Warmest congratulations to our fourth-year Ph.D. candidate Guilherme Pereira de Souza Del Rio Bertola on receiving one of two 2025 NERPG; New England Rubber & Plastics Group Scholarships!
The NERPG, a division of the American Chemical Society, supports knowledge exchange among chemists, engineers, and professionals working in rubber and plastics chemistry and engineering. This prestigious scholarship recognizes Guilherme’s innovative research, conducted under the supervision of Professor Anson Ma, on simulating the microwave curing of fully compounded 3D-printed elastomers—advancing rapid prototyping and scalable manufacturing of customized, stretchable components used in medical devices, automotive systems, and consumer products.
We are excited to see the future achievements that await him.
Students
Caitlin Noonan Transforms Campus Food Waste into Carbon Capture Material
Check 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.
Azeem Sarwar and Muhammad Hassan Selected as a Finalist for the UConn–Eversource Clean Energy & Sustainability Innovation Program
Warmest 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.
Celebrating the 2025 Travel Awards
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!
Celebrating the 2025 Best Teaching Assistants
Congratulations to our outstanding graduate students who received the 2025 Teaching Assistant Awards:
Joe Zavorskas
Nia Samuels
Kayla Smith
This award recognizes exemplary contributions to teaching, student learning, and supporting our academic programs. Thank you for your impactful work in the classroom!
Celebrating the 2025 Research Excellence Awards
Congratulations to our outstanding graduate students who received the 2025 Research Excellence Awards:
Zahir Aghayev
Nicole Beauregard
Adrian Irhamna
This award recognizes exceptional research contributions—including impactful publications, conference presentations, patent applications, and entrepreneurial activities.
As part of the honor, recipients will present their work in our departmental seminar series this fall. We look forward to learning more about the exciting research driving their success!
Celebrating Graduate Student Service Awards
Well-deserved congratulations to our incredible graduate students who received the CBE Service Awards last year:
Adaeze Maduako
Nicole Beauregard
Alanna Gado
From organizing Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association events and running highly competitive department-wide March Madness bracket competitions, to preparing first-year students with mock qualifiers and serving on the board of the John Lof Leadership Academy, these students exemplify leadership, collaboration, and community-building in our department.
Thank you for your outstanding service and for making CBE a stronger, more connected place!
Katelynn Horvath ’25, College of Engineering
We are excited to highlight yet another outstanding recent graduate of our department, Katelynn Horvath!
Katelynn conducted research with Professor Yongku Cho where she engineered proteins that bind to modified RNA molecules—critical tools for studying RNA modifications associated with human disease. Her passion for research led her to prestigious national opportunities: she was selected as a 2024 Amgen Scholar, spending a transformative summer at Caltech, and previously expanded her research experience as a 2023 REU participant at the University of Florida.
At UConn, Katelynn graduated as an Honors Scholar with a perfect GPA and served as one of the 2025 Engineering Commencement Banner Carriers — a distinction awarded to top-performing students who exemplify academic excellence and leadership. This fall, she will begin her PhD at MIT Chemical Engineering. We are incredibly proud of all she has accomplished and can’t wait to see the impact she’ll make in the world. Congratulations, Katelynn!
Jacob Crow ’25, College of Engineering
As we continue to reflect on the commencement weekend, we’re thrilled to highlight the achievements of another outstanding graduate from our department, Jacob Crow!
Engineering runs deep in Jacob’s roots. With a proud Husky legacy—his grandmother, great aunt, parents, uncle, and siblings all UConn grads—Jacob continued the family tradition with excellence in College of Engineering. During his time at UConn, he actively participated in several professional and academic organizations, including the UConn Chapters of AIChE, ISPE, and Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honor Society), as well as the Badminton, Chess, and Quantum Computing Clubs.
This fall, Jacob is headed to Duke University to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and materials science with Dr. Miaofang Chi.
Congratulations, Jacob – we are proud of your achievements and can’t wait to see what you will accomplish next!
Read Jacob’s story on UConn Today.
Camila Connolly ’25, College of Engineering
As Commencement Weekend comes to a close, we’re proud to share the incredible journey of one of our outstanding graduates, Camila Connolly!
Camila’s path through UConn is a powerful story of growth, leadership, and service. A Chemical Engineering major and Air Force ROTC cadet, she’s held numerous leadership roles across campus—including as a Weekend of Welcome captain, undergraduate TA for Engineering 1166: Foundations of Engineering, and an event manager/ambassador at the Student Union. She also held leadership roles with Phi Sigma Rho, Major General Joseph Ward Silver Wings Chapter, and the Towers Residence Hall Association.
Originally planning to attend medical school, Camila discovered her passion for engineering after joining ROTC and interning at Pratt & Whitney. That pivotal experience reshaped her goals—and now, she’s preparing to commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. She’ll begin her career as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Kadena Air Base in Japan before transitioning into acquisitions and, eventually, project management in the aerospace defense industry.
Congratulations, Camila — we are so proud of all you’ve accomplished and excited for all that’s ahead!
Read Camilla’s story on UConn Today.