08/03/2010 version

2010 Notes from Alumni

James M. Douglas, PhD 1960, UD Chemical Engineering assistant professor 1965, has enjoyed a very productive teaching and research career leading to his election to the National Academy of Engineers in 1996. His teaching style is to hold a conversation with the class, asking good questions in an engaging manner. In conversation he often takes a contrarian view, sometimes even extreme, and has fun with it. He always is a wonderful addition to a party. After earning his PhD with Jack Gerster, Jim had a five-year career at ARCO, an industrial sabbatical with D.W.T. Rippin at Imperial College, a year at UD working closely with Mort Denn, and a three-year stint at Rochester as an associate professor. During this period he wrote the two-volume book, Process Dynamics and Control, a work which brought physical understanding to the mathematics of control. When he moved to U Mass Jim’s focus changed to process design. At the time process design was an artisan’s trade, a black art without guiding principles. Jim corrected this with his book Conceptual Design of Chemical Processes which showed how the chemistry of the process leads to rational approach to design. He showed how short cut design heuristics are critical to developing plant-wide design. Today the reduction of pollution, energy conservation, better raw material utilization and plant-wide control are issues that students can master using Douglas’ design insights.

Jim and his wife, Betsy, live in Amherst, MA where Jim is semi-retired as professor emeritus.

Tom Gutshall, B 1960, has been a generous contributor to the university with time and gifts, and has enjoyed a most productive career. This year he was a leader in organizing the 1960 class reunion. He has served on the advisory council for the department with great impact. His long career spans specialty chemicals (Mallinckrodt), pharmaceuticals (Syntex), and diagnostics (Cepheid). Cepheid makes diagnostic systems that are fast, reliable and relatively rugged. Tom was founder and CEO of Cepheid in from 1996 to 2002, and he continues as chairman of the board. He currently is serving on three boards. He remains an inspirational leader.

********* The Fiftieth Reunion has an impressive list of attendees and included three chemical engineers from a living class of ten attended, all from California. Those who made the “short” trip are Tom Gutshall, Merritt Kirk, and William Payne. Unfortunately I missed the reunion for an important grandfather engagement. **********

Patrick Moore, B1975 writes

I am employed in the Process Instruments Division (PID) of Thermo Fisher Scientific as a Senior Applications Engineer in Houston, TX.  My division manufactures analytical instrumentation that is designed to operate 24/7/365 in process units such as, but not limited to, refineries and petrochemical facilities.

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Designing the installation of an analyzer system involves paying attention to the characteristics of the sample from the sampling point, through the sample conditioning system, into the analyzer, and its interaction with the detector.  Dew points, bubble points, heat transfer considerations, questions of interferences, fluid flow, spectroscopy and chemical interactions are typical of the design considerations.  In general, I provide support to our production, service, sales, marketing, engineering, and technical support functions on a worldwide basis.

I am presently working on a Masters Degree in Chemistry from the University of Houston with an expected graduation date of December 2010.  The focus of my Masters Degree program has been Analytical Chemistry.

Mark J. McCready, B 1979, is of Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. He was selected as the Outstanding Teacher of the College of Engineering for 2010 -- evidently for teaching the sophomores mass and energy balances.  While the emphasis and examples now transcend the chemical process industries, the basic approach is taught with the same level of rigor that was found in the course (CHE 212, now CHEG 112) he took from Professor Fraser Russell in the fall of 1976.

In addition to classroom teaching and occasional blogging http://ndcbechair.blogspot.com/), his educational activities are devoted to an electronic portfolio project that is intended to help students advance their professional development.  Professor McCready's research interests include molecular dynamics simulation of vapor-liquid phase change, computation of multiphase flows, and experimental development of processes to capture carbon dioxide from flue gas using ionic liquids. In addition to these intellectually satisfying activities, he often contributes to university - wide committees such as the current search for a new librarian!

Karen A. Fletcher, B1981, M1982, currently is the Vice President for DuPont Investor Relations, a position she has held since 2008. Her group provides information and data to institutional investors in a factual and timely way. These distributions include earnings releases and annual DuPont investor events and other special communications, news items and activities that may have a financial impact.

In 1980 she was the first UD graduate to win a Truman Scholarship, an award given to college juniors who demonstrate leadership qualities and have a record of public service. In response to the oil crisis of the 70’s Karen was active as an undergraduate in Delaware middle schools encouraging interest in public energy policies and alternative energy sources.

