CATALYST
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Syed Mubeen
Turning Research into Real-World Impact
GREETINGS FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Colleagues, Alumni, and Friends,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural issue of Hawkeye Catalyst, the official magazine of the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at the University of Iowa. The name Hawkeye Catalyst reflects the essence of who we are. In chemical engineering, a catalyst is a substance that enables transformation, accelerating reactions and unlocking potential. In our department, we strive to be that catalyst: advancing knowledge, empowering students, and driving innovation that addresses the most pressing challenges of our time.
The 2024–2025 academic year has been one of remarkable momentum. Our faculty are leading interdisciplinary research that spans air quality and climate, sustainable energy and clean water, polymers and advanced materials, biological and pharmaceutical, remote and smart sensing, machine learning and simulation, and more. These efforts are not only expanding the frontiers of science and engineering; they are also delivering real-world solutions.
This year, we celebrated several major research milestones. Our faculty led NASA-funded projects totaling $10 million to develop a next-generation spacebased instrument to study atmospheric aerosols. We contributed to a $1.5 million Global Centers initiative focused on climate and health, led a multi-state project in total of $6M funded by NSF to increase rural community resilience to weather events, and we are an important part of the $20 million, multi-institutional NSF project to boost Iowa’s position as a leader in bioscience and advanced manufacturing. We continue to grow our leadership and excellence in wildfire detection, agricultural resilience, satellite remote sensing, and renewable energy at the national and international levels. Our external research expenditure has grown significantly each year, from $2.3M in 2021 to a record high of $4.1M in 2024, and is diversified from a variety of sources, including NASA, NIH, NOAA, NSF, USDA, USGS, DoD, DoE, EPA, and industrial sponsors. These research projects and our award-winning faculty and students reflect the strength of our research enterprise and the collaborative spirit that defines our department.
We also welcomed two new faculty members this year: Andy Wang and Hyeongmin Seo. Their expertise in electrochemical systems and biosynthesis strengthens our department’s research portfolio and enhances our ability to train the next generation of engineers.
Our graduate students are central to this success. They are flying aboard NASA aircraft, modeling pollution in developing countries, and earning national fellowships that prepare them to lead in academia, industry, and government. Our undergraduates are equally impressive, gaining hands-on experience through research, national competitions, and mentorship that connects them with faculty and alumni. Our undergraduate students have received the national championship title in the AIChE ChemE Jeopardy competition five times (2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024) and have been runner-up four times over the past 14 years. In 2024, we proudly celebrated the 100th anniversary of our AIChE student chapter, founded in 1924. For a century, this organization has been a cornerstone of student life in our department—fostering leadership, camaraderie, and professional development. It is a legacy we are proud to celebrate and build upon.
As a medium-sized department, we take pride in our tradition of engaging undergraduate and graduate students on a personal level while fostering a strong sense of community throughout their time at CBE. We are deeply grateful to our alumni and advisory board for their generous contributions of both time and financial support. In recent years, with the donation of our alumni and the support of the college, we have been able to significantly upgrade our teaching
laboratories. New equipment, such as a distillation column, has been installed to enhance and enrich our students’ learning experience.
As you explore this first issue of Hawkeye Catalyst, you’ll find stories that reflect the energy, creativity, and commitment of our community as well as the success and impact of our students. From a newly issued patent and expanded lab infrastructure to alumni impact and student spotlights, this magazine captures the spirit of a department that is always evolving.
Next year, our CBE program will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and we are excited to host a special celebration on April 9–10, 2026. Thank you for being part of our journey. Whether you are a student, alumnus, faculty member, industry partner, or friend of the department, your support helps us continue to be a catalyst for both research discoveries and teaching excellence in chemical engineering education.
Warm regards,
Jun Wang
Departmental Executive Officer (Chair) and Professor, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Holder of Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
RESEARCH AREAS
Air Quality and Climate
Chemical engineers have the tools to advance science and solutions in the areas of climate change and environmental systems. The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering has a world-class research program in the science and engineering of air pollution, links between climate and air pollution, remote sensing and simulation of aerosol pollution, aerosol-cloud interactions, and pollution-weather interactions.
Our atmospheric and environmental research spans many scales; from liter-sized atmospheric chemistry and cloud experiments in the lab, to field campaigns and simulations at the urban/regional scale, to global models and satellite remote sensing. The department has in-house expertise to run and improve a wide range of Earth system models, from GEOS-Chem at the global scale to WRF-Chem and WRF-CMAQ at the regional scale, including the GEOS-Chem adjoint and WRF-CMAQ adjoint for inverse modeling.
Biological and Pharmaceutical
The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering leads research spanning molecular-level to systems-level understanding of biological processes, with applications in health, medicine, and biotechnology.
Our work addresses critical challenges in drug delivery, biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, and cellular engineering. We study how cells grow, communicate, and respond to their environment, and develop tools to manipulate these processes for therapeutic benefit. From designing biomaterials and drug carriers to engineering microbial systems for sustainable pharmaceutical production, our research bridges fundamental science and real-world application. State-of-the-art facilities support our research, including highthroughput screening platforms, bioreactors, and advanced imaging and analytical tools. These resources enable precise control and observation of biological systems, from single cells to complex tissues.
Remote and Smart Sensing
Smart sensor design and distributed sensor networks are transforming how we monitor critical environmental variables, from air temperature and soil moisture to urban automobile emissions and rural agricultural outputs. In parallel, satellite remote sensing is emerging as a powerful tool for observing planetary processes at global scale, enabled by reduced spacecraft launch costs and improved sensor technologies.
The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering has made significant strides in both areas. As part of a USDA-funded precision agriculture project, researchers developed an integrated air and soil canopy sensor. A distributed network of these sensors, connected via WiFi and LoRaWAN, has been deployed with the help of citizen scientists, particularly in rural communities.
CBE faculty also serve as coinvestigators on two upcoming NASA missions and provide leadership in the development and oversight of other missions such as A-CCP. Their roles span science team leadership, advisory committees, and the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Program.
Machine Learning and Simulation
Data fuels innovation in science, decision-making, automation, medicine, and marketing. Machine learning is a powerful tool that enables us to extract meaning from big data, revealing the key drivers behind complex patterns and building predictive models for simulation and forecasting across a wide range of phenomena.
Department researchers are applying machine learning and physics-based simulation to study systems across length and time scales—from molecular-level chemical processes to global climate dynamics. Projects include accelerating satellite retrieval algorithms, improving air pollution prediction, and designing advanced materials through molecular and property prediction.
