Month: May 2026

Undergraduate Researcher Awarded Emulsion Research Grant at Pavement Lab

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A portrait of a young woman.

The Connecticut Advanced Pavement Laboratory is excited to share its research space with SURF Grant Awardee Kathryn Ausere ’28 (Chemical Engineering) this summer (2026). During the academic break Summer Undergraduate Research Funds (SURF) support full-time undergraduate students conducting summer research projects. Kathryn’s research will be: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Three Types of Tack Coats at Reducing Tracking Under Various Humidity Conditions.

For more information on SURF, go to the Office of Undergraduate Research and for more information on the Connecticut Advanced Pavement Laboratory, visit the UConn College of Engineering’s Connecticut Transportation Institute.

Congratulations, Kathryn, on this exciting opportunity.

Md Delowar Hossain Wins the 2026 International Student Leadership Award

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A person stands in front of a UConn Student Activities backdrop holding a framed certificate, with celebratory balloons displayed on either side.We are proud to celebrate our Ph.D. student, Md Delowar Hossain, on receiving the 2026 International Student Leadership Award at the University of Connecticut!

As President of the Graduate Students Association of Bangladesh (GSAB), Delowar has demonstrated exceptional leadership in fostering community, inclusion, and support for international students across campus. Through his efforts, GSAB has become a network connecting current students, incoming students, alumni, and the broader international community. From helping students navigate housing, transportation, research guidance, and daily life transitions to creating spaces for cultural exchange and professional connection, Delowar’s leadership has made a lasting impact at UConn. His dedication to building an environment of belonging, mutual support, and cultural understanding reflects the very best of our department and university values.

Congratulations, Delowar, on this well-deserved recognition.

McCutcheon Elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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A researcher in safety glasses operates and monitors a membrane filtration pilot system with control panels, sensors, and piping inside a chemical engineering laboratory.We are proud to celebrate Jeffrey McCutcheon on being elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)—one of the highest distinctions in the scientific community!

Professor McCutcheon was recognized for his pioneering contributions to membrane-based separations, osmotic processes, and advanced membrane manufacturing. He has also served the separations community as a director of both the AIChE Separations Division and the North American Membrane Society (NAMS), and as deputy topic area lead for the National Alliance for Water Innovation—the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Water Hub” supporting the development of desalination technologies in the United States.

He joins three other University of Connecticut faculty members elected to the newest AAAS Fellows class, highlighting the remarkable impact of research and scholarship across the university. Congratulations to Professor McCutcheon and all of the honorees on this outstanding achievement!

Read more on UConn Today.

Senior Design Demo Day Celebrates Student Innovation and Engineering Excellence

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With the semester coming to a close, our senior design teams presented their projects to judges during the College of Engineering Senior Design Demonstration Day—and what a celebration it was. We are proud to recognize the top-placing teams and the outstanding work our students brought to the final stretch of their undergraduate journey.

Three students pose together in front of a UConn College of Engineering backdrop during Senior Design Demonstration Day, dressed in professional attire and smiling at the camera.

🥇 1st Place
Team 9 - Using Computational Modeling to Study Paclitaxel Diffusion from Hydrogel Disks into Lung Tissue
👥 Members: Shantel Porter, Praise Udom, and Alexis West
🏢 Sponsor: Medtronic
🎓Faculty Advisor: Mu-Ping Nieh
🔗Watch the video presentation on the College of Engineering Senior Design Website.

🥈 2nd Place
Team 5 - Synthesizing Catalyst Nanofibers for Hydrogen Electrolyzers
👥 Members: Mehr Chhatre, Martina Jagielski, and Kinée Christian
🏢 Sponsor: Nel Hydrogen
🎓Faculty Advisor:  Jeffrey McCutcheon
🔗Watch the video presentation on the College of Engineering Senior Design Website.

Three students stand together in professional attire in front of a UConn College of Engineering backdrop during Senior Design Demonstration Day, posing for a team photo.
Four students pose together in business casual attire in front of a UConn College of Engineering backdrop during Senior Design Demonstration Day.

🥉 3rd Place
Team 11 - Acceleration of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Conditioning Process
👥 Members: Julia Steiner, Megan Begley, Ryan Downey, and William Watson
🏢 Sponsor: Fuel Cell Energy
🎓Faculty Advisor: Xiao-Dong Zhou
🔗Watch the video presentation on the College of Engineering Senior Design Website.

A huge thank you to our industry sponsors and faculty advisors for their mentorship throughout the year, and to our judges for their time and expertise. Congratulations to all of our seniors on completing this milestone!