She earned her Master’s in the Industrial Intern Program in the Heat, Mass and Momentum group of the DuPont Engineering Division, where she was mentored by Allan Jones, the adjunct professor of the UD graduate heat transfer course. She joined DuPont Engineering upon graduation and spent the next eight years in various functions of increasing responsibility in research and development, technical service and operations. In 1990 she became a research manager in the Central Research

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division, and in 1994 began a five year stint in the Lycra business in technical marketing, product management and global sales. In 1999 she moved to the nonwovens business as technology director from which she became the global business manager for Tyvek in 2001. In 2004 she transferred to the Titanium Technologies business as global marketing director and Six Sigma Champion. With all of this experience in 2007 she became the director of Investor Relations and a year later was named Vice President.

Her career traces a path beginning with successes in engineering followed by growth in managerial responsibilities in multiple businesses. The goal of the Truman Scholarship was to recognize individuals who have the potential to become leaders, and in this case, the goal was achieved.

(taken from DuPont web publications)

Joye Bramble, B1984, is now a VP at Morphotek. The May 18, 2010 announcement of her appointment reads in part:

(In her role as VP), Dr. Bramble will have full responsibility for the management and operation of Morphotek's new pilot manufacturing plant, which will produce biologics to support the company's early-stage clinical trials. The company broke ground for the new $80 million facility in March 2010 and expects operations to begin by fall 2012. Morphotek(R) is a subsidiary of Eisai Inc., the U.S. pharmaceutical operation of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd.

Dr. Bramble most recently served as Executive Director of Business and Research Integration in Research Planning and Integration at Merck Research Labs (MRL) where she led a staff of 150 people at six sites in three countries that provided business operations support to the President of MRL and his management team. This included the development of therapeutic area and capability strategies, long-range operational and capital plans, and portfolio and pipeline management methodologies.

Over the course of her tenure with Merck, which began in 1990, Dr. Bramble assumed positions of increasing responsibility in Vaccine Technology and Engineering, Project Planning and Management, Bioprocess Research and Development, and Bioprocess Clinical Manufacturing and Technology, before assuming her most recent position in Research Planning and Integration. She also was part of the Merck/Schering Plough Research Integration Team that was charged with developing organizational structures, value capture targets and execution time lines to support the merger as well as the governance structures for the new company's product development activities moving forward.

Greg Alexander, PhD 1985, responded

Greg married a chemical engineer, the former Lisa Breier, the year he entered graduate school. They had one son born whilst he was a student, in 1984. A second son was born shortly after his

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graduation in December 1985. Greg worked at Monsanto Company for 12 years after he left Delaware. He then joined McWhorter Technologies in 1997, where he has survived three subsequent company name changes (Eastman, Resolution, and most recently Hexion Specialty Chemicals). Most of his career at both Monsanto and Hexion has been in product and process development. His wife Lisa died in September 2000. Greg married Patrice VanOverbeke in 2002, thereby gaining three additional children (all adults). Greg is now a Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Black Belt candidate, specializing in Design for Six Sigma. He and Patrice reside in Crystal Lake, Illinois. He bikes 10 miles to work when it is bright enough outside to do so safely.

Jeffrey Brown, B1985 replied

I have recently changed positions and am now plant manager for Bio Energy Washington, a one of a kind facility that takes landfill gas from the county landfill and purifies the methane through absorption processes, molecular sieves, and semi-permeable membranes to pipeline grade specification. It is very exciting work and provides a significant energy resource in this community from a stream that was previously flared to the atmosphere.

He and his wife Steph live in Gig Harbor, WA.

Lisa Cain, B 1985, earned a MBA from UD and a PhD in Marketing from Wharton. She is the principal for PagePoint Web Solutions (pagepointwebsolutions.com), and she points out that her firm provides free website audits. She is married to Aaron Gobler and they have two children, Emma and Jolie living in Berkeley, CA.

Robert Cairncross, B 1985, wrote the following note:

Caterpillar, Inc since 1989 (21 years now) - Currently "6 Sigma Black Belt"

Typical busy family life.  The kids are involved in a mix of sports (soccer, swimming, basketball, volleyball) and activities (band, chorus, paper routes, 4H, scouts).  We own three horses, a couple of dogs, bunnies, a cat, and recently 15 turkeys!  I was a mountain climber when in grad school in Colorado - climbing all 54 peaks over 14,000'.  My wife and I have traveled to Mexico and Ecuador to climb mountains (20,500').  I have "converted" to a more flexible activity: running with a goal to run a marathon in all 50 states (2 a year over 25 years).  So far I have run 35 marathons in 21 states.  After the first 5 years out of school I haven't connected with UD folks much.  My son is planning on being an engineer … more likely a nuclear engineer than a chemical engineer but close.  My daughter has a few years to go yet.

Doug Clarke, B1985, reports that he is unit manager at the DuPont plant in Niagara Falls, NY. He is married to Francine DelMonte and earned a MBA from U. Buffalo in 2005.

