Catalyst 2023

Revolutionizing ChemE
education
Modernizing the curriculum • Faculty
collaboration • Universal design in
learning • Optimizing teamwork •
Leading in DEI
FROM THE

new faculty
INTERIM CHAIR
Meet our
As engineers, we are united in our fervent pursuit of innovation, with a conscious
intention to improve the lives of everyone.

This is reflected in the research and accolades of our faculty, students and alumni who
continuously show how chemical engineering permeates and revolutionizes multiple
industries, and how our small but mighty team can impact global industry standards.
Zachary Sherman
Assistant Professor
The team of young changemakers at UW ChemE has a wealth of opportunities and
connections right at their fingertips. Of more than 180 undergraduate students and ChemE is delighted to welcome Zach Sherman as the newest faculty
counting, 70% participate in research and are often co-authors with faculty and graduate addition in Autumn 2023. Zach comes to the department from a
postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas in Austin, where he
student mentors.
worked alongside professor Tom Truskett on the self-assembly and
Engineering works in tandem with creativity, accessibility and diversity. Being innovators optical properties of functional nanoparticle materials. Prior to his
means thinking beyond the sphere of labs and textbooks and imagining what could be, fellowship, he earned his Ph.D. at MIT under professor Jim Swan on the
assembly and transport of colloidal dispersions in electric and magnetic
but also connecting with the world as it is here and now to develop solutions that are
fields.
informed, purposeful and can have the broadest influence.
Zach brings to the department his expertise in computational modeling of
In this issue of Catalyst, we pull back the curtain to reveal some of the ongoing work colloidal soft materials. His research combines elements of chemical engineering,
behind the scenes that has earned the University of Washington Department of Chemical materials science, and applied mathematics, with the goal of creating “designer” soft
Engineering (ChemE) a reputation of being among the front-runners in fostering a culture materials with tailored properties that can be applied across virtually any area of impact, from health and medicine
of inclusion and respect for all who join our community. Emphasizing diversity, equity to clean energy to infrastructure and beyond. As part of his appointment, Zach will be building out a lab that
and inclusion (DEI) is not a political statement. It informs how we can attract the most focuses on using a unique set of computational modeling and simulation tools to investigate electromagnetic field-
ambitious and hardworking students and faculty, and ensures an environment where driven colloidal materials across the electromagnetic spectrum.
everyone is able to do their best work.
“The use of electromagnetic fields functions as this external controller that can move particles around and change
The calculated quest for purposeful progress in our department is relentless, from the way they interact with each other. We will use computational models to predict how the particles react.”
the careful nurturing of partnerships to the committed actions to advance diversity,
When deciding to pursue the opportunity to join the University of Washington, Zach was drawn to UW ChemE’s
equity, inclusion, accessibility and much more. You will see in this newsletter how we history of excellence in colloidal science, and also to the culture of collaboration that exists within the department
have equipped our alumni with tools to start their own companies, and how those and the College of Engineering. He is particularly excited about the availability of computational resources that he
alumni continue to re-engage with our students and give back in the form of industry can leverage in his lab, including the eScience Institute and Hyak.
sponsorship and mentoring.
“As a computationalist, it’s very important for me to find experimental collaborators and I am certain I will find that
My philosophy in leadership is that people work best when they have a say in what here at UW.”
they do. When applied to a discipline as cross-functional as chemical engineering, this
collaborative approach ultimately garners incredible success. Zach was also drawn to the investment that UW ChemE has made into diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on
all levels of the department, and the commitment to continue working toward a positive and inclusive learning
Thank you for taking the time to read on about how we continue to work environment for all students that choose to pursue chemical engineering or any STEM discipline. For most of
toward positive change. his time as a postdoc, Zach was an outreach chair with the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials, which
is recognized as part of the National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers
(MRSEC).

