Category: News

The Hawaiian bobtail squid is a glowing example of aquatic symbiosis. It stands out as a unique cephalopod that lives with a light organ run by a luminescent bacterium, or microbes. The bacterium allows the squid to use light as camouflage against predators. A team of researchers has received a $550,000 grant by the Gordon […]

Kirk J. Ziegler, Ph.D., the Dow Chemical Company Foundation Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies at the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering (UF CHE) is leading a $581,500 grant from the National Science Foundation titled: Measuring the Surface Energy of Metals through Structure-Property Analysis of Electrodeposition Instabilities. “Surface energy is one of […]

Dmitry Kopelevich, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering (UF CHE) is leading a grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund titled: Investigation of Mechanisms of Shear-Induced Diffusion in non-Brownian Suspensions. Particle suspensions in liquids have a wide array of applications in oil exploration and production. When suspended […]

Peng Jiang, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida, was awarded a grant from the Space Research Initiative (SRI seed fund) to develop a colorimetric shear stress sensor for aerodynamic measurements. “The advantages of this sensor would be that it is ultra-thin, inexpensive, and of a conformal nature that […]

Piyush Jain, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida, has been awarded a grant from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation to develop a CRISPR-based urine test for early detection of breast cancer. “There is an urgent need to develop a non-invasive, sensitive and specific screening strategy for […]

The chairman of Tropical Smoothie Café believes in balance – work, family, service, social life – and the power of free frappé to lift spirits. by David Finnerty This spring as the coronavirus tormented nations and stretched hospitals to their snapping points, Scott Pressly made smoothies. Dozens became hundreds. Each, to the health workers he […]

we’re working on analyzing spit using advanced CRISPR gene editing techniques Originally published by The Conversation A desperately needed tool to curb the COVID-19 pandemic is an inexpensive home-based rapid testing kit that can detect the coronavirus without needing to go to the hospital. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a few home sample collection kits […]

Peng Jiang, Ph.D., a professor at the UF Department of Chemical Engineering, has been selected as a 2020 Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Awardee. “I am honored to be recognized by this award which I believe is one of the highest awards for a Ph.D. advisor,” Dr. Jiang said. “I deeply care about and do my best to help all […]

Julie F. Jameson, a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, was awarded the Attributes of a Gator Engineer Award for Leadership. Jameson is a member of the Stoppel Lab, which is directed by Whitney Stoppel, Ph.D., an assistant professor. “Julie has demonstrated that she is an exceptional graduate student,” Dr. […]

David Hibbitts, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering, has received the University of Florida Provost’s Excellence Award for Assistant Professors for 2020. The awards are focused on junior faculty and recognize excellence in research. Dr. Hibbitts’ research interests include the exploration of reaction mechanisms and structure-function relationships for the conversion of biomass- […]

Aniruddha Kulkarni, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE), is 1 of 60 students selected to attend the National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering (NX School) hosted jointly by Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory on June 15-26, 2020. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to learn from the experts […]

Chemical Engineering professor, Richard B. Dickinson, Ph.D., was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). This honor is the organization’s highest grade of membership and is awarded to members in recognition of significant professional accomplishments and contributions in chemical engineering. Dr. Dickinson’s research applies engineering principles to study the behavior of […]

Victor Rivera-Llabres, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Rivera-Llabres’ research uses magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fields to introduce anisotropic microstructures and microporosity to hydrogel scaffolds to enhance nerve regeneration. “The fellowship is renowned among the scientific community, and I am extremely […]

David Hibbitts, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE), is leading a three-year, $672,000 grant from the National Science Foundation from the Chemistry Division titled: Separating Electronic and Geometric Effects in Compound Catalysts: Examining Unique Selectivities for Hydrogenolysis on Transition Metal Phosphides. In this project, Dr. Hibbitts will collaborate with David […]

Carlos M. Rinaldi-Ramos, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Dean’s Leadership Professor, was elected to The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows on March 24, 2020. Rinaldi-Ramos was recognized for his outstanding contributions to applications of magnetic nanoparticles and broadening participation of women and minorities in medical […]