Monica Lanzillotti Gallagher, B1985, and her husband, Tom, live in Skillman, NJ. She is the president of Affinity Logo, LLC.

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Laura Krumwiede Hartwell, B1985, is the Director, Safety, Environmental and Security at ATK Propulsion and Controls, Elkton Operations. She and her husband, James, live in Elkton, MD.

Lisa Laffend, B 1985, earned a PhD from Cornell in 1991 and then joined DuPont. She wrote

“My current job title is ‘Senior Research Associate’ and I am still with DuPont in Wilmington, DE. I am married to Charles (Charlie) Nakamura, and we have one son, Daniel (Danny), born 7/28/2000.” She also has a Facebook.

Susan Wikoff Lotter, B 1985, lives in Lombard, IL where she is a senior project manager for Kraft Foods. She and husband Tom have three children which she described as:

Children: Jason, Senior civil Engineering Student, Univ. of Illinois; Nicholas, History Major, Northern University; Aaron, Freshman in high school.

Linda E. Smiddy Nelson, B1985, earned a MD degree from U. Maryland. She now works as a staff anesthesiologist at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She and her husband, David live in Fulton, MD with their two children, Jenna and Gregory.

Frank Petrocelli, PhD 1985 responded to an information request with:

I’m about to complete my 22nd year at Air Products.  I’ve recently been promoted to the level of Senior Research Associate.  After a number of years as a manager, I’ve returned to an individual contributor role, conducting research in support of Air Products’ Energy businesses.  I’m also now my company’s PhD recruiter at UD, and greatly enjoy my periodic return visits to campus. 

To commemorate my 25th anniversary, in April I visited my thesis advisor, Mike Klein.  It had been several years since we last spoke, and we had a fine time reminiscing and catching up.  In reflecting on my career to this point, I’ve come to realize how influential Mike was in my decision to pursue a PhD, and how that decision has propelled my career forward in a very satisfying and rewarding way ever since.

On a personal note, I’m happily married to a wonderful woman, Lisa, and we have two young daughters, Lauren and Sophia (ages 7 and 4, respectively).

When asked for a short description of his views of the future for solutions to the energy problems, he responded: “Solutions to today's energy issues promise to be many and varied, as a comprehensive "one size fits all" technology "fix" isn't evident.  As new feedstocks, conversion processes (both energy and material), and chemical separations will be required, chemical engineers are uniquely positioned to play a central role in providing the innovations that will enable a new energy future for generations to come."

Darrell Schimmoller, B1985 describes his time since UD with:

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In 2002 Carol and I turned our lives upside down.  She went back to work full time and I retired.  I therefore had a chance to spend time with our kids (Adam b89, Amanda b90) before they grew up and left for college and their own lives.  In my previous job I had traveled frequently before so this was a good change. 

Amanda is currently attending college and is a sophomore.  Adam is taking a break from college and is looking at following his mother's footsteps (now a Lt. Col.) and joining the Air Force.  Carol and I have enjoyed 23 years of marriage and look forward to celebrating our 25th in two years.

Alison Pratt Spoonmore, B 1985, wrote:

Alison and her husband Bob are enjoying raising their three boys in Indianapolis. Both are employed at Eli Lilly and Company.

Recent UD contacts included a campus visit for eldest son Tom, who plans to pursue Chemical Engineering and BioEngineering this fall. Although UD was impressive, it fell to 2nd choice -Tom will attend Notre Dame for his undergrad degree. We had a wonderful visit to Newark, hosted by Kathy Haines Bender. We connect with Laura Dodge-Murphy each year as she and Jim visit for the Indy 500, and correspond with Judianne Medd Ganschow via Facebook.  Great to connect with our UD friends!

****** The 25th Reunion was well represented by “CHEGs”, and my reading of the list of attendees found Wen Chao, Monica Gallagher, Laura Hartwell, Susan Lotter, Ted Owens, Susan Saud, and Bob Tullman. Thank you all for coming, and I’m sorry I couldn’t make the occasion. ****************

Professor Michael Betenbaugh, PhD 1988 of Johns Hopkins won the 2010 Cell Culture Engineering Award from Engineering Conferences international. The Cell Culture Engineering Award recognizes contributions to the field of cell culture technology and engineering, as well as significant service and dedication to the field. Betenbaugh is best known for his work in metabolic engineering for a cell’s glycosylation machinery, which controls the enzymatic process that produces glycans, a key component in protein folding reactions.