“The goal was to do whatever we could to educate K-12 students and to show that science is for everyone, and
James Carothers anyone can become a scientist. It was great to connect with communities that did not have a lot of their own science
Interim Department Chair and resources. We ran STEM clubs at elementary schools in the greater Austin area, and hosted booths at larger UT
Charles W.H. Matthaei Endowed Professor events like World of Engineering Day. It was fun to be a part of.”

On the teaching side, Zach has plans to develop a new elective course for the ChemE curriculum. His course will
provide an introduction to molecular simulations and understanding the processes that go along with them. The
course will give students a chance to step outside of the customary physical processes of a wet lab setting, and will
instead challenge them to approach processes from a computational angle.

CATALYST 2023 | 3
FACULTY UPDATES RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
HEALTH & BIOTECH

Making bacteria work smarter

John Berg receives
Diego Alba, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering and a member of the
Distinguished Teaching Carothers Lab, co-authored a paper published in PNAS about the group’s
work to build input-responsive CRISPR a/i gene-regulatory networks.
Legacy Award By looking at bacteria, researchers are able to isolate a single-celled system
to learn how it works, and then modify it to perform desired reactions.
John C. Berg was honored this year as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) are
a natural set of proteins that act as a defense mechanism for bacteria.
the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished
Over the last decade, engineers have repurposed and built different
Teaching Legacy Award. kinds of CRISPR tools that can modify bacteria in many different ways to
achieve a desired function. A key component of this research is the use
His intellectual generosity and of a cell-free environment for prototyping synthetic biological systems,
which allows for improvements in the speed and efficiency of prototyping
enthusiasm for teaching continue to circuits. With these developments combined, researchers can start thinking
inspire students after over fifty years as about building more complex circuits that can handle more information
and produce more complex functions, allowing bacteria to make smart
a professor of chemical engineering. decisions based on multiple inputs and determine the best way to respond
in a given environment.
Photo by Ron Wurzer

Leveraging the resilience of biological systems can ultimately lead to wider

solutions for reducing the amount of energy used in industry production.

CLEAN ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY

Editor-in-chief Fond Farewell Hydrogen-free, low-energy upcycling
Elizabeth Nance was Jim Pfaendtner was named the Louis Martin- While the idea of chemically repurposing plastic waste into high-value materials
selected as the new Editor- Vega Dean of the College of Engineering at North sounds like a win, the process involved is costly and not so environmentally
in-Chief of Bioengineering Carolina State University. As a beloved professor, friendly. Currently, plastic upcycling demands the use of either energy-intensive
& Translational Medicine mentor, department chair and now dean, he high temperatures, or volatile and expensive hydrogen gas. In a recent
(BioTM). Nance plans to increase continues to set the bar high for engineering in higher publication, graduate student Julia King explores existing methods of waste Methane-eating bacteria
plastic upcycling and the challenges that they each present.
journal submissions and peer education. The UW ChemE community wishes him the
review involvement by engaging best on this next venture. With this information, King and other researchers in the Rorrer lab are working A multidisciplinary team of researchers
engineers, scientists, clinicians, to develop a hydrogen-free, low-temperature method of catalytic conversion in the Lidstrom lab have identified a type

and industry and government- 35 Under 35 that will make plastic upcycling more feasible and accessible. of bacteria that could play a significant
role in climate mitigation, thanks to its
based professionals around the world. The journal’s
ability to consume low concentrations
overall mission is to raise awareness around high- Julie Rorrer was named among the American of the greenhouse gas methane, the
priority or rapidly evolving areas of technological Institute of Chemical Engineers’ 35 Under 35 in the second leading contributor to global
innovation in medicine, and to identify and publish Energy and Environment category. Rorrer’s research warming. With funding from the National
manuscripts that represent underserved populations or group develops catalytic processes to upcycle plastics Science Foundation, the team is working
applications. and bio-derived molecules into high-value chemicals to pilot their bioreactors currently under
development in three years, with a long-
and renewable fuels.
term goal to commercialize by 2030.

Photo of colonies of the bacteria growing on methane on an

agar plate, courtesy of the Lidstrom Lab

Image courtesy of the Rorrer lab

4 | CATALYST 2023 CATALYST 2023 | 5

Expanding and innovating in ChemE
education
The University of Washington Chemical Engineering (ChemE) department continues to shape the
narrative around what it means to be a chemical engineer, and much of the innovation starts
outside the classroom. Read about the ways UW ChemE is showing up for students and
faculty to embrace the journey of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

comes with modernizing ChemE “It demonstrated a highly complicated engineering education by offering “We have expertise coming from both teams optimized for productivity and
education to meet the expanding problem that reflected a real-world valuable perspectives from all kinds of ends of the spectrum,” says Nance, effectiveness based on student criteria.
applications of chemical engineering in scenario at the time, and those basic personal and professional experiences. “We have professors who have taught
industry. principles are still very much a part of here for many decades, and seen Alex Prybutok, assistant teaching
the production process that yields a When it comes down to modernizing how current events impact education professor of chemical engineering,
“Modernizing the curriculum becomes safe product that will be injected into a historically rigid curriculum, making over time,” says Nance, “We also have introduced CATME in her classes
extremely difficult,” says Nance, “In billions of people to help mitigate a new change is possible, but it demands buy- new professors who have a fresh to better support ChemE seniors
order for something new to be added, pandemic.” in from all faculty and a commitment to perspective on what modernization preparing to transition into industry
something else must be cut to make adjusting classroom learning with the could look like in the curriculum careers. This tool helps mitigate issues
space, which poses a huge risk in such changing times and standards. and how to strengthen the overall that can arise from other methods of
a historically conserved discipline. So
you have to find things that will teach A collaborative, diverse perception of chemical engineering.” group formation like leaving students
Some long-time faculty have been to self-select or assigning teams at
the same exact principles in a new and faculty using the same classroom examples The active collaboration of new random.
more relevant way.” for decades to effectively teach certain and seasoned faculty brings fresh
The chemical engineering department principles of chemical engineering. ideas and past challenges together By surveying a broad scope of student
In the first chemical engineering class
Why change something that’s been to meaningfully shape the way that data, the program can designate
Modernizing the ChemE that UW ChemE students take as is fortunate to have faculty that
working for so long? Because the world change can be effectively incorporated effective teams based on information
sophomores, they learn the foundations connect to every impact area students
curriculum of chemical engineering at the most might be interested in pursuing after is changing, and so is ChemE’s identity. into classroom problems. Every like gender and ethnicity, preferred
completing their education. ChemE’s A degree in chemical engineering year, all ChemE faculty teaching core work styles, class schedules, and
basic level represented by relevant
core faculty also represents a group of is among the most versatile and undergraduate courses gather to extracurricular activities. Factoring in
scenarios. In 2021 amidst the COVID-19
Elizabeth Nance, professor of chemical educators particularly diverse in age, adaptable engineering degrees, which discuss course content and do peer things like minority status helps ensure
pandemic, Nance took the opportunity
engineering and current chair of the ethnicity, experience and expertise. forces a reframe of the picture that the review, to determine how they can best that any marginalized students don’t
to introduce the new cohort of students
ChemE undergraduate program, These differences among them only general public may have about what the adapt content for the sake of relevance feel alone in their group. In addition,
to chemical engineering by using
addressed the conserved nature of the strengthen the collective goal of making discipline represents in industry. to the ever-changing chemical CATME’s automatic peer evaluation
vaccine production as the focus of
chemical engineering curriculum taught continuous improvements in chemical engineering landscape. feature can help notify instructors early
demonstrating fundamental principles.
at institutions across the nation. Historically, a chemical plant and all the of any tension between students in
public hazards that come along with their designated teams, which provides
“Take a chemical engineering student it might be the first image that comes Better teamwork in the opportunity for early intervention.
from almost any college in the country, to mind at the mention of chemical classrooms
and I could tell you exactly what classes engineering. But that is not necessarily The goal with is to provide a positive
they are taking, and probably what the most accurate reflection anymore. Part of the ChemE undergraduate lab introduction to teamwork for students
textbooks they are using,” says Nance. Julie Rorrer, a newer addition to the experience is intended to prepare that aligns with the department’s
faculty as of January 2023, has been students for the collaboration and commitment to diversity, equity,
In the packed curriculum that chemical recognized for her lab’s research and teamwork they can expect after inclusion and accessibility.
engineering students progress through, work in the area of plastic upcycling, graduating and entering their careers
every principle is essential. The benefit and represents just one way that in industry. The Comprehensive
of having such a rigid discipline is chemical engineers can contribute Assessment of Team Member
that the employers that hire newly positively in the area of clean energy Effectiveness (CATME) SMARTER
graduated chemical engineers will and sustainability. Teamwork is a collection web-based
know exactly what training students tools created by Purdue University Colored gradient on the cover and at the top of this page
have had. The challenge, however, that enable professors to implement courtesy of Sean Sinclair, Unsplash