This work is supported by universitylevel computational resources and interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Iowa Initiative for Artificial Intelligence. Students and researchers benefit from courses in CBE and related departments that integrate data science with engineering fundamentals. Blending data science with chemical engineering, our department is advancing the frontiers of discovery and shaping the future of intelligent, data-driven solutions.
Polymers and Advanced Materials
Photopolymerizations are chain reactions in which a liquid monomer is converted to a solid, durable polymer in a process triggered by light of the appropriate wavelength. The use of light, rather than heat, to drive a polymerization reaction offers advantages in developing new processes or products. The department’s research in this area focuses on comprehensive characterization of the kinetics, mechanisms, structure, and properties of photopolymerizations.
Work includes characterization of the photochemical processes by which polymerizations may be initiated; kinetic characterization of cationic photopolymerization; development of methods for photopolymerization of thick polymers and composites; development of photopolymerization systems based upon agricultural feedstocks; new methods for monitoring high-speed photopolymerization reactions; nanostructured materials through photopolymerization; biomedical devices formed by photopolymerization; and influence of order on photopolymerization reactions.
Sustainable Energy and Clean Water
Chemical engineers are uniquely positioned to address environmental degradation, energy sustainability, and access to clean water. At the University of Iowa, the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering leads innovative research at the intersection of environmental science, energy systems, and sustainable development.
Our research spans the science and engineering of air pollution, the links between climate and air quality, and the development of sensors for monitoring air and water. We also explore bioremediation and the treatment of contaminated air, water, and sediment, as well as the design of environmentally compatible technologies that reduce emissions and waste.
CBE researchers’ work spans local field studies to global atmospheric modeling, to understand and mitigate environmental impacts. Our work in sustainable energy includes the development of biofuels, electrochemical energy storage, and catalytic systems for cleaner fuel production. We also investigate water purification technologies, including membrane systems and advanced oxidation processes, to ensure safe and sustainable water supplies.
CBE
professors Jun Wang and Matt McGill are leading space-based research projects in the College of
Engineering.
Iowa Engineering turns P3 seed funding into $9.4M in NASA grants
The University of Iowa’s P3 grant program has had a transformative impact on Earth observation research in the College of Engineering, leading to faculty hires, new graduate students, critical infrastructure, and external funding, including nearly $10 million in recent NASA awards.
Funded through Iowa’s utility publicprivate partnership, the P3 program supports strategic campus initiatives. One of the program’s earliest and largest investments was $3.6 million in 2021 to expand space-based research across the university.
“The P3 program provided us the opportunity to invest in one of Iowa’s core strengths and build interdisciplinary partnerships that capitalize on our legacy of space research,” said Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost. “The enhanced infrastructure and resources for our talented researchers provided the launchpad for Iowa to be a national leader in Earth and lunar science instrumentation.”
This fall, NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program awarded two grants totaling nearly $10 million to College of Engineering professors, marking a significant step in the development of a collaborative research environment that leverages expertise across engineering, physics, and environmental sciences at Iowa.
Jun Wang, professor and DEO of chemical and biochemical engineering, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and assistant director of the Iowa Technology Institute (ITI), is leading a three-year, $4.9 million grant.
The project’s focus is developing a space instrument to probe how tiny particles in the air known as aerosols are distributed three dimensionally across the world, influencing cloud, weather, and climate patterns. Wang’s team is developing algorithms to interpret data from the instrument, which will be built in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“We are deeply grateful for the university’s P3 program investment, the College of Engineering’s support, and the visionary guidance of our leadership,” Wang said. “Their contributions have been instrumental in shaping and advancing our strategy for growth and excellence in education and research, particularly in the observation and study of Earth and its atmosphere.”
Matthew McGill, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and a faculty affiliate of the ITI, is leading the other grant. The three-year, $4.5 million project will develop a cost-effective way to measure changes in the Earth’s lower atmosphere by gathering data about how aerosols, clouds, and the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) change throughout the day. McGill’s project will utilize infrastructure developed as part of the extending space-based research P3 project.
These recent grants highlight the far-reaching impact of the P3 project, which supported the development of sensors, algorithms, and testing capabilities to elevate the role Iowa can play in future NASA missions. The initiative also made it possible for the College of Engineering to recruit McGill, an expert in instrument development with 25 years’ experience at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Earlier this year, McGill secured a second P3 grant focused on advancing airborne and surface observations for Earth science research. He is leading an interdisciplinary team that leverages the combination of research aircraft at the Operator Performance Laboratory and sensors developed at Iowa to create data measurement capabilities not available anywhere else in the Midwest.
The P3 funding also provides graduate and undergraduate students with opportunities for hands-on experience in the field, including an airborne exercise at Fort Stewart in Georgia that engineering students completed in March 2024 to capture data that could enhance the ability to remotely detect wildfires.
Jun Wang
Matthew McGill
Sky is the limit: Iowa engineers making UI a leader in measuring atmospheric and environmental data
The P3 project is led by Matthew McGill, CBE professor and faculty affiliate of ITI
University of Iowa engineering researchers are building capabilities to make Iowa a destination for measuring atmospheric and environmental data crucial for understanding effects of climate change.
The Operator Performance Laboratory’s (OPL) L-39ZA research jet will soon be equipped with an AgilePod — a modular, flight-approved container — into which partners can mount instruments for gathering local and regional Earth observation data.
While satellites provide a global perspective for Earth observations, data captured from aircraft platforms can provide detailed, high-accuracy measurements over local and regional areas. In this way, airborne sensors provide a complement to, and often validation of, spaceborne measurements.
“Satellites move at 7,500 meters per second,” said project lead Matthew McGill, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and faculty affiliate of the Iowa Technology Institute (ITI). “They zip by in fixed orbits that don’t capture variability across the day, and measurement resolution tends to be coarse. At airplane altitude, sensors generally can make measurements with higher spatial resolution and better data quality than is possible from space.”
Directed by Tom “Mach” Schnell, Captain Jim “Max” Gross Chair in Engineering and professor of industrial and computer engineering, OPL offers 14 airborne research platforms less than a mile from campus.
“This capability for airborne research does not exist in the Midwest,” said McGill. “The OPL capability represents untapped potential to become a destination for the science community to conduct field campaigns and test new sensor prototypes.”
The three-year, $1.2 million project was one of two research projects selected under UI’s P3 funding. The project will enable scientists to target ground-level and airborne data on a wide variety of subjects, such as air quality and pollution, nitrate runoff, soil moisture, and wildfires at more detailed levels.
The team of 14 faculty and research scientists come from the departments of chemical and biochemical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, civil and environmental engineering, physics and astronomy, chemistry, occupational and environmental health, and geographical and sustainability sciences. Undergraduate students will also gain valuable opportunities conducting research.
TOP: OPL’s L-39ZA research jet flies over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) as part of the 2023 Northern Edge exercise carrying an AgilePod, the gray cylindrical device hanging below the cockpit.
ABOVE: Tom Schnell, left, and Matthew McGill, right, bookend McGill’s research group members in front of OPL’s L-39ZA research jet. Research members include (left to right) Grant Finneman (grad student), Jackson Begolka (grad student), Nathan Bradford (undergrad), and Shi Kuang (research scientist).
CBE professor Hyeongmin Seo is awarded $1.5M to contribute to the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts.
Iowa Engineering part of $82M Global Centers investment to tackle global challenges
A University of Iowa assistant professor of chemical and biochemical engineering investigating how to convert waste into materials for high-quality products will be part of the new Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts, which was recently awarded funding through the Global Centers competition.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and international partners recently announced an $82 million investment to launch six global centers focused on
The Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts was awarded $5 million to study how to turn organic waste into renewable and biodegradable plastics for use in important, high-quality products, such as environmental sensors.
Hyeongmin Seo, who joined the College of Engineering this year, will leverage his expertise in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and systems biology in bringing $1.5 million to fund his research at Iowa.
Arthur J. Ragauskas, a professor at the University of Tennessee, is the principal investigator of the project. The research team also includes researchers from other U.S. universities, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Canada, with help from collaborators in
By understanding the chemistry of biomass, or organic waste such as scraps of wood or agricultural residue, researchers believe they can remove impediments to productivity in converting waste into polyhydroxyalkanoate, a type of bioplastic produced by microorganisms or microscopic life forms.
The resulting bioplastic can then be incorporated into composites for 3D and 4D printing. A longer-term hope is to expand biorefining across the globe.
Seo’s role is to design high-performing microorganisms, build them by modifying their genes to support highvalue products, test effectiveness, and learn from the results to make improvements.
The NSF has partnered with other agencies in the U.S., Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United Kingdom, for the Global Centers investment.
The 2024 Global Centers awards focus on advancing bioeconomy research to solve global challenges, whether by increasing crop resilience, converting plant matter or other biomass into fuel, or paving the way for biofoundries to scale up applications of biotechnology
Wildfire detection project part of a campus-wide initiative to extend Iowa’s success in space-based research, funded through the P3 program.
Iowa engineering students collect data to help detect wildfires
University of Iowa engineering students, supported by the Operator Performance Laboratory (OPL), took to the Georgia sky to capture data that could enhance the ability to remotely detect wildfires.
An instrument developed at Iowa called NightHawk was the catalyst for the research. The low-light imaging sensor is designed to collect nighttime ground data via four 2D imagers with primarily visible wavelengths, including a red, blue, green, and near infrared channel.
“This allows us to do several things, such as classify light sources and fire lines,” said Steve Tammes, citing NightHawk’s ability to distinguish a fire from other types of light. “The classification of light sources means we can identify and quantify forest fires as they occur at night at the interface of wildland and urban areas.”
Tammes and Will Julstrom , both graduate students studying chemical and biochemical engineering and research assistants at the Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) Lab, conducted the research at Fort Stewart, a United States Army post in Georgia.
The Iowa team was invited to Fort Stewart, where controlled burns of tens of thousands of acres are conducted for research as part of the Wildland Fire Science Initiative.
“This gave us a good opportunity to measure a relatively large fire and inform firefighters and forest services of the location of the fire lines and flame front,” Julstrom said.
NightHawk was designed by Jun Wang, professor and DEO of chemical and biochemical
engineering, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and assistant director of the Iowa Technology Institute.
The project is part of a campus-wide initiative to extend Iowa’s success in space-based research. The initiative is led by an interdisciplinary team including Wang and Tom “Mach” Schnell, Captain Jim “Max” Gross Chair in Engineering and OPL director; Marc Linderman, a geographical and sustainability sciences associate professor; and Phil Kaaret, formerly a physics and astronomy professor who now works at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
The data collected by NightHawk will be used in a proposal, in collaboration with NASA Ames Research Center, for a future satellite mission.
Visualization of data captured from NightHawk.
Steve Tammes
Will Julstrom
Jun Wang
CBE researchers
develop model for predicting air pollution in developing countries
A new predictive atmospheric model developed at the University of Iowa will allow scientists to forecast and issue warnings for air pollution events in developing countries. The model simulates particulates in the atmosphere to pinpoint both the timing and location of occurrences of air pollution, said Chengzhe Li, a member of the research team.
The PhD candidate in chemical and biochemical engineering is the lead author of a paper outlining the research. The paper – “Improvement of Surface PM2.5
Diurnal Variation Simulations in East Africa for the MAIA Satellite Mission” – has been published online and was selected for the cover of the American Chemical Society journal ACS ES&T Air
The paper presents a seminal method of improving air quality prediction that is feasible in developing countries where a limited surface air monitoring network is available. The method was tested in Ethiopia and combines surface air pollution data collected from instruments at two U.S. State Department facilities in Addis Ababa and data collected by citizens using a network of low-cost air pollution sensors.
The Iowa team’s work is part of the investigation for Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA), which seeks to measure airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and better understand their impacts on human health. The satellite instrument that is part of the MAIA investigation is planned for launch into space in 2025.
NASA’s MAIA investigation is led by David J. Diner at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
MAIA co-investigator Jun Wang, Li’s advisor and professor and DEO of chemical and biochemical engineering, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and assistant director of the Iowa Technology Institute.
Authors of the paper include Li, Wang, Huanxin Zhang, and Nathan Janechek, all from Wang’s Atmospheric and Environmental Research Group. Other contributors include Diner and Sina Hasheminassab, MAIA’s science system engineer at JPL.
UI spearheads $6M multistate NSF grant to help Midwest agricultural communities better manage extreme weather
The University of Iowa has been awarded a $6 million, four-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to lead a multistate collaboration with universities, local governments, health care providers, and other experts on a project that will help Midwest agricultural communities grappling with effects of severe weather, such as floods, droughts, and heat waves.
A network of small, low-cost sensors invented by UI researchers will be placed in local fields and neighborhoods across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Arkansas to gather measurements of soil temperature and moisture, air temperature, relative humidity and surface pressure, and other weather and soil data points. These measurements will be used to produce model forecasts of weather that will be delivered in real time to individuals in ag communities via phone apps and interactive on-demand virtual systems.
Through local partnerships and data training, the hyper-localized forecasts will help individuals and communities in a variety of ways:
• Manage water usage and agricultural field operations.
• Recognize when and where environmental factors such as heat waves or smoke from wildfire are harmful to health.
• Strategically use resources to mitigate heat stress, such as by building greenspaces.
• Grow the local workforce by instilling technical skills and demand for data analytics, operation of unmanned aerial vehicles, irrigation systems, and elements of precision agriculture intended to create more economically resilient communities.
A new space instrument being developed at the University of Iowa College of Engineering in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will help scientists probe how tiny particles in the air known as aerosols are distributed three dimensionally across the world, influencing cloud, weather, and climate patterns.
The project is led by Jun Wang, professor and DEO of chemical and biochemical engineering, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and assistant director of the Iowa Technology Institute.
Wang calls the instrument HiMAP, or the High-Resolution Metagrating Spectropolarimeter for Aerosol Profiling. The HiMAP project has been awarded $4.9 million over three years as part of an 11-project, $53 million investment through NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program.
HiMAP presents a groundbreaking advancement in aerosol monitoring technology.
Current passive remote sensing instruments that measure reflected sunlight, such as MODIS, TROPOMI, and VIIRS, estimate the total amount of aerosols in the atmosphere but lack accuracy in delineating how aerosols are distributed vertically, particularly closer to the earth’s surface where people live.
This information is critical to accurate air quality forecasts.
Other tools, such as CALIOP, a space-borne lidar, can measure vertical distribution of aerosols very accurately but have limited use at the global scale because they lack a mapping capability and can only cover a small fraction (0.2%) of our planet.
HiMAP would bridge this gap by providing detailed vertical aerosol profiles and unprecedented spatial coverage – delivering an 800-fold increase in spatial reach compared to CALIOP.
These advancements are achieved through innovation in metagrating technology, which enables simultaneous measurements of the polarization and intensity of light in hyperspectral resolution, while also capturing highresolution images over a broad area.
Iowa researchers studying aerosol data from International Space Station
New algorithms will help scientists understand how aerosols ejected by large volcanoes and fires may affect temperature and climate.
A University of Iowa engineering professor is leveraging instruments on the International Space Station (ISS) to gain insights into the complex interactions between aerosols and climate, enabling scientists to better predict and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Led by principal investigator Jun Wang, professor and DEO of chemical and biochemical engineering, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and assistant director of the Iowa Technology Institute, the project recently funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) focuses on improving and enriching aerosol data products from an instrument called the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III).
“Our research aims to develop a novel algorithm to retrieve aerosol information in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere or UTLS (about 10 km or 6 miles above the earth’s surface) from the moonlight intensity measured by SAGE III,” said Wang.
ADVANCING AEROSOL RESEARCH
The novel algorithm will allow the research team, including Xi Chen, an assistant research scientist at the ITI who contributed significantly to the project, to develop new algorithms and methods to characterize aerosol types, particle size distributions, and absorption properties in the UTLS. The UTLS region — the transition between the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere and the layer above it – is key to understanding climate dynamics because it involves complex interactions between chemical, physical, and dynamic processes.
PROJECT IMPACT
The three-year, $518,726 project has the potential to advance our understanding of stratospheric aerosols and their impact on climate. This research will also contribute to global efforts in climate modeling and environmental monitoring, providing valuable information for policymakers and the public.
From Iowa Labs to
How Professor Syed Mubeen is Turning Research into Real-World Impact
At the Iowa Wastewater and Water to Energy Research Program Tech Park in Iowa City, a compact, solar-powered 10-foot shipping container represents a breakthrough in water treatment technology. Inside the container, electricity from solar panels is used to convert nitrates found in rivers and streams into two useful outputs: clean water and ammonia, a valuable fertilizer. The invention could reduce pollution in our waterways and capture a reusable resource for farmers.
What began as a research concept in a University of Iowa (UI) laboratory eventually spun off into a startup called Pani Clean, which is continuing to mature the technology into a product that can have a broad impact.
“The product is a completely off-grid solution that you could drop into farmlands or industries,” said Syed Mubeen, UI associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and co-founder of Pani Clean. “What you get out is clean water and ammonia.” The ammonia, a valuable fertilizer, can be sold back to farmers, closing a loop that began with agricultural runoff. “It’s not just a treatment. Now it becomes a circular economy.”
As a professor specializing in electrochemical energy conversion, solar fuels, and sustainable chemical processes, Mubeen has found success with a process known as technology transfer, in which a scholar spins off their innovations from an academic setting to the commercial marketplace. For Mubeen, the goal is to create solutions that are not only scientifically sound but also scalable, cost-effective, and ready to be implemented in the real world.
Clean-Tech Innovation
Yash Mistry, Sattar Alsaedi, Joun Lee, and Syed Mubeen with the Pani Clean containerized water treatment unit.
“Engineering is thinking in terms of money and scale — the solution has to be tied to it. If you want to get into commercialization, you have to first learn the subject well and get higher degrees, then you make yourself valuable in finding these solutions.”
Syed Mubeen
Since his early years in India, where access to clean water was limited, he has been driven by a desire to turn scientific discoveries into practical solutions. Mubeen and his brother would wake up at 4 a.m. to collect municipal water. “Clean water was a concept that we never took lightly,” he recalls. That early experience instilled a lasting motivation, one that would eventually take shape years later through his co-founding of Pani Clean, a company focused on turning nitrate-polluted water into clean water and ammonia.
The company’s concept emerged during a conversation with Dr. Joun Lee, chief executive officer of Pani Clean, who pointed out that nitrogen pollution is a major water quality issue across the Midwest, California, and Texas. That led to the development of the containerized nitrate treatment unit, now operational in Iowa City.
“The powerful nature of this technology is that its physical footprint is small, but the impact is large. It is designed to match the scale and simplicity of the problem,” Mubeen says, noting Pani Clean plans to deploy the technology to other nitrate-affected regions, including Nebraska.
The company has been supported by multiple Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which have funded both university research and company development. “Everything — from the concept to the prototypes to the team — happened in close collaboration with the University of Iowa,” Mubeen says.
While Pani Clean addresses a pressing environmental issue rooted in Iowa’s soil and water, another of Mubeen’s ventures, SunHydrogen, looks to the skies, harnessing sunlight to fuel the future.