Sarah Bannister, B1995, writes:

I'm still an associate at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, DC.  Despite the overall slowdown in the legal market, I had a busy year preparing for a patent trial in May 2010 (held in District Court, Wilmington, DE).   For lawyers with engineering training, patent litigation is surprisingly fun.  Being part of a trial team was reminiscent of junior and senior lab - lots of late nights in front of computers in rooms with poor overhead lighting.  (Unfortunately for me, surviving on 5 hours of sleep was a lot easier when I was 20 years old.)  

Sujata Bhatia, B1995, responded to a request for material with:

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Surita Bhatia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  She is married to Peter Khalifah, an inorganic chemist and an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Stony Brook University.  At home, Surita and Peter have been keeping busy raising their two energetic boys and enjoying life in rural western Mass, including hiking in the fall, maple sugaring in the spring, and berry-picking in the summer.  Yum!!

Surita's research at UMass involves studying the structure and rheology of complex fluids, colloidal dispersions, polymeric gels, and biomaterials.  She runs a Research Experiences for Undergradautes (REU) program and is co-PI on a graduate training program (IGERT),  both in the area of cellular engineering.  Surita has received a number of awards for research, including an NSF CAREER Award, a 3M Award, and a Dupont Young Professor Award. Recently Surita was an invited participant in the NAE's Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium based on her work on diversity in science and engineering.

Brian Bockrath, B 1995, just celebrated a 15-year anniversary as an engineer at W. L. Gore & Associates in Elkton, MD. He is married to Karin Bockrath (BA AS, ’97), a stay-at-home mom. Both Brian and Karin are raising four active children (ages 2 – 9) and reside in the North Wilmington area. Brian remains regularly in touch with former classmates Tom Godlewski and Jeff Peel. In his “spare” time, he enjoys road biking, volleyball, and following those typically heartbreaking Philly sports teams.

Brian’s primary commitment at Gore involves managing a portfolio of projects for Gore’s four divisions, and leading an engineering team in the execution of projects aimed primarily at developing and commercializing new materials. Additionally, he is actively involved in recruiting new graduates and facilitating validation training seminars. Brian has spent time working in new product development, process engineering, and project engineering across areas of polymer processing, coatings, particle science, emulsions, and polymerization.

Scott Sills, B1985, earned a PhD at U Washington and a post doc at IBM. He then joined Micron in Boise, ID. He wrote in part:

I've been with Micron Technology for almost five years now. With the recession, business down turn, and three rounds of layoffs at Micron, we re-org'd the R&D department, and the Advanced Technology Group became the Emerging Memory Group. I'm currently a senior technologist in this group and am leading a team of about 20 scientists and engineers to develop and integrate new memory technologies.

The work is really interesting, yet with enormous challenges. One interesting issue is the breakdown of continuum behavior when scaling materials (and devices) into the mesoscale.  This is really a frontier, rich with opportunity  (I recently wrote a review article along these lines, for JAST on NEMS/MEMS).

(Wife) Mandy recently completed her BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She interned the

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past two summers, first with the Forrest Service and then with the Pacific Northwest Natl. Lab on a project for cleanup of the Hanford site. In my spare time I still go kayaking, mountain biking and wilderness expeditions. A buddy and I will go for an overnight whitewater kayak trip after I hit the send button.

Helen Yen, B 1995, is a Section Head of Research & Development at Procter & Gamble, currently working in the Beauty & Grooming division on Gillette/Venus.  She has been at P&G for 15 years and her entire career has been spent in P&G Beauty, starting in Color Cosmetics in Hunt Valley, MD and transferring to Boston two years ago to work on their Gillette business.

Helen is married to another P&G-er, Stephen Lam, and they have a son who was born on February 12, 2009.  They currently reside in Boston but will be relocating to Cincinnati, Ohio in the Fall.  In their spare time, Helen and Stephen love spending time outdoors, especially living right by the ocean in Boston!

An impressive business world announcement featured Jim Rekoske, PhD 1998 and said in part:

Honeywell’s UOP announced that James Rekoske has been named vice president and general manager for its Renewable Energy and Chemicals business.  Rekoske will succeed Jennifer Holmgren, who is retiring from UOP after 23 years of service to the company.

Rekoske joined UOP in 1996 and has served in a number of R&D and business positions, including, engineering manager, technical director for UOP’s Catalysts, Adsorbents and Specialties business in the area of petrochemicals, director of technology for Universal Pharma Technologies (a UOP joint venture), and, most recently, senior manager, catalysis research and development.

He is the inventor or co-inventor named on 20 U.S. patents, with another 10 patent applications pending.  He was also recently awarded the 2010 Herman Pines Award from the Chicago Catalysis Club in recognition of his numerous technical breakthroughs in catalysis science.

Rekoske earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware. He also earned an MBA degree from the University of Chicago. 

