ChE Students and Faculty Participate in National AIChE Conference

A dozen faculty and student members of the Department of Chemical Engineering traveled to the “beehive state” in November – but instead of hitting the slopes, they hit the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City for the 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting.

The AIChE bills its annual convention as “the premier educational forum for chemical engineers interested in innovation and professional growth,” with a focus on the “latest research and newest technologies in emerging growth areas.” This year, Villanova engineers contributed to that mission, with students and faculty making presentations, chairing educational sessions, and participating in conference programs.

“The AIChE annual meeting is a great opportunity for our students to showcase their research skills and meet faculty from other schools for potential graduate research opportunities,” says Dr. Noelle Comolli, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. Together with Dr. Randy Weinstein, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Dr. Comolli shared insights into the College’s new First-Year Curriculum through their presentation “Freshman Mini-Design Projects as a Method for Introduction to Chemical Engineering.”

Other presenters included Robert Orange ChE ’11, Lucille Bell ChE ’11, and Ryan Lojek ChE ’12, who shared information about their summer research projects as part of the meeting’s student poster session. Graduate students Andrew Ferens and Adam Hoffman participated as session speakers, with talks entitled “Catalytic Activity of Graphite Nanofibers” and “Anaerobic Digestion of Glycerol,” respectively. Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Smith served as a session chair, while still other undergraduates attended educational sessions and networking opportunities.