News

Caitlin Noonan Named Goldwater Scholar

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We are extremely proud of our junior, Caitlin Noonan ’26, for being named a Goldwater Scholar!

The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious national scholarships for undergraduates in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Established by Congress to honor the late Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, the scholarship recognizes students with exceptional promise and encourages them to pursue research careers.

This year, Caitlin is one of only 441 students selected nationwide from a pool of over 5,000 applicants—a remarkable achievement!

Caitlin works with Prof. Julia Valla on converting UConn’s food waste into activated carbon adsorbents for carbon capture, sequestration, and use. This summer, she will continue her impactful work as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) awardee through UConn’s Office of Undergraduate Research. We can’t wait to see the incredible impact she’ll make in the future of science and engineering.

Read more on UConn Today.

Burkey Recognized as the 2025 Outstanding Higher Education Professional by the UConn Neag School of Education and its Alumni Board

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Congratulations to Professor Daniel Burkey on being recognized as the 2025 Outstanding Higher Education Professional by the UConn Neag School of Education and its Alumni Board!

Prof. Burkey currently serves as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the College of Engineering. With a background in chemical engineering and educational psychology, his work focuses on research methods and innovation in engineering education. He co-developed the College’s new Ph.D. program in Engineering Education and has led the way in introducing game-based teaching approaches at the undergraduate level.

Prof. Burkey holds a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University, an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and an M.A. in Educational Psychology from UConn. His outstanding contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the 2024 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship, the 2018 University Teaching Fellowship, and multiple honors as AIChE Chemical Engineering Educator of the Year (2011–2014, 2019).

Read more on UConn Today.

Deniz Ipekci and Akanksha Majumder Rise to the Top at the College of Engineering Poster Competition

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Warmest congratulations to our graduate student, Deniz Ipekci, winning the 1st place in the department competition and 3rd place overall at the 11th Annual UConn College of Engineering Poster Competition! A special congratulations also goes to Akanksha Majumder, who won the People’s Choice Award!

Both students are advised by Prof. Jeffrey McCutcheon, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. It was a fantastic event and wonderful to see our graduate students come together to present their exciting research. Their hard work and dedication continue to strengthen our department and the broader UConn engineering community.

Celebrating Excellence: Chemical Engineering Faculty Honored as NAI Fellows for Transformative Innovation

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We are extremely proud of our faculty who have been recognized as National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellows over the years for their groundbreaking contributions to science, technology, and innovation. Their research spans clean energy, sustainable materials, regenerative medicine, and nanotechnology, driving real-world impact through discovery and entrepreneurship.

President Radenka Maric (NAI Fellow, 2019) – A leader in sustainable energy, her pioneering work in materials and catalysts has advanced fuel cell technologies, energy storage, and electrochemical sensors, enabling high-performance clean energy solutions.

 

 

 

Cato LaurencinProf. Cato Laurencin (NAI Fellow, 2013) – The first UConn faculty member to become an NAI Fellow and a trailblazer in regenerative engineering. His breakthroughs in nanotechnology, polymer chemistry, and tissue regeneration have earned him national honors, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

 

 

Prof. Luyi Sun (NAI Fellow, 2021) – An expert in polymeric materials, ceramics, and composites, his research is driving innovation in packaging, energy, and catalysis, shaping next-generation materials for diverse applications.

 

 

 

 

These distinguished faculty members exemplify UConn’s commitment to cutting-edge research and transformative innovation. Congratulations to all!

Read more about all UConn College of Engineering NAI Fellows on UConn Today.

Hasan Nikkhah Wins Best Poster Award at the Foundations of Computer-Aided Process Design Conference

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We are thrilled to share that our graduate student, Hasan Nikkhah, has received the Best Poster Award at the 2024 Foundations of Computer-Aided Process Design (FOCAPD) Conference for his work on seawater desalination. In collaboration with our undergraduate student Dev Barochia and under the guidance of Professor Burcu Beykal, Hasan presented their research, “Design and Optimization of a Multipurpose Zero Liquid Discharge Desalination Plant,” which introduces a novel approach to multicomponent seawater desalination with zero liquid discharge.

This work leverages mathematical optimization to determine the best operating conditions for minimizing energy consumption, addressing the environmental challenges of traditional desalination methods. By improving efficiency and sustainability, this work has the potential to make clean water production more accessible and environmentally friendly.

We are incredibly proud of Hasan’s achievement and look forward to seeing how this work contributes to the future of desalination!

Read more on this work in the FOCAPD 2024 Proceedings.

Welcoming Dr. Génesis Quiles-Galarza as Assistant Professor in Residence to Our Department

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We are excited to welcome Dr. Génesis Quiles-Galarza as an Assistant Professor in Residence in our department starting Fall 2025. Prof. Quiles-Galarza joins us with a strong background in machine learning for materials discovery, first-principles methods, and engineering education, bringing valuable experience in research and undergraduate teaching.