(taken from the UOP press release)

Jim is married to Linda Broadbelt, PhD 1994, who is now the chairperson of Chemical Engineering at Northwestern. They live in Glenview, IL.

Melony P. Anderson, Esq., B 2000, writes that she is now an attorney with Balick & Balick LLC, a small firm in Wilmington, DE.  “My practice is almost exclusively civil litigation, but of various types - everything from corporate and commercial contracts to medical malpractice.”

Rob Deitcher, B 2000,in January reported his progress since graduation as:

After graduation I worked for Merck in manufacturing at the Stonewall, VA plant.  While working there I completed a non-thesis Master's from Lehigh in 2005.   I also found that I

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enjoyed working on scientific problems much more than issues of manufacturing, and left Merck to attend grad school at Virginia full time.

My research there is in bioseparations and biophysics.  It has been a great experience, but I'm certainly looking forward to graduating this summer.  At UVa I won the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, for which I was nominated by UD alum Prof. Giorgio Carta, PhD 1985.  I also am the winner of the W.H. Peterson Award from ACS for giving the best student presentation at the fall 09 meeting.  Last summer I worked for the biotech company, Biogen Idec in research collaboration. It turned out that I was in the same department as our own junior lab TA, Jon Romero, PhD 2002.

Chrissy and I were married in February 2002, in Wilmington, and some of our UD ChE classmates were in attendance.  We are so happy to announce that our adoptive daughter Ella Marie was born this past December, and every day with her is amazing.  This is obviously a transition period for us, as we have become new parents, and I'll soon be moving on from grad school.

Matt Ford, B 2000, wrote in January, “This past December my wife Risha gave birth to our first child, Isaodora Remy Ford.  I also passed my Principles and Practices exam and have become a professional engineer licensed in the state of Maryland.”

Craig Horak, B 2000, added a few lines to his update:

I’m a Production Superintendent for Oxy Vinyls, LP. While I don’t yet have an advanced degree, I am working on a MBA at Rice. Most important is that my wife, Jessica (AG2001) and I have an 18-month (written 12/9/09) daughter, Nicole. …For the sake of future students, I was sorry to hear about Prof. Russell’s retirement although he certainly earned it.

Ken Lo, B2000, wrote that he earned his PhD from Penn in 2005, and hence it is now Dr. Ken Lo. At the time (December) he was working for Pfizer but anticipated a job change since R&D was exiting his site. He had been in contact with Matt Ford, John Turley, and Brian Richards, who recently moved to Newnan, GA.

David Morin, B2000, went into the Navy a graduation. He describes his career since then succinctly as:

After UD, I served through two deployments on USS Pittsburgh as a Navy nuclear submarine officer.  I did a shore tour developing training courses for the newest Virginia Class attack submarines, earned a Master's degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, and left the Navy as a Lieutenant in 2007.  Then I joined Zachry Nuclear Engineering, where I've been designing and implementing control and protection system upgrades to civilian power plants.  While at Zachry, I also worked for a year with General Electric-Hitachi on their newest reactor

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design, the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor.  I married Joy Lieman (UD'01) in 2002.  We have two kids, Jenna and Charlotte, here in Groton, CT.   

Matthew Woolley, B 2000, is now Vice President-Senior Analyst, Credit Policy, of Moody’s Investment Services in London. He expects to be there at least three years. His path to this position is taken from several email exchanges which began with his congratulations to Fraser Russell’s Wall of Fame Award in 2006. “…I want to extend my heartiest congratulations. If I were in Newark, I would offer to buy a round of your favorite single malt scotch, but since I’m stuck here in NYC, that is unfortunately not a possibility.”

Matthew Woolley decided by senior year that he would leave chemical engineering for economics.. He earned a PhD in economics at UNC-Chapel Hill. He said the transition was easy, …“ the math is closely related to process control with more emphasis on optimization. … The main part is getting the jargon right …once you get the language down, the problems are pretty similar.”

After graduation Matt was hired as an “Analyst- Credit Policy/Credit Modeling Group” for Moody’s Investment Services in NYC. From there he had several promotions which led to his transfer to London. On his rapid promotion to vice president, he commented: “I have been fortunate to work in a group whose services have come under high demand. As such, our profile has become more visible and I have been lucky enough to have my title rise with my exposure. …My work centers mainly on providing quantitative and qualitative checks on various structured finance (e.g. RMBS, CDOs, etc) rating methodologies. The job is fascinating as I get exposure to many different asset classes .”

I suggested Matt would become a “toff” while working n the “city”, and he ignored this speculation by saying he was having a grand time in London working mostly with other expats at Moody’s.

