Six chemical engineering faculty members were recently awarded professorships in recognition of their academic accomplishments. The three-year appointments, lasting from 2024 to 2027, include salary supplements 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 dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Professorships were awarded to Piyush Jain, Ph.D., Yeongseon Jang, Ph.D., Ranga Narayanan, Ph.D., Mark Orazem, Ph.D., Whitney Stoppel, Ph.D., and Jason Weaver, Ph.D., who shared how this recognition will support their work in the department.
Piyush Jain, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Shah Rising Star Professor
Jain was named holder of the Exxon Mobil Gator Alumni Faculty Endowment in Chemical Engineering. At his Nano Biomolecular Precision Lab, he and his team pioneer “the discovery and engineering of advanced biomolecular systems to enhance the precision and delivery of programmable genome-editing tools, such as CRISPR/Cas systems.”
What does receiving this professorship mean to you personally and professionally?
Receiving the Exxon Mobil Gator Alumni Faculty Endowment is not only an honor but an important milestone in my academic career. I’m excited to keep working hard and making the most of this opportunity. It enables me to push the boundaries of my research, support my students’ aspirations, and further my contributions to the field. It also strengthens my connection to UF’s vibrant alumni network and underscores the importance of sustained investment in higher education.
In what ways does this professorship inspire you to further enhance your contributions to the college and the broader academic community?
This professorship reinforces my commitment to mentoring students and advancing UF’s reputation as a hub for chemical engineering innovation. It inspires me to organize impactful events, such as symposia that bring leading experts to campus, and to foster a collaborative environment where students, faculty and industry partners can thrive.
What would you like to say to the donors who supported this endowment?
To the donors, I extend my deepest gratitude. Your generosity makes a real difference by creating opportunities for teaching, research and mentoring. It helps drive breakthroughs that can change lives and supports the next generation of academic leaders. Your belief in what we’re doing means so much, and I’m honored to be part of this amazing legacy.
Yeongseon Jang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Jang was named holder of the Alex Moreno Rising Star Professorship in Chemical Engineering. Her lab focuses on developing “Soft Matter Assembly & Recombinant Technology (SMART) Approaches to create Bioinspired Materials that can serve as synthetic platforms recapitulating sophisticated living functions.”
What does receiving this professorship mean to you personally and professionally?
Receiving the Alex Moreno Rising Star Professorship is a significant honor. Personally, it represents recognition of the dedication and passion I have invested in my research and teaching. Professionally, it solidifies my role as an emerging leader in chemical engineering and motivates me to pursue ambitious research and educational initiatives.
How does support like this impact the way you mentor your students and support the next generations of chemical engineers?
This support fuels my commitment to mentoring students effectively. It enables me to offer students opportunities such as attending conferences, workshops, and specialized training. It helps cultivate their growth as future leaders and creates an environment where they can learn and innovate effectively.
In your experience, what role do endowed professorships play in shaping the academic culture and priorities of a university, and how do you plan to engage with this broader mission?
Endowed professorships are vital for fostering a culture of excellence, promoting innovative research, and supporting mentorship. I plan to engage with this mission by leading collaborative projects and sharing knowledge to strengthen the university’s academic reputation and capabilities.
Ranga Narayanan, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Narayanan was named holder of the Charles A. Stokes Endowed Professorship in Chemical Engineering. At his lab, the Nonlinear Instability and Bifurcation Laboratory (NIBL), they study transport phenomena and its applications to microgravity, material science and separation processes.
What does receiving this professorship mean to you personally and professionally?
Receiving the Stokes Professorship is an incredible honor. It validates years of dedication to the study of transport phenomena and pattern formation. Professionally, it reinforces my commitment to advancing our understanding of complex systems, particularly through unique opportunities such as experiments in microgravity. It also affirms the value of collaboration and mentorship, which are central to my approach to academia.
In what ways does this professorship inspire you to further enhance your contributions to the college and the broader academic community?
The Stokes Professorship inspires me to not only deepen my research but also to elevate my role as an academic leader. It motivates me to contribute to the college’s reputation by mentoring the next generation of scholars and engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment, and engaging in outreach that highlights the societal impacts of our work. I see this as an opportunity to champion the value of curiosity-driven research and its potential to solve global challenges.
What would you like to say to the donors who supported this endowment?
I am deeply grateful to the donors whose generosity made this professorship possible. Your support not only recognizes the value of scientific inquiry but also invests in the future of education, discovery, and societal progress. It empowers researchers like me to pursue ambitious goals and to mentor the next generation of innovators. Thank you for believing in the power of knowledge to transform our world.
Mark Orazem, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
Orazem was named holder of the William P. and Tracy Cirioli Term Professorship in Chemical Engineering. His lab focuses on identifying possible mechanisms for localized corrosion of copper-clad steel containers, proposed for storage of spent nuclear fuel rods.
How will this professorship support your research and academic goals in the coming years?
The funds provided will facilitate activities for which more restricted funds cannot be used. In addition to covering costs associated with my international travel, I envision using these funds to support the travel of students to conferences. It is important for the development of my students that they be exposed to outside research and to learn how to present themselves and their research to the scientific community.
In what ways does this professorship inspire you to further enhance your contributions to the college and the broader academic community?
One of my goals is to educate the scientific community on appropriate ways to analyze impedance data. To that end, I have written a textbook (M. E. Orazem and B. Tribollet, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, 2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2017), published free-for-use software for analyzing impedance data (W. Watson and M. E. Orazem, EIS: Measurement Model Program, Version 1.8, ECSArXiv, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1149/osf.io/g2fjm), and delivered short courses at universities, professional societies, and companies that have reached over 3,000 professionals and students. Delivery of impedance training to the neural engineering community is, in fact, a milestone deliverable for our NIH grant. The professorship will facilitate international travel to deliver training programs.
What would you like to say to the donors who supported this endowment?
These professorships represent an important way to recognize outstanding professors and to support their research activities. While I am honored to be recognized, I especially appreciate your support of our department. Thank you.
Whitney Stoppel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Stoppel was named holder of the Dr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Edie Term Professorship in Chemical Engineering. Stoppel and her lab focus on “building dynamic and adaptable natural biomaterials that can be leveraged to alter the behavior of cells both in vitro and in vivo.” Their recent work focuses on utilizing silk from pantry moths (a.k.a. Indian meal moths or Plodia interpunctella) for medical applications.
What does receiving this professorship mean to you personally and professionally?
Receiving this endowed professorship is incredibly meaningful to me. Personally, it affirms the value of the research and mentorship I have dedicated myself to over the past several years and my commitment to providing students with meaningful and impactful experiences during their time at UF. Professionally, it provides the resources and recognition needed to expand the reach and influence of the work in the Stoppel lab on silk-based biomaterials and biotechnology. The support is instrumental in facilitating collaborations that drive innovations in our work and in enhancing the productivity and exposure of the Stoppel lab team, through activities that promote student curiosity and creativity.
How will it support your research and academic goals in the coming years?
The professorship directly supports my goals by providing resources to fund critical aspects of my research program, including professional development. This support will enable my lab to attend key conferences, publish impactful research, and host workshops to improve scientific communication. It will allow us to interact with collaborators across Florida, including an upcoming research day for Ph.D. students with the University of South Florida. It will also support the expansion of my research program and efforts during my sabbatical, including establishing collaborations at Kyoto University. The professorship will also support our Stoppel Lab Creativity and Curiosity Retreats, which focus on new ideas driven by Ph.D. students. Moving forward, the professorship will continue to enhance my ability to train a new generation of scientists and engineers while pushing the boundaries of biomaterials research.
In what ways does this professorship inspire you to further enhance your contributions to the college and the broader academic community?
This professorship will also support partial scholarships for high school students participating in the UF Student Science Training Program, outreach activities within the local community, and research collaborations across Florida. This professorship also supports registration for Stoppel Lab undergraduate students at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference, giving students an opportunity to present their work and improve their scientific communication. I aim to provide educational experiences that empower the next generation of engineers. The professorship allows me to invest in activities that enhance diversity, inclusion, and scientific excellence at UF and beyond.
Jason Weaver, Ph.D.
Professor
Weaver was named holder of the Dow Chemical Company Foundation Professorship in Chemical Engineering. His lab focuses on “the understanding of reactions occurring on solid surfaces on a molecular level.”
How will this professorship support your research and academic goals in the coming years?
This professorship will play a critical role in advancing my research in alloy and oxide surface science and catalysis by enabling the exploration of novel surface reactions and catalytic mechanisms. It will provide resources for pursuing new directions, such as the design and study of trimetallic alloys and oxide-supported clusters for sustainable chemical processes. Additionally, the support will help facilitate student travel to national and international conferences, where they can present their work, gain valuable feedback and engage with leading scientists. It will also allow students to visit advanced research facilities, such as synchrotron light sources, to conduct experiments critical to their projects. These opportunities are invaluable for fostering their growth as independent researchers and for strengthening our group’s contributions to the field.
In your experience, what role do endowed professorships play in shaping the academic culture and priorities of a university, and how do you plan to engage with this broader mission?
Endowed professorships shape academic culture by fostering excellence in research, teaching and service. They provide resources that enable faculty to pursue ambitious goals and mentor future scholars. In this role, I aim to advance student success, drive impactful research, and support interdisciplinary collaborations that address challenges in catalysis and sustainability, contributing to the university’s missions of innovation and discovery.
What would you like to say to the donors who supported this endowment?
Thank you for your generous support of this endowment. Your contribution enables faculty to advance impactful research and mentor the next generation of chemical engineers. It directly enhances both student learning and the university’s ability to address global challenges. I am grateful for this opportunity and for your commitment to fostering excellence in education and research.