SunHydrogen takes a different but equally innovative approach: producing hydrogen fuel directly from sunlight and water. The company stems from Mubeen’s postdoctoral work at the University of California, Santa Barbara. When he joined the UI in 2014, SunHydrogen relocated its research and development operations to Iowa City.
From the beginning, the university embraced his entrepreneurial vision. “Even when I came for the interview, they had me meet with the tech transfer office,” he says. “That was not something that I’d seen in my other interviews.” Sponsored research agreements between the two parties have allowed the technology to continue to mature.
A major breakthrough came in 2018 when Mubeen’s lab successfully scaled a solar hydrogen device from a one-square-centimeter model to a one-squarefoot prototype, a first in the field. The prototype was developed by PhD student Jonathan Koonce, who presented it during his thesis defense. Although the
device was not perfect, it helped build confidence among both the research team and potential partners. This milestone attracted development collaborators including Honda R&D, recognized for its work in clean mobility technologies, and CTF Solar, a company that specializes in thin-film solar modules. Their involvement helped accelerate progress toward scalable, solar-powered hydrogen production.
SunHydrogen continues to advance its technology and recently announced a front-end engineering design (FEED) study with TPG Rise Climate for its first commercial-scale green hydrogen production facility. They also have unveiled their largest prototype panel to date, measuring 1.92 m². This development reflects their scalable approach to clean hydrogen production and growing momentum toward real-world deployment.
Both companies operate out of the UI Research Park, a hub that supports innovation and entrepreneurship by providing space, resources, and collaboration opportunities for startups and research-driven companies. Many of their team members are former students, who are not only involved in research but also gain exposure to the business and strategic side of innovation, which helps them connect their work
in the lab to real-world applications. “They sit in on all the meetings that we have with Honda R&D and CTF Solar,” Mubeen says. “My doctoral students put it best: In research, you can get consumed by small details and lose the big picture. But when you engage with industry, you start to understand which problems are actually worth solving first. It’s a learning lesson for me, too.”
Mubeen’s approach is shaped by his engineering background and early influences.
“Most of my mentors did exceptionally well coming to the U.S., finishing their PhDs, and starting battery companies,” he says. “They told me, if you really want to make a change, get your PhD in an engineering field.”
That advice stuck. “Engineering is thinking in terms of money and scale — the solution has to be tied to it.”
He adds, “If you want to get into commercialization, you have to first learn the subject well and get higher degrees, then you make yourself valuable in finding these solutions.”
ABOVE: Researchers Sattar Alsaedi, Jonathan Koonce, and Syed Mubeen working in the Mubeen Lab.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Iowa Engineering professor patents noninvasive method to kill medical implant infections
A University of Iowa engineering researcher has secured a patent for a medical device coating that could transform how dangerous medical implant infections are treated, potentially saving thousands of patients from invasive surgeries.
Infections on medical implants, such as orthopedic implants, neurological devices, catheters, and dental implants, affect up to 4% or 100,000 patients each year. Currently, these infections require surgical removal of the entire device and surrounding tissue, which can lead to complications and prolonged recovery.
Eric Nuxoll, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, has invented a noninvasive alternative to surgical interventions that uses a magnetic nanoparticle coating to heat the infection, reducing tissue damage and patient trauma.
“My hope is that a medical device company will be interested in incorporating this into their device,” said Nuxoll, who joined the College of Engineering in 2008. “This could create a new standard for that class of device.”
The patent protects the intellectual property and encourages medical device companies to invest in further development, which will be needed to make the technology readily accessible for patients, Nuxoll said.
What makes Nuxoll’s approach different is the magnetic nanoparticle coating applied to the device before implantation. When exposed to a targeted magnetic field, these particles generate heat – between 50 and 80 degrees Celsius (122-176 degrees Fahrenheit) – that can kill bacterial biofilms in as little as one minute.
“We knew we could kill the bacteria with heat, so if we could find a way to make the coating hot that would solve the problem,” Nuxoll said.
Nuxoll’s work, which began in 2009, represents a significant advancement in medical technology. Nuxoll and his graduate and undergraduate student researchers, in collaboration with medical researchers, have helped refine the technique, with preliminary trials showing promising results.
Nuxoll hopes to transition the research into industrial-sponsored work, with commercial availability possible within the next few years.
“That’s why we do this,” Nuxoll said. “That’s the ultimate point, to get our research out into the public so it can help people.”
Eric Nuxoll
Nuxoll holds a knee joint replacement that was removed from a patient due to infection.
Jennifer Fiegel
AIChE Societal Impact
Operating Council
Will serve a three-year term on the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Societal Impact Operating Council.
$400,000 NSF grant to enhance engineering education
Grant aims to integrate Learning at Iowa principles into core engineering courses
Amanda Jensen
Student Supervisor of the Year: Career Impact Award
Recognizes awardwinning students, staff, faculty, and business partners who have gone above and beyond to provide University of Iowa students with career resources, guidance, and opportunities in support of career success.
Matthew McGill
3-year, $4.5M NASA Instrument Incubator Program award
Leading a new NASA study to develop a cost-effective way to measure changes in the Earth’s atmosphere by reimagining laser-based, or lidar, remote sensing.
David Murhammer
Faculty and Staff Career Impact Award
Recognizes awardwinning students, staff, faculty, and business partners who have gone above and beyond to provide University of Iowa students with career resources, guidance, and opportunities in support of career success.
Jun Wang
Elected American Meteorological Society fellow
Recognized as an expert in how atmospheric composition affects climate.
2024 Joanne Simpson Medal and Fellow, American Geophysical Union
The medal recognizes significant contributions to the Earth and space sciences by an outstanding mid-career scientist.
2024 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
Honored for extraordinary contributions and sustained record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.
2024 Scholar of the Year
Established by the Office of the Vice President for Research, this award celebrates nationally recognized recent achievement in outstanding research, scholarship, and/or creative activities within the previous 24-month period, and is given to one person each year.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Mentorship: The bridge between academia and industry
Mentorship was a key building block for Aoife Cleary as she navigated the pivotal moment of securing a full-time job after graduation. The senior chemical and biochemical engineering (CBE) major plans to join DuPont, a multinational chemical company, where she can leverage her background in environmental and economic impacts of chemical process safety. Her mentor has been a key part of her support system.
As a sophomore, Cleary tapped into CBE’s professional mentorship program and soon got linked with John Kessler. Kessler is an Iowa alum and retired chemical engineer with 35 years of experience with DuPont.