Brad Taylor, B 2001, is now Senior Research Engineer with ConocoPhillips in Bartlesville, OK. He writes

“October 5th, I was awarded with the ConocoPhillips Outstanding Young Scientist award for my internally and externally published work on paraffin isomerization and benzene reduction in gasoline.  I continue to work the Advanced Hydrocarbon Fuels group in the area of benzene reduction along with a number of regulation driven long term research related to fuel reformulation.  This year I was made the lead recruiter for advanced degrees at the University of Delaware, which should bring me to town a couple times of year in search of job applicants.  I spend a lot of my time looking at our refining network and trying to determine which individual streams are likely to increase or decrease in value as the composition of transportation fuels changes.  I then outline and pursue internal and external research towards maintaining or increasing the value of our products.” 

Martina Tyerus, B2002, is the subject of the following:

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Fish & Richardson announced that Martina Tyreus has joined the firm as an associate in its Intellectual Property Litigation Group in Wilmington, DE. Before joining Fish, Ms. Tyreus was a patent litigation associate at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice for four years. Prior to that, she served as a law clerk for then Chief Judge Sue L. Robinson. Ms. Tyreus is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Delaware, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Ms. Tyreus received her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in 2005, where she was Executive Notes Editor of the Washington University Law Quarterly. She received her B.ChE. in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 2002.

Kristina Gonser Weaver, B2002, updated her alum record with:

Husband: Vince Weaver, graduated from Cornell this winter with a PhD in computer engineering. Now a post doc at University of TN Knoxville.

Daughter: Enena, will turn 2 this fall, talking up a storm and loves to read just like her mom :)

What's up for the family: living in Knoxville for the next year or so until the post doc is finished, or until Vince can find a job as a professor.  I'm still an at-home mom, and we are all having an...interesting....time adjusting to living in the South, and in a city (even a small one like Knoxville), after very-rural NY. Culture shock!  But everyone in the south really _is_ super friendly, and at least I don't have to bundle Elena up to go out, even when we moved here in Feb.

Colleen Gendron, B2004, describes her recent job switch as follows:

In December 2008 I moved from CT to PA as I switched jobs from Pfizer to the “enemy” Merck. I am now a Project Development Engineer in the Commercialization department. More specifically, I work in the area of hot melt extrusion and spray drying as a means of solubilization enhancement and then scale these processes (with others) to give the final dosage forms.

I am working with other 2004 UD grads: I often see Mike Lowinger, who works in the research area for hot melt extrusion and spray drying. Pat Schilling’s office is five doors down from mine, and Laura Stafford Kestel is in the building.

I earned a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from UConn last fall. I have to say I greatly appreciated my Delaware education during my Masters classes - I was very well prepared for the higher level of education, and found that we covered almost as much as the graduate courses.

I also got engaged last August and will be getting married in October 2010. My fiancé is a Lehigh Chemical Engineer (we met at Pfizer), and so we're constantly having debates on who went to the better school (I think he knows it’s me!).  

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John Kitchin, PhD 2004, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was awarded a five-year $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new materials for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water using electrochemistry.

     Kitchin said his research is a great way to give the nation's "hydrogen economy" a jumpstart. "Our research is designed to make hydrogen production from water more efficient, which will ultimately enable the development of future energy systems to store intermittent renewable energy in chemical form, and to make better use of biomass to fuel everything from cars to large turbines and factories. The oxygen produced from this process may play a crucial role in helping to manage the CO2 emissions through advanced fossil energy power systems such as oxycombustion and gasification," said Kitchin, recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship in 2004 for study at the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin, Germany.

(taken from the CMU announcement)

Peter Tessier, PhD 2006, received two major awards this year, a NSF Career and as a Pew Scholar in Biological Sciences.

The NSF award is for $411,872 over five years is to support work in protein thermodynamics and aggregation. The announcement reads in part: Tessier’s new research program, titled, “Loop engineering of protein surfaces for tunable self-association and phase behavior,” seeks to explain how the behavior of antibodies may be better controlled and utilized for treating human disease. He will investigate how antibody self-association and phase behavior can be modulated in a systematic manner through alteration of solvent exposed loops on antibody surfaces. The project has broad implications for preventing disease-associated protein aggregation, enabling the creation of more stable therapeutic proteins, and manipulating assembly of protein crystals.”

The Pew award of $240K over four years is to support his research on the …“fundamental aspects of misfolding and clumping of three classes of proteins that participate in virtually every cellular process. Proteins fold into complex, three-dimensional structures. Defects in the folding process can occur, creating toxic protein clumps that are the basis of disorders ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to glaucoma.”

