News

Caitlin Noonan Transforms Campus Food Waste into Carbon Capture Material

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Caitlin NoonanCheck out this UConn Today article featuring our senior, Caitlin Noonan—from scraps to solutions, she’s turning campus food waste into carbon-capture material. 

Caitlin’s project, “Converting the University of Connecticut’s Food Waste into Activated Carbon for Carbon Capture, Sequestration, and Usage,” conducted under the guidance of Professor Julia Valla, explores a clever way to repurpose discarded food scraps into biochar that can trap CO₂ and be reused or returned safely to soil.


Here’s what makes her work so exciting:

  • She sourced food waste from South Dining Hall, dried and powdered it using a FoodCycler Eco 5, then transformed it into biochar via slow pyrolysis.
  • By steam-activating the biochar at 900 °C, she created a porous, reusable material adept at adsorbing CO₂—without relying on chemical activation methods that can generate harmful byproducts.
  • Unlike conventional adsorbents, Caitlin’s biochars can ultimately be used as a soil amendment, improving soil health and storing carbon long-term with minimal environmental risk.

Caitlin is a recipient of the highly competitive Goldwater Scholarship and a Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Award winner from the Office of Undergraduate Research at UConn, underscoring both her academic excellence and research potential. Caitlin’s work further illustrates how everyday waste can become part of the solution—and highlights the impact chemical engineers can make in sustainability and carbon removal.

Congratulations, Caitlin! We’re proud to see your outstanding achievements recognized and can’t wait to see where you take them next.

Read more on UConn Today.

Burkey and Crowl Awarded an NSF Grant to Study Engineering Ethics

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Dan Burkey and Monika CrowlCongratulations to Dan Burkey and Monika Crowl on being awarded a $750K NSF grant through the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program!

Dan Burkey, Castleman Term Professor of Engineering Innovation and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, will lead this multi-institutional project. He is joined by Monika Crowl, Assistant Professor-in-Residence from our department, along with Mike Young, Associate Professor Emeritus from Neag School of Education, and partners from the University of Pittsburgh and Rowan University.

The team aims to create a fun and engaging way for engineering students to learn about professional ethical decision making, preparing the next generation of engineers for the challenges of modern practice.

We are proud to celebrate Dan and Monika’s leadership and contributions to this transformative initiative!

Read more on UConn Today.

Azeem Sarwar and Muhammad Hassan Selected as a Finalist for the UConn–Eversource Clean Energy & Sustainability Innovation Program

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Azeem Sarwar and Muhammad HassanWarmest congratulations to our graduate students, Azeem Sarwar and Muhammad Faheem Hassan, on being selected as one of the five finalist teams for the UConn–Eversource Clean Energy & Sustainability Innovation Program!

Over the summer, they have been working diligently on their project, “UConn’s Wastewater to Bioenergy: Integrated Chlorella Cultivation and Pyrolysis.” Their work will be showcased at the 2025 Sustainable Clean Energy Summit in October, where the winning team will receive additional funding to continue their efforts throughout the academic year.

Read more on UConn Today.

Laurencin Represents the United States at the U.S.–Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium

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Cato Laurencin US-Africa-SymposiumCongratulations to Prof. Cato Laurencin on representing the United States at the 3rd U.S.–Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium in Kigali, Rwanda.

Sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the symposium brought together more than 100 scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from 16 African nations and the U.S. to explore advances in biotechnology, decarbonization, space research, smart cities, and precision agriculture.

Dr. Laurencin’s ongoing collaborations with the African scientific community and his groundbreaking work in regenerative engineering continue to inspire on a global stage.

Read more on UConn Today.

Beykal Granted Eversource Energy Professorship Position

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Warmest congratulations to Professor Burcu Beykal for being awarded one of only two Eversource Energy Professorships in Environmental and Sustainability Education at University of Connecticut!

This prestigious professorship recognizes outstanding scholarly achievements of early-career faculty who exemplify research excellence in their fields. The two recipients were recently selected and honored by UConn College of Engineering Dean JC Zhao and UConn Tech Park Director, Eversource Energy Endowed Chair in Environmental Engineering, Emmanouil Anagnostou.

As a process systems engineer, Prof. Beykal’s research integrates artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mathematical optimization to develop solutions for global water and critical mineral shortages. Her impressive track record includes 30 peer-reviewed publications—18 of which were published at UConn—11 invited talks, and over $2.5M in federal research funding.

Congratulations, Prof. Beykal! This recognition is well deserved!

Read more on UConn Today.

Laurencin Recognized as Springer Nature Editor of Distinction

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Congratulations to Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, KCSL, on receiving the 2025 Springer Nature Editor of Distinction Award!

This prestigious honor recognizes editors who embody scientific excellence, integrity, and leadership in advancing discovery. Prof. Sir Cato’s dedication to rigorous scholarship and impactful science continues to inspire our community.

Read more on UConn Today.

 

Sun Named Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor

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luyi-sunWarmest congratulations to Professor Luyi Sun on being named a 2025 Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor—one of the highest honors UConn confers in recognition of sustained excellence in research, teaching, and service!

Prof. Sun leads an internationally recognized research program in nanostructured hybrid materials for functional, environmental, and energy-related applications. With over 310 peer-reviewed journal articles, his contributions to materials science have been widely impactful. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Society of Plastics Engineers. His work has also been recognized with prestigious honors including the Morand Lambla Award from the Polymer Processing Society and election to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

This award is a testament to Prof. Sun’s continued leadership, innovation, and dedication to advancing science and education. Read more on Prof. Sun’s achievements on UConn Today.

Laurencin Honored by the West Indian Foundation

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Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, KCSL, was recently honored by the West Indian Foundation at their Board of Directors Reception for his outstanding contributions to the community!

A University Professor at UConn and internationally recognized leader in regenerative engineering, Professor Sir Laurencin continues to inspire through his groundbreaking research, commitment to equity, and unwavering dedication to mentorship and public service.

We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of a truly impactful scholar and community leader.

Read more on UConn Today.

Celebrating the 2025 Travel Awards

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Congratulations to our graduate students who received the 2025 Travel Awards:

   Nicole Beauregard
   Marina Dabaghian
   Dimitri Alston
   Hasan Nikkhah
   Adrian Irhamna
   Kayla Smith
   Maryam Mohebbi
   Deniz Ipekci
   Salman Ahmadipouya
   Amir Shahbazi

These awards support student travel to present research, attend conferences, and engage with the broader scientific community. We look forward to seeing the impact of your work at national and international venues!