Opposite page: UW ChemE faculty attend the 2023 faculty retreat to discuss department goals for the
upcoming school year. CATALYST 2023 | 7
6 | CATALYST 2023
An evolving
Since 2016, UW ChemE has been committed to fostering a diverse and
2022
• An “Ethics and DEI for Chemical Engineers”
seminar was added to the curriculum,
inclusive culture where everyone is equipped to learn and to do their focusing on fostering social awareness
best work, and the department continues to make great strides. Here and ethical responsibility within the field
is a snapshot of their journey so far. of engineering for ChemE students. Guest
INCLUSIVITY • DIVERSITY • EQUITY • ACCESSIBILITY speakers from the UW and other institutions
present on topics highlighting issues like
workplace discrimination, implicit bias and intersectionality.

2019-2020
2016
• The initial Universal Design for Learning training was delivered,
which emphasizes specific learning principles that support all student
• Bathrooms in Benson Hall were reassigned to move
learning types regardless of disability status. The DEI committee and
• A new ad hoc committee was formed to address closer to equal availability of gendered men’s and women’s
undergrad committee led a massive effort to promote support for
diversity within the department. Former facilities, in addition to the building’s existing all-gender
students with disability accommodations, and helped encourage more
department chair François Baneyx appointed James bathrooms.
widespread use of classroom recordings.
Carothers to lead the committee, with the goal of • Onboarding materials for all new faculty were developed
exploring ways to recruit, retain and support a more • Committee members and advising staff expanded the DEI pages
and implemented, to emphasize the commitment and
diverse cohort of students in ChemE. on ChemE’s website to include more resources and offer transparency
expectations of the department around DEI efforts.
around the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of the department.

2017-2018
• UW ChemE begins to hold regular annual celebrations for
2021 2023
Veteran’s Day, Pride Month and International Women’s • The IDEA Endowed Support Fund in • Formal peer mentoring programs for ChemE
Day, to recognize and celebrate students of underrepresented Chemical Engineering was established, to students were established. These programs
demographics and nontraditional backgrounds. further the efforts of our now established connect new undergraduate and graduate
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. students entering the department to other
• In 2018, UW Chemical Engineering removed the GRE from the
The word “IDEA” in the fund name initially students who are nearing the end of their degree.
graduate program application requirements. After considerable
stood for inclusion, diversity, equity and This peer connection helps mitigate anxiety and
In early 2016, the first chapter research and internal discussion among faculty, it was concluded
of Women in Chemical
antiracism. isolation and fosters a sense of belonging for
that removing this requirement would ultimately benefit the
Engineering (WChE) was students of all backgrounds as they pursued their
founded by Professor department by reducing barriers to accessing top talent. • The Benson Hall lobby was remodeled
Elizabeth Nance and
degree in chemical engineering.
to adopt a more welcoming atmosphere
students at the University of
for students, along with accessibility
Washington. The purpose
of this student organization improvements like installing digital touch
2024 PRIORITIES
is to educate, empower,
and advocate for women in screens to help students and visitors The DEI Committee is focused on continuing to build a
chemical engineering and resource library for Universal Design in Learning training
navigate the building.
their allies by providing a materials to further engage and support ChemE students in
safe space for dialogue, their success.
mentorship, collaboration and
camaraderie for all. Follow our journey at
Opposite page: ChemE students from the Nance Lab line up in order of rainbow
colors to celebrate Pride in 2018 cheme.washington.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Graduate student & postdoc highlights Undergraduate achievements

Duyen Tran (Ph.D. ‘23) was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Frank
J. Padden Jr. Excellence in Polymer Physics Research Award, of the
2023 UW Library Award for
American Physical Society (APS) in March 2023. Undergraduates

Duyen graduated in August 2023 and is now a postdoctoral scholar

Owen Lin
in the department. 2023 ChemE graduate From left: Owen Lin, Gisele Charpentier, Lindsey Miller, Mansi Gokani and
Mason Nelson
Owen Lin was a Grand Prize
recipient in the Upper
Teresa Rapp, a former Washington Research Foundation Division Thesis category Capstone projects nurture ChemE
postdoctoral scholar, completed her fellowship this year and of the Library Research industry partnerships
accepted a position as an assistant professor of chemistry and Award for Undergraduates.
biochemistry at the University of Oregon. A team of ChemE seniors completed their Industry
The title of his project Capstone project sponsored by Membrion. Founded by
submitted for this UW ChemE alum Greg Newbloom, Membrion focuses
During her time as a ChemE postdoc, Rapp participated in the
award was “Quantifying on wastewater treatment through efficient ion exchange
Society for Biomaterials Postdoc Recognition Award competition at
Microglia Morphological Response to Injury and membranes. The students in this project, supervised
their 2022 National Conference and won second place. She was also
Treatment Across Species with Unsupervised by a Membrion research engineer, compared and
recognized as a Rising Star in Engineering in Health.
Machine Learning.” characterized silica-based anion resins developed by
Membrion and their competition. This project helped
Her research from the DeForest Lab on photodegradable hydrogels Membrion measure and compare the efficiency of their
was published in Nature Communications in 2023. resin with that of their competitor—offering valuable
insight for future product development.

STUDY ABROAD
ChemE undergrads take Denmark
Kijung Lee, a rising chemical engineering senior, was among the
students that participated in a 4-week summer study abroad
Photo by the Technical University of Denmark
program in Denmark this year. The program takes place at the
competence that will benefit them as they approach the end of their degree and prepare to start their
Technical University of Denmark (DTU) which houses one of the top
industry career.
unit operations laboratories in the world.
Lee noted the differences in the broader educational system at DTU compared to what most students
“I wanted to study abroad in Denmark because I never got to work are accustomed to in the United States. He appreciated the personable and interactive nature of working
in a lab before due to the COVID pandemic,” says Lee, “so I really with professors on the lab experiments, and being able to ask questions and engage in active discussion.
wanted to get this valuable lab experience before the start of my
Outside of the lab, students in the program had barbecue socials and took group trips to see Danish
senior year.”
castles and other local landmarks. For Kijung Lee, the difference in culture around work-life balance was
evident.
The course combines challenging theory and practical, hands-
on experience alongside an international social environment. “It’s a drastic departure from our routine and gave me a bigger perspective on the world,” said Lee.
Students from all over the world collaborate and build the cultural

10 | CATALYST 2023 CATALYST 2023 | 11

Photo by Nick Karvounis, Unsplash
 ALUMNI UPDATES
2023 R. Wells Moulton 2023 UW Chemical Engineering

Distinguished Alumnus in Industry Early Career Impact Award

Tony Huang (B.S. '82) Eric Karp (Ph.D. '12)
Director of Finance (ret.), Chief Technology Officer,
Clorox Crysalis Biosciences