Tessier’s immediate goal is to understand how the incorrect processing of proteins can be prevented, reversed, or redirected. His long-term objective is to develop new therapies to treat diseases related to toxic protein aggregation.

Tessier spent a year at MIT’s Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research before joining the faculty at RPI as an assistant professor. RPI’s announcement states: “We are very proud of his being selected to receive the NSF CAREER Award and look forward to his continued success at Rensselaer.”

(taken from RPI press releases)

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Nikki Ennis, B2007 describes her work at ExxonMobil as:

My life since graduation: I started working out of Fairfax, VA in 2007, at the Central Engineering Office for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. My position is in Process Design, where we mainly work on developing design specifications for large (>$10M) downstream capital projects for different sites around the world.

I recently moved to Pasadena, CA for a temporary assignment in which I followed my latest design project out of Fairfax and transitioned into a Contractor Oversight role. It has been a challenging yet rewarding assignment, where I am constantly troubleshooting and actively encouraged to look for ways to reduce cost and drive schedule without sacrificing quality. I also get to be exposed to other business functions and see how such large projects are managed and executed.

There are quite a few other UD CHEGs at ExxonMobil, and it's always nice to see other Blue Hens around work. I have been fortunate enough to get the opportunity to come back to UD for ExxonMobil Recruiting. We have gotten some very good engineers to join our team.

Andy Korinda, B 2007, describes graduate school life as:

I am still at Northwestern working for Justin Notestein and on track to graduate in 2012. I have joined the Northwestern Cycling team and raced with them this spring in the Midwestern Collegiate Cycling Conference. I still often train in my UD cycing uniform, it's terrific how many people recognize the Blue Hens.

I am pursuing teaching experience and have been accepted into the Northwestern Searle Center for Teaching Excellence Graduate Teaching Certificate Program and have applied to my department's Teacher Apprenticeship Program. Linda Broadbelt is the only other UD chemical engineer I know in Chicagoland. She is now department chair.

Jennifer LaMarche, B 2007, is now a PhD graduate student at U Florida, Gainesville working with Jennifer Curtis. These two, along with two others, Peter Liever and Philip Metzger, wrote a successful proposal to conduct lunar G experiments to validate models for the craters formed when space vehicles land on the moon or on Mars. Quoting from the proposal abstract: “ The liberation of debris caused by spacecraft landing and launches on the lunar or Martian soil threatens to be one of the highest risks facing exploration system architectures”. Sinclair has extensive experience in modeling and measuring complex particle flows.

When asked how he liked being in Ponca City,OK , Rob Nehring, B2007, replied:

 Following graduation I accepted a job as a process engineer for ConocoPhillips working in a project group in Ponca City, OK.  I rotated through several assignments in the group for about 2 years before taking a new assignment with ConocoPhillips closer to UD at the Trainer Refinery near Marcus Hook, PA.  I've since moved to Hockessin and have been trying to get reacclimated to the area.  Through ConocoPhillips I've met several UD alumni: mainly CHEG's but also MEEG's. 

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There is a strong representation of alumni here at the Trainer Refinery and in New Jersey at the Bayway Refinery.

Jennifer O’Donnell, PhD 2007, is an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Iowa State University. She was awarded $750,000 over five years as part of DOE’s new Early Career Research Program.

Her research project, titled “Templating of Liquid Crystal Microstructures by Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization,” involves the design and synthesis of polymer nanoparticles with internal microstructures identical to those of liquid crystals.

Such nanoparticles, she explained, could be used for catalysis or for drug delivery, and even have implications for renewable energy. “We’re looking at putting the internally structured nanoparticles into a larger microstructured domain for capturing solar energy,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell, who did her postdoctoral work at the prestigious Key Centre for Polymer Colloids at the University of Sydney (in Australia), describes the work as a “new direction” for her and her research group. “We actually started the work this summer, and I was really incredibly lucky,” she said. “I have an undergraduate student, Todd Thorson (ChemE), who was phenomenal in the lab. He collected all the preliminary data for this project.”

Her award was funded as a part of the $85 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “Five years to get my research program going here, and the guarantee of two graduate students for that five years, is just amazing,” O’Donnell said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

(taken from the ISU press release)

Paul Brigandi, B2008 wrote

Since graduating from UD in ‘08, I have been working for Dow Chemical in the Wire and Cable R&D division in Piscataway, NJ.  My projects include formulating and testing semi-conductive compounds for power transmission and distribution cables, development of manufacturing processes using these formulations, and introduction of these products to customers. In this work I am using the knowledge gained in my undergraduate research on block copolymers directed by Prof. Thomas Epps.  My future plans include pursuing an advanced degree in Polymer Science and Engineering.