“I wanted someone who could give me perspective on careers and life,” she explained. Kessler’s mentorship has been instrumental in helping her navigate her future career path, she said.
The CBE department offers a robust industry mentorship program created by advisory board member Tom Marriott. Mentorship plays a crucial role in professional development, offering guidance, support, and valuable insights that can shape a successful career.
CBE’s mentorship program matches students with mentors based on their focus areas, which range from business to pharmaceuticals. This alignment ensures that students receive relevant advice and support tailored to their career aspirations.
Kessler is a firm believer in the mentorship program, noting that it helps students gain a clearer understanding of their chosen field. In addition to serving as a mentor, he also serves on the advisory board and contributes to the senior design class, sharing his extensive knowledge in capital project management.
Reflecting on his own college days, Kessler recognized just how valuable it would have been having someone to guide him through the intricacies of a chemical engineering career.
“I didn’t know what a chemical engineer did until I got into the job,” he recalled. This is why he’s been on board with the program since it began.
Since its inception in Spring 2013, the program has bridged the gap between academic learning and professional practice, enhancing students’ professional preparation with mentors’ knowledge, experience, and counsel. Mentors provide individualized help with career planning, resume preparation, interviewing skills, internships, networking opportunities, and more.
For Aoife, the mentorship program offered her the opportunity to connect with someone who could provide insights beyond academic knowledge. She values access to a mentor who has real-world experience in the industry.
“It’s nice to have a resource that has a better idea of how things are shaping up,” she said.
John Kessler
Aoife Cleary
UI graduate students get first-hand experience with NASA airborne research
Graduate research assistants from ITI’s Iowa Atmospheric Sensor Development Laboratory participated in the project.
University of Iowa students recently experienced airborne research firsthand, traveling to California’s Mojave Desert for a NASA mission to verify satellite data using a high-altitude aircraft soaring 12 miles above Earth.
Flying above 94% of the Earth’s atmosphere, so high the pilot wears an astronaut-like pressure suit, the ER-2 aircraft’s instruments mimic satellite sensors. This allows validation of data from NASA’s ICESat-2 and the European Space Agency’s EarthCARE satellites.
“I never imagined how complex it is to get multiple sensors integrated to an aircraft and then get the aircraft exactly where needed, under the right observing conditions, to make coincident measurements with a satellite as it zips past,” said Grant Finneman , a graduate research assistant in the Iowa Atmospheric Sensor Development Laboratory (IASDL). “This has been a spectacular learning experience, and we are very grateful that NASA invited us and paid for our participation.”
IASDL is led by Matthew McGill, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and faculty affiliate of the Iowa Technology Institute (ITI). Also participating were Jackson Begolka, a graduate research assistant in the IASDL and PhD candidate in chemical and biochemical engineering, and Shi Kuang, an ITI research scientist.
“I really hope to be involved in similar field campaigns in the future because this has been a spectacular learning experience,” Begolka said. “This is why I wanted to pursue graduate studies, and I hope to be a leader of similar activities in the future.”
The work, occurring from January 27 to February 7, was part of the Goddard Lidar Observation and Validation
Experiment (GLOVE) field campaign operated out of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. GLOVE is led by John Yorks from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The aircraft payload included lidar, radar, and passive imagers.
The students helped with testing and setting up instruments, planning flights, and analyzing data after flights. They also tested new machine learning algorithms created by IASDL members. These algorithms enable real-time processing and transmission of lidar data from the aircraft to the ground, allowing for the data to be used in air quality forecast models and for real-time decision-making.
“This is exactly the type of experience our students need to propel them to post-graduate success,” McGill said. “Experiencing the energy where engineering meets science is eye-opening for students.”
University of Iowa graduate students Grant Finneman (left), and Jackson Begolka (center), and ITI research scientist Shi Kuang (right) ready the airborne lidar instrument for integration with the ER-2 aircraft.
Photo credit: NASA
CBE Alumni Spotlight: Paul Flanders, Class of 2020
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA?
I chose the University of Iowa because I thought it was the best of both worlds - the excitement of a Big 10 campus paired with an engineering program that had a tight-knit community and endless opportunities.
DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATH AND THE WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING.
During my time at Iowa, I did a co-op with Tapemark and internships with Roquette and Procter & Gamble (P&G). These experiences fueled my passion for operations leadership and manufacturing products that make a difference in people’s lives. After college, I went back to P&G as a process engineer at the Iowa City Oral-B Plant. I then transitioned through multiple production leadership roles and am now the IWS Leader for the site. IWS is P&G’s continuous improvement system, so my role entails coaching teams and leaders to drive out losses through the IWS tools and 100% employee engagement. In this role, I also lead our 10-week plant technician onboarding program — University of Manufacturing. Getting to build and lead this breakthrough program has been one of the highlights of my career!
HOW DID THE CBE DEPARTMENT PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER?
The CBE Department prepared me for my career by giving me opportunities to build both my technical problem-solving skills and my leadership skills. During my time at Iowa, I was a student ambassador, peer advisor, and teaching assistant for Materials Science. These experiences, in addition to what I learned in the classroom, shaped me into the leader and engineer that I am today.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH CURRENT OR FUTURE CHEME STUDENTS?
First, get involved and show up — opportunities for growth, leadership, career networking, etc. are out there, but they won’t be handed to you. The effort will pay off ten-fold down the road. Second, have a growth mindset — engineering is a challenging, but rewarding field. Instead of getting bogged down in the hard times, try to celebrate the challenge and think “I can’t do this....YET!”, and that growth mindset will carry you far.
CBE Alumni Spotlight: Konna Zoga, Class of 2024
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA?
Students from the department where I completed my undergraduate studies (University of Patras) had previously joined the grad program of CBE.
DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATH AND THE WORK YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING.
I’ve always been fascinated by the diverse applications of chemical engineering in solving real-world problems. My journey began with research on olive-mill wastewater treatment during my undergraduate studies at the University of Patras in Greece. Later, as a research intern at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, I focused on urban wastewater treatment. For my PhD at the University of Iowa, I shifted my focus to the intersection of medicine and engineering, joining the Nuxoll group to work on thermal treatments for bacterial infections on medical implants. My project advanced the group’s research from in vitro studies to in vivo animal models, bridging the gap toward clinically relevant applications. While at Iowa, I also participated in the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows program, which introduced me to entrepreneurship and innovation in the med-tech industry. It was through this program that I first learned about Field Medical and their pioneering work on treatments for cardiac arrhythmias. After graduating, I joined Field Medical as a development engineer. In this role, I’m involved in designing and evaluating a pulsed field ablation system targeting cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular tachycardia.