Tony Huang graduated from the University of Eric Karp is an emerging leader in the clean energy transition.
Washington with a B.S. in chemical engineering in
Eric earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University
1982.
of Colorado Boulder before pursuing his Ph.D. at the University
“I always liked chemistry, and I picked chemical of Washington. After completing his doctoral degree, Eric worked
engineering because I believed there would extensively with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden,
be more opportunities to apply chemistry in Colorado. As a chemical engineer, he assisted in the development of
my career as a chemical engineer. I knew that I a more sustainable method of producing materials like carbon fiber
wanted to work in industry after college. Back using bio-based chemicals.
then, we didn’t have things like biotechnology.
Tony Huang and his wife, Melissa on vacation in Ireland Now, he has taken his extensive knowledge in biochemicals and
The big industries here were oil, pulp and paper,
his passion for cutting carbon emissions on an industry level a step
and chemical companies.”
further. Along with co-founder Sanket Gandhi, Eric Karp has started a new company called Crysalis
While working as an engineer for several years with Procter and Gamble, Tony ran operations Biosciences. By repurposing a former ethanol plant just east of Saint Louis, this new company will be
and managed the production of laundry detergents. He successfully consolidated the West Coast among the first of its kind to produce environmentally-friendly aviation fuel.
production of detergents to the Sacramento facility through a capacity expansion project. Gaining
“We expect to produce approximately 30 million gallons a year of sustainable aviation fuel,” says Eric. The
these valuable business experiences piqued his interest in other aspects of business practices,
plant will also be the first low-carbon production facility for biobased acetonitrile, a chemical with high
and he was inspired to deepen his education in that area. He went back to school and earned
demand in the pharmaceutical and battery industries.
an MBA with a concentration in finance from Columbia Business School in 1990. From there
Tony continued his career with a 27-year run at Clorox, starting as a Senior Financial Analyst and Not only will sustainable aviation fuel help to curb carbon emissions from the aviation industry, but the
ultimately serving as Director of Finance before retiring. production process will be near net-zero as well. Combined heat and power for the chemical plant itself
will come from converting waste on site.
Tony’s full 33-year career largely preceded the implementation of what is now standard
technology in the corporate workplace. Without a personal office computer as is customary “I think there is a huge opportunity within the field of chemical engineering in general to have a positive
today, he often had to do calculations manually when determining quantities of production impact on climate change. There is a huge push, not just societally, but specifically within chemical
materials. Office presentations were given on glass slides instead of a digital PowerPoint file. engineering, that this change needs to happen. And given that corporations and large chemical
Among Tony’s accomplishments included facilitating Clorox’s adoption of enterprise software for companies produce about 70% of the global warming carbon emissions, just modifying the way that
their, a process that took four years to implement. chemicals like fuel are produced can have a huge impact.”

In his address to the ChemE graduating class of 2023, Tony remarked that while the way that we With over a decade of experience in biofuels and the end-to-end bioprocess development, Eric has more
do business will continue to change, the qualities of a successful leader will not. than 36 peer-reviewed publications and multiple patents in biomanufacturing that are currently being
used. In 2017 he was the recipient of the R&D 100 Award, a prestigious award for honoring the pioneers
Today, Tony is retired and spends his time volunteering at the local hospital and traveling the
of revolutionary innovations in science and technology.
world with his wife.
UW ChemE established the Early Career Impact Award in 2021 to recognize a graduate
within 15 years of receiving their degree who has made significant contributions to
engineering in industry, academia, government, or public or volunteer service.