Michael Dignan, B2008, is a law student at Columbia. This summer he is working as an intern in Tampa, FL in the prosecutors’ office. When asked if he is keeping up with fellow CHEGERs and about the transition to law he responded:

I still talk to Gregory Duffy and Ryan Kenaley from '08 fairly often and see them a few times a year. The transition to law was rather smooth; I am surprised two years has passed so quickly. I remember encountering a lot of the IP law material in my current classes in Uebler's CHEG 595

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class. Law school isn't as all-consuming as some students make out to be, so I still have some free time to see and experience things in the city. I really enjoy living in New York and would ideally like to get a job there upon graduation in '11. I am leaning toward the practice of criminal law, but am open to other types of law, especially with the contraction in the job market since '08.

Brian Rosen, B 2008, writes succinctly,

“I am currently finishing my second graduate year of Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was recently named a Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellow.”

Mike Zeberkiewicz, B2008 writes, “that I really never left UD since I am in the Engineering Outreach program working toward a Masters in Material Science and Engineering. I expect to finish this program at the end of the fall semester. After that, who knows.

I work for Boeing in Ridley Park, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia) in the Materials Engineering department, where I’m in a laboratory for developing composite and polymeric materials, their applications, and processes of these materials for production of helicopter rotor blades. This entails very interesting responsibilities; the flow of my job is not much different from the Junior Lab with regard to how experiments are designed, executed, and reported.  Most people who have had the pleasure of taking the Junior Lab course at UD would find this to be a version of hell-on-earth, but I have found it to be what distinguishes my performance among many others who were not as adequately prepared from their university education.  

I was recently married to Annie Kowtoniuk, UD '08 grad in Education. As a side note, she had a slight grudge against the CHEG department because for a couple semesters I spent more time in the computer lab of Colburn Lab than I did with her, but I think she has gotten over it. We purchased a house in the historic district of Philadelphia last year, where we train for marathons, attend a many Phillies games, and do a lot of restoration to our house.”

Dan Miller, B2009 describes life at CHEG Wisconsin:

“I am doing really well at UW-Madison.  I think my experience at UD really prepared me well for the classes and research environment at UW.  I am happy that summer is here and I can focus on research now. 

I live in the same apartment complex as Kyle Hoffman, B2009 and we took most of our classes together.  Additionally for fun, I play city league softball and city league ultimate frisbee with UD CHEG, Josh Selekman, B2008.  Madison is beautiful in the summer, and offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun.

Mike Petroff, B2009, describes his first year at Merck:

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My year at Merck has been a fantastic experience. I spent most of the last year working in a protein-purification group that handles biologic process development, from lead optimization to scale up for Phase III production campaigns. The group is great, and we have some very interesting projects (which I can’t go into detail about). The group also has two UD alumni, one recent: Will Rayfield, B 2005, who is a member of my current project. Things are busy, but I have been able to find time to use my music minor by playing in a semi-professional New Jersey orchestra.

Recently I was volunteered/chosen for a 3-month training in microscale automation at Merck, West Point. There I've been learning the ins-and-outs of Tecan and laboratory automation, with an emphasis on technologies that can be used for high-thruput micro-scale chromatographic process development. The technology is extremely promising, and I'm excited to be part of the team that develops it.

Overall I'm very satisfied with my UD education. It gave me the ability to stand out amongst intelligent and hardworking cowokers--and at a great price!

Zack Ulissi, B2009 writes:

After graduating last May, I spent the summer on a research project at Imperial College, London with the UD/Imperial College exchange. Since then I've completed a masters in applied mathematics at Cambridge University (outside of London), mainly studying fluid mechanics and transport phenomena.  The fluids program has been especially exciting as the department was home to many of the founders of the field (Newton, Stokes, Rayleigh, Kelvin, etc), and Cambridge itself is an amazing town with tons of tradition (think Harry Potter).  This fall I'll be moving from one Cambridge to another and starting a Ph.D. at MIT, joining Geoff Oxberry, B 2006, and Justin Quon, B 2007.

Zack Wendell, B2009 describes his first year with:

Working at ExxonMobil has been both enjoyable and challenging since I started a year ago.  Currently, I'm working in the Project Development Group as a Process Design Engineer.  I design and plan projects for both the Beaumont Refinery and Chemical Plant; these projects vary in nature from safety systems to environmental compliance projects to those that improve overall plant profitability.  I'd say my favorite part so far is the level of responsibility that ExxonMobil gives its new employees.  Typically, I'm developing projects from $1 to $4 million, most with compressed schedules or fast-approaching deadlines.  As you know, the spotlight has been on the petroleum industry the past two months, and this has made the safety and environmental part of my job all the more crucial. 

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