HOW DID THE CBE DEPARTMENT PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER?
My time at CBE during my PhD was a turning point in preparing me for my current role. With a traditional chemical engineering background, I was trained to evaluate and understand every task as a process. Building on this foundation, my research gave me hands-on experience in designing experiments, analyzing data, and translating results from in vitro to in vivo applications. One piece of advice from my advisor, Dr. Nuxoll, that I still carry with me is: ‘Take a step back—what do you want to learn from this?’ It’s shaped how I approach problem-solving and big-picture thinking. Balancing multiple roles as a student, teaching assistant, and researcher also helped me become better at multitasking and managing priorities. Working on multidisciplinary projects and collaborating with researchers, graduate, and undergraduate students taught me the importance of teamwork and valuing
diverse perspectives. What stood out most was how the department encouraged us to engage outside the lab — whether it was joining DEI committees, helping with social media or website projects, or organizing social events. These experiences helped me grow as a communicator, a leader, and a teammate — skills I rely on every day in my fast-paced role at a startup.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH CURRENT OR FUTURE CHEME STUDENTS?
My biggest advice is to stay open-minded. Explore different fields, classes, and opportunities—you never know what might end up being useful down the line. Something that seems unrelated to your path now could become a key part of it later. Also, take advantage of the strong sense of community at CBE and the University of Iowa. For PhD students, especially, my advice is to hold onto your support system, whatever that may look like for you. Doing a PhD is tough — it pushes you in ways you don’t expect — but having people to lean on makes it so much easier to get through. And trust me, all the hard work is worth it in the end.
CBE Welcomes New Faculty
The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering was thrilled to welcome two exceptional scholars to our faculty in fall 2024: Hyeongmin Seo and Andy Wang. Each brings a distinct and dynamic research vision that is already shaping the future of our department, advancing innovation in sustainable biotechnologies, materials discovery, and energy transformation.
HYEONGMIN SEO, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Hyeongmin Seo earned a PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering from Konkuk University in South Korea. His doctoral research focused on understanding and harnessing biological modularity across scales — from genes and proteins to metabolic pathways, networks, and microbial consortia — for sustainable ester production.
As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware, he explored synthetic biology and metabolic engineering of microbial consortia to develop carbonneutral or carbon-negative chemical production platforms. Seo is passionate about addressing fundamental challenges in microbial biotechnology to tackle sustainability, health, and environmental issues.
At Iowa, he directs the Engineered BioSynthesis Lab, where his research aims to uncover how biological components interact to form high-performing biosystems with exceptional robustness and efficiency
ANDY WANG, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Andy Wang earned a PhD in chemistry from Rice University and a bachelor’s degree in materials chemistry from Peking University. Before joining the College of Engineering, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University, where he helped pioneer a high-throughput screening method that increased catalyst testing capacity from 20 per day to over 10,000 — dramatically accelerating materials discovery.
His research spans advanced materials discovery and sustainable energy, with a focus on high-throughput catalyst discovery for energy transformation and storage, electrochemical reactor design optimization, and green technologies for chemical manufacturing and water purification. He also collaborates with colleagues to integrate computational methods and AI with experimental techniques to further accelerate the development of novel materials.
Seo’s expertise in synthetic biology and microbial consortia is opening new frontiers in sustainable chemical production, while Wang’s pioneering work in high-throughput catalyst discovery and electrochemical systems is accelerating the development of nextgeneration materials and green technologies. Their arrival marks an exciting chapter for our department, as their research, teaching, and collaborations continue to inspire students and faculty alike.
Learn more about Seo’s research here:
Learn more about Wang’s research here:
EPSCoR Iowa Bioengineering Initiative
CBE’s biological and pharmaceutical faculty are contributing to a $20 million, multi-institutional National Science Foundation (NSF) project to boost Iowa’s position as a leader in bioscience and advanced manufacturing.
The project, entitled “Building Capacity Across Iowa to Meet Human Needs from Things That Grow,” is an EPSCoR project funded by NSF to advance scientific progress and elevate discovery nationwide.
Researchers have a goal of accelerating the commercialization of bio-derived products with societal and health benefits. This includes plastics for additive manufacturing, fibers for flexible and rigid materials, and proteins for diagnostics and therapeutics.
New CBE Advisory Board Member: Mathieu Cagnard
Mathieu Cagnard is the plant manager at Red Star Yeast in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Originally from France, Mathieu and his family moved to Cedar Rapids in 2004 for the construction of the new Red Star Yeast plant. Since then, he has held numerous roles in maintenance, engineering, and production. Mathieu is passionate about industrial safety, continuous improvement, and the infinite possibilities of fermentation. He has managed the plant since 2022.
Mathieu graduated from ICAM (Institut Catholique d’Arts et Métiers), Lille France, in 1993, as an industrial engineer. He then earned an MBA from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business in 2013.
Mathieu and his wife, Atiqua, currently live in Cedar Rapids and have four children. In his free time, he enjoys running, biking, and participating in various endurance events.
Advisory Board at the spring 2025 visit from left to right: Stacy Ross, James Davoux, Stephanie Clapper, Paul Flanders, John Kessler, Jennifer Garfield, Tim Wessel, Kirsten Riley, Thomas Marriott, Aaron Morrow, Mathieu Cagnard, Eric Brink, Erica Diehl, Rhett Livengood
Innovative see-through equipment is a revolutionary
addition to CBE laboratories.
New distillation column enhances learning in CBE lab
A brand-new distillation column installed in a CBE learning laboratory is transforming how chemical and biochemical engineering students engage with complex chemical processes, a fundamental skill for their future careers.
A distillation column is a crucial piece of equipment used to separate mixtures based on differences in their vapor pressure (boiling points). This process is essential in various industries, including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food processing, as it allows for the efficient separation of liquids into their individual components. Without distillation columns, these industries would struggle to produce pure substances necessary for their products and processes, such as separating crude oil into usable parts like kerosene, gasoline, and diesel.
“We are so excited for the students to use this new column. It significantly enhances our laboratories,” said Beth Rundlett , a chemical and biochemical engineering professor of practice who teaches topical courses including chemical reaction engineering and separations.
The new Pignat distillation column stands out due to its innovative, completely see-through design. This unique feature enables students to observe the inner workings of the column in real-time, making the intricate concepts of separation much easier to understand. Typically, a distillation column is a tall, cylindrical structure filled
with trays or packing material that facilitates the separation process.