Prof. Quiles-Galarza, an alumnus from our very own program, obtained her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024, with her Doctoral Thesis titled, “Identifying Material Fingerprints of Relevance to Understand Adsorbate-Surface Interactions Using First Principles Modeling and Machine Learning.” She has since joined as a Visiting Professor, making valuable contributions to educating the chemical engineering students in the UConn community and upholding high standards of academic excellence. Prior to obtaining her PhD, she served as a Secondary Science teacher at Bulkeley High School in Hartford, CT through Teach For America, which set the foundation for her journey as an educator.

Prof. Quiles-Galarza will be contributing to our MEng Program by teaching Chemical Engineering graduate courses, as well as focusing on computational chemical engineering approaches, enhancing our Department’s and UConn College of Engineering’s commitment to student success and top-quality, cutting-edge education. We look forward to seeing the impact her work will have on our students and the broader academic community.

 

Laurencin Receives the 2025 Terasaki Innovation Award

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Warmest congratulations to Professor Cato Laurencin, recipient of the 2025 Paul Terasaki Innovation Award! The Paul Terasaki Innovation Award honors individuals who have made outstanding and sustained contributions to biomedical innovation, recognizing those who not only advance research but also translate their discoveries into real-world medical solutions. Dr. Laurencin embodies this mission through his pioneering work in regenerative engineering, polymer science, and musculoskeletal repair and regeneration. His groundbreaking contributions include the invention of the Laurencin-Cooper ligament for regenerating the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the development of engineered grafts for rotator cuff tendon repair and regeneration. His research has bridged fundamental science with transformative medical applications, impacting countless lives.

Dr. Laurencin’s recognition with the Paul Terasaki Innovation Award is a well-deserved honor, celebrating a legacy inspires the next generation of biomedical pioneers. He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine, as well as an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He is the first surgeon in history to be elected to all four of these prestigious academies.

Read more on UConn Today.

Faculty & Students Celebrated in the College of Engineering Growth & Momentum Publication

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We proudly celebrate our faculty and students who have been recognized in the inaugural Growth & Momentum publication by the UConn College of Engineering. This special issue highlights the groundbreaking research and achievements of our community in materials science, renewable energy, biomedical engineering, and more, showcasing the tremendous impact of our department’s work across the College.

Many of our faculty are recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide. Their contributions, along with the remarkable efforts of our students, continue to drive innovation and address critical global challenges. We are especially proud to recognize the following members of our department featured in this issue:

🔹 President Radenka Maric
🔹 Professors Cato Laurencin, C. Barry Carter, Yu Lei, Jeffrey McCutcheon, Montgomery Shaw, Luyi Sun, Robert Weiss, Xiao-Dong Zhou
🔹 Graduate student Usama Sheikh (Advisor: Jeffrey McCutcheon)

Their achievements reflect the strength of our department and the excellence of our faculty and students.

Read the full issue here.

McCutcheon Receives FRI/Neil Yeoman Innovation Award from the AIChE Separations Division

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We are proud to share that Professor Jeffrey McCutcheon has been awarded the AIChE FRI/Neil Yeoman Innovation Award by the AIChE Separations Division! This prestigious award recognizes Dr. McCutcheon’s pioneering research in additive manufacturing of thin film composite membranes, a significant advancement in membrane technology that has broad implications for separations science and industry. Dr. McCutcheon presented his groundbreaking work at the AIChE Annual Meeting Separations Division Plenary session last fall.

The FRI/Neil Yeoman Innovation Award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to separations technologies, with selection criteria including the development of transformative discoveries, creative research, or new processes/products that provide measurable commercial, environmental, or societal value.

We congratulate Dr. McCutcheon on this well-deserved recognition! His dedication and innovative research continue to shape the future of membrane separations while inspiring the next generation of engineers.

Wagstrom Keeping Air in Connecticut Classrooms Safe with $11.5M in Funding from the State

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WagstromUniversity of Connecticut‘s Indoor Air Quality Initiative, where Professor Kristina Wagstrom is a co-collaborator, just secured $11.5M from the state to bring DIY “Corsi-Rosenthal” air purifiers to all Connecticut public school classrooms. Developed from $60 worth of materials, these purifiers can reduce airborne viruses by over 99% in just an hour—improving health, attendance, and even academic performance. Also, recently published collaborative research findings by UConn and Arizona State University also show that DIY air purifiers work better than commercial HEPA air cleaners for a fraction of the cost.

On October 22 the State Bond Commission in Connecticut approved funding for the UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative to administer and implement the purchase of equipment and materials for the construction and installation of individual classroom air purifiers. The state funding awarded to UConn will be part of SAFE-CT: Supplemental Air Filtration for Education Supplemental under the Clean Air Equity Response Program.

This initiative brings together UConn Neag School of Education, UConn College of Engineering, UConn School of Nursing, UConn School of Medicine, and UConn Health to connect communities with low-cost and accessible public health solutions. We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Wagstrom and the UConn Team for their support in public health and environmental safety.

Read more on UConn Today.