The group was named an Outstanding Student Chapter, and four students took home prizes for their research posters

The University of Delaware’s student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) received an Outstanding Student Chapter award at the 2018 Annual AIChE Student Conference, which was held in Pittsburgh in October.

According to AIChE, this award is given to student chapters that show an exceptional level of participation, enthusiasm, program quality, professionalism, and involvement in the university and community. This year, 27 chapters from across the world received the award, including the student chapter at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogota, which is the sister chapter of UD’s student chapter of AIChE. UD’s student chapter also won this award in 2016.

Sixteen undergraduate chemical engineering students from UD’s AIChE student chapter, which was chartered in 1937, took a bus to the 2018 conference. Nine of the students presented posters showcasing their undergraduate research projects, and four came home with awards for their posters.

Elaine Stewart won first place, Materials Engineering and Sciences, for the poster: Optimization of Shear-Thickening Fluids for Space Suit Applications. Erin Hogan won second place, Materials Engineering and Sciences, for the poster: Optimization of Shear-Thickening Fluids for Space Suit Applications. Both do undergraduate research with Norm Wagner, Unidel Robert L. Pigford Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Hogan also received the Freshman Recognition Award for being the most active first-year undergrad in UD AIChE in 2017-2018.

Chris Calo won second place, Materials Engineering and Sciences, for the poster: Controlling Mechanical Properties of 455 nm visible light ‘thiol-one’ poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels. He does research with April Kloxin, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering.

Justin Terr won second place in Food, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology for the poster: Lov is BLISS: Creating a Blue Light Induced Spycatcher System. He does research with Wilfred Chen, Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Joshua Enszer, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was immediately impressed by the students in UD’s student chapter of AIChE when joined the university in 2015. “These are great students who inspire each other in a collaborative, supportive environment,” said Enszer, who advises the student group along with Megan Argoe, academic advisor in chemical and biomolecular engineering.