This visual learning tool empowers students to experiment and observe firsthand, bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice. With this new addition, students are better equipped to dive into the world of distillation and elevate their understanding of chemical processes.
Since fall 2022, in partnership with the College of Engineering and the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, CBE has spearheaded major upgrades of its teaching labs. Thanks to the generous support of CBE alumni, more than $200,000 has been raised to date for upgrades.
The new distillation column is one of the latest and most significant in a series of recent upgrades. “On behalf of CBE’s faculty, staff, and students, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our alumni whose generous contributions made our teaching lab upgrade and purchase of equipment such as the distillation column possible,” said Jun Wang, professor and DEO of chemical and biochemical engineering, Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and assistant director of Iowa Technology Institute.
Elizabeth Walker, PhD student
A century of excellence: Iowa AIChE chapter celebrates 100 Years and sustained success
In 2024, the University of Iowa’s chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) celebrated a historic milestone, its 100th anniversary, while continuing to demonstrate national leadership in student achievement and academic excellence.
Founded in 1924, the Iowa AIChE chapter was one of the first student chapters in the United States. Over the past century, it has built a legacy of academic excellence, professional development, and service. The chapter has earned 30 Outstanding Student Chapter Awards, hosted national speakers, and supported student growth through technical competitions, outreach, and leadership opportunities.
Professor David W. Murhammer, who has served as faculty advisor since 1990, reflected on the chapter’s enduring success. “The number of awards received by our student chapter, particularly the scholarships and ChemE Jeopardy success, are indicative of both the high engagement level and quality of our students over the years.”
At the 2024 AIChE Annual Student Conference in San Diego, Iowa’s ChemE Jeopardy team claimed first place in the national competition, its second consecutive national title and sixth overall. The team, Anna Stinson, Josiah Power, Liam Horan, and Colin Houts, staged a dramatic comeback in the finals against Georgia Tech and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, winning with a score of 10,300 after trailing early in the match.
“This was the most exciting finals in the 14 years of the competition and the most unlikely win for the Iowa team,” said Professor Murhammer.
The chapter also received the Outstanding Student Chapter Award for the 20th consecutive year, and chapter president Liam Horan was honored with the Donald F. & Mildred Topp Othmer Scholarship Award for academic excellence and leadership.
The momentum continued into 2025 when Iowa students competed at the AIChE Mid-America Student Regional Conference hosted by the University of Oklahoma in April. Iowa had three teams participate among 17 competing teams. The teams included Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (Liam Horan, Colin Houts, Eric Hou, Rhea Fisch ), DaSh of Disaster (Don Roberts, Alex Rohm, Henry Benton, Sydney Schulte ), and Caleb’s Nephews (Caleb Coulthard, Mathew Kawa, Cade Machin, Fahim Rafi ). Maxwell’s Silver Hammer took first place, qualifying for the 2025 national competition in Boston. This marked the fifth consecutive year Iowa has won the regional ChemE Jeopardy title.
As the chapter begins its second century, it remains dedicated to advancing student leadership, academic excellence, and professional development. Building on a strong foundation and a history of achievement, the Iowa AIChE chapter continues to shape the future of chemical engineering at Iowa and beyond.
Congratulations to our graduates
We celebrate the outstanding achievements of our PhD and MS graduates in chemical and biochemical engineering. Your dedication, innovation, and perseverance have shaped a brighter future for science and engineering. As you step into the next chapter of your journey, know that you carry with you the strength of your hard work and the support of a proud academic community.
SUMMER 2024
Marisol Contreras, PhD
Paraskevi Konstantina (Konna) Zoga, PhD
Chengzhe Li, MS
Adam Irons, MS
Weizhi Deng, MS
FALL 2024
Jacob Fields, PhD
Blake Bryson, MS
SPRING 2025
Shiljashree Vijay, PhD
Saeideh Mohammadi, MS
Luis Jessen, MS
Bolaji Oladipo, MS
Advisors: Syed Mubeen and Charlie Stanier
Advisor: Eric Nuxoll
Advisor: Jun Wang
Advisor: Alec Scranton
Advisor: Jun Wang
Advisor: Syed Mubeen
Advisor: Syed Mubeen
Advisor: Syed Mubeen
Advisor: Charles Stanier
Advisor: Kristan Worthington
Advisor: Matthew McGill
Supporting our students
Private support is integral to the continued success of the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. In this magazine, you’ve seen some of the wonderful accomplishments of students and faculty in the department. Alumni, friends, and CBE community members like you have provided resources for student success, faculty excellence, and programmatic support to bolster and sustain the department.
For more information about how to make investments in future success, please contact the College of Engineering team at the UI Center for Advancement or visit the link to the right.
Sharon Tinker: Alumni Merit awardee
The College of Engineering Alumni Merit Award was created to honor alumni who have built distinguished careers and demonstrated leadership in their engineering disciplines. Sharon Tinker, a 2025 recipient, exemplifies these qualities. Tinker graduated from the University of Iowa with a BS in chemical engineering in 1980. She began her career as a process engineer at Exxon Chemical in Houston, Texas. Over the years, Sharon held various technical, maintenance, and operations roles at Exxon Chemical and ExxonMobil chemical plants and refineries in Baytown,
Texas; Singapore; Torrance, California; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She concluded her distinguished career as a process safety engineer in a global support role with ExxonMobil Engineering Company.
Sharon has made significant contributions to her alma mater. She inspired and supported the Chemical Engineering Process Safety Laboratory, where students develop critical skills and are encouraged to participate in the Tinker Process Safety Award competition. This initiative has positioned the university as a leader in chemical engineering process safety. To further support and recognize the department’s high-performing and innovative research, she established the Sharon K. Tinker Process Safety Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering.
Sharon remains actively involved with the University of Iowa, serving on the College of Engineering Advisory Board and the Libraries Advancement Council. Sharon also contributes as an adjunct lecturer for the Petroleum Refining class each year. In retirement, Sharon enjoys giving back to the community through her volunteer work. She serves on the board of directors for the Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and volunteers with the Iowa State Historical Museum and the United Way of Central Iowa’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
LEFT: Sharon Tinker and Jun Wang at the Honored Engineering Alumni Banquet on April 10, 2025.
BELOW: Sharon Tinker pictured with CBE faculty.
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 4133 Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Sciences
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
319-335-1400
chemical-engineering@uiowa.edu
engineering.uiowa.edu/cbe
Follow us on social media:
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact the Senior Director, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, ui-ocrc@uiowa.edu.