CATALYST 2023 | 13
DONOR SPOTLIGHT WOMEN IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Inspired by others’ giving, ChemE alum starts new endowment Introduce a girl to green Chemical
Engineering
UW ChemE alum Rob Hinton (BS ‘89) shows his passion for education by technology Leadership
starting an endowment for future Ph.D. students in chemical engineering.
Seminar Series
Rob Hinton graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 with a B.S. In February 2023, the Women
in chemical engineering. in Chemical Engineering (WChE)
This series explores a breadth
student organization held its
of career paths and connects
For 18 years he worked with what is now Georgia Pacific, in the pulp and seventh annual Introduce a
students with alumni who are
paper industry, before switching gears to try something new. He partnered Girl event at the University of
leaders in a range of industries
with his older brother, a civil engineer who owned a real estate development Washington.
and sectors. Reflecting upon their
business, and the two have been working together for over 16 years. The theme for this year was careers, speakers offer students
Patch design by Nada Naser valuable insights, lessons learned,
But even in shifting away from chemical engineering and into a new industry, Introduce a Girl to Green
Technology. and advice for succeeding
Rob remarked that the critical thinking and technical problem-solving learned in today’s professional work
as an engineer can be applied to anything. His time at UW and years of The event offered an afternoon of STEM demonstrations for young environment.
engineering work experience have both helped him continue to build on his girls and gender-expansive folks ages 5-15, with a priority to connect
success. with those from historically underrepresented backgrounds and low-
income families. 2023 SPEAKERS
“Engineering teaches you how to think, and if you have those critical thinking skills, you can take them
Members of the Pozzo Research Group educated young scientists
anywhere. It helps us look at overall processes better. Even though my career path hasn’t looked like a Linda Cadwell Stancin (B.S. ‘89)
about hydrogels and the uses they have in relation to green
typical chemical engineer, my education has been beneficial in every part of my life.” technology. VP Air Vehicle Engineering and
Technology, Lockheed Martin
Rob fervently believes in the value of education. He has contributed over the years, and as his career has
grown, he has enjoyed being able to give more and more often. Noticing that Dr. Berg had established a Andy Penner (B.S. ‘82)
new fund, Rob was inspired to do the same. “I have been very fortunate in my career, and I have always Mission Success Manager (ret),
believed in giving back when I can.” Lockheed Martin

He reached out to the department chair and the advancement team to express his interest in giving Janet Matsen (Ph.D. ‘16)
Data Scientist, Benchling
opportunities, and learned ChemE was most in need of endowed funds to support the Ph.D. program. As
a result he started the Robert Hinton Endowment, which will help to cover the tuition costs and support Tami McTaggert (B.S. ‘14)
future students pursuing their Ph.D. in chemical engineering for years to come. Research Scientist, Amazon

Erin Hollinger (B.S. ‘07)

Director of Engineering, Intel
If you are interested in making an impact through philanthropy at the UW, please contact Kaitlin Colleary,
Director of Advancement, at kaitcoll@uw.edu This page, left: Girl scouts participate in the Introduce a Girl to Green Technology event Kirk Nass (Ph.D. ‘89)
This page, right: Members of the Pozzo Research Group showcase their demos on hydrogels Technical Team Leader;
Dispersants, Inhibitors, and Fuel
Additives (ret), Chevron

Andy Walker(B.S. ‘96)

Stay We have opportunities for alumni at all stages
of their careers to support and interact with the
University of Washington
Chemical Engineering
Co-founder, President & Chief

connected department. Whether it’s giving a guest lecture, Please contact department Never miss
Operating Officer, GentiBio

@UWChemE
with ChemE sponsoring a capstone project, or participating in
interim chair James Carothers at
chechair@uw.edu if you’re
an update. Angela Maehren (B.S. ‘03)
Enterprise Engineering
a networking event, alumni enrich department life Follow us on
interested in getting involved Integration Leader, Boeing
social media! @uwcheme
and add value to the student experience. and would like to learn more.
Benson Hall 105, Box 351750
Seattle, WA 98195-1750

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

James Carothers
Interim Department Chair and
Charles W.H. Matthaei Endowed Professor

Ro Stastny
ChemE Communications Manager,
Catalyst editor and designer
Jeremiah Wilhelm
ChemE Communications Coordinator,
Catalyst contributor

Kaitlin Colleary
Director of Advancement,
College of Engineering
Send comments and address corrections to
chenews@uw.edu or to the return address above

The Future
is Bright
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generation of leaders
with a gift to ChemE.

Discover all the ways to make an impact: cheme.uw.edu/give