target and fight disease. With this award, Dr. Denard aims to discover and redesign protein molecules that can reprogram […]

Charles J. Hages, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, has received the Sony Faculty Innovation Award. With this award, Dr. Hages will use machine learning to enhance the development of semiconductor materials. Characterizing material properties is a critical aspect of developing new semiconductors – whether for renewable photovoltaics […]

Identifying a need for female role models and mentors in Chemical Engineering at UF, Helena Hagelin-Weaver, Ph.D., an associate professor, created an informal mentoring program that has grown significantly over the last 20 years.  “I realized during my postdoctoral years how fortunate I had been to have female role models during my Ph.D., so I […]

The Department of Chemical Engineering celebrates Asian Pacific Islander DESI American Heritage Month (APIDAHM) and highlights some of our faculty. Won Tae Choi, Ph.D. Q: Tell us about your research. My research is aimed at design and engineering of electrochemical systems for energy and sensor applications. We seek to address key questions related to electrochemical systems […]

Carlos M. Rinaldi-Ramos, Ph.D., chair and Dean’s Leadership Professor at the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, and Sindia M. Rivera-Jiménez, Ph.D., an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education and an affiliate faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering, received the 2021-2022 Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Doctoral Mentoring Award, and Undergraduate […]

Helena Hagelin-Weaver, Whitney L. Stoppel, Jason F. Weaver, and Kirk J. Ziegler were selected for the Department of Chemical Engineering’s Term Professorships   Hagelin-Weaver Selected to Receive the Dr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Edie Term Professorship in Chemical Engineering Helena Hagelin-Weaver, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, was […]

Sindia M. Rivera-Jiménez, Ph.D., an instructional assistant professor at the University of Florida Department of Engineering Education and an affiliate faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering, was recognized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Societal Impact Operating Council with a new award called the IDEAL Star. Dr. Rivera-Jiménez’s programming on “Unconscious Bias” […]