Hundreds of Clemson students gathered at the Watt Family Innovation Center to share their research at the 18th annual Focus on Creative Inquiry (FoCI) Poster Forum on April 5-7. The event allows students to showcase their work and gain skills to help communicate their work to the general public. The three-day event featured 240 student projects.
Hundreds of students presented at 18th Annual Focus on Creative Inquiry poster forum
FoCI Printed Poster Award
3rd place: “AI Prediction of Novel Autism Risk Genes by Genomic Data Mining” Mentor: Liangjiang Wang, genetics and biochemistry Students: Dany Rizkalla and Baylie Sisk, biochemistry; Snehal Shah, nursing; Tanner Street, chemical engineering
Clemson Student Research Forum
1st place: “Peptide Based Nanoplatform for Cas9/gRNA Ribonucleoprotein Cellular Delivery and Gene Editing?” Mentors: Angela Alexander, bioengineering; Jessica Larsen, chemical and biomolecular engineering Students: Joey Lavalla and Alyson Schwartz, bioengineering
For more information about any of the projects presented at FoCI and the Clemson Student Research Forum, visit the digital program.
Ana C. Alba-Rubio specializes in designing and synthesizing catalysts, which are materials that speed chemical reactions. Some of her more recent work has focused on turning carbon dioxide into alcohol that could be used as fuel. The idea is to create a closed system so that carbon dioxide can be recycled instead of being released into the atmosphere, which would contribute to climate change.
* Early Career Fellow for the class of 2023 by the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
* A 2022 Emerging Investigator by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Journal of Catalysis Science & Technology.
* A 2022 Energy and Fuels Rising Star by Energy & Fuels, a publication of ACS.
Ana Alba-Rubio received an NSF grant of $250,000 to fund research to continue the development of a sensor that will aid in the detection of cancer.
Hydroxyl free radicals are found in the human body, but an excess of them can damage the cells resulting in serious health issues, including cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases. Therefore, these species have attracted great interest in health care and medical areas as biomarkers that might indicate the initiation and progress of these diseases.
While being a faculty at the University of Toledo, Dr. Alba-Rubio, together with Dr. Dong-Shik Kim and Dr. Surachet Duanghathaipornsuk, developed a sensor for the in situ real-time detection of hydroxyl free radicals which was considered challenging due to the extreme reactivity and short lifetime of these species. Inspired by their findings, the team participated in the NSF I-Corps program which aims to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship.
After interviewing more than a hundred experts in the field, the team concluded that further development of the sensor could help surgical oncologists to easily determine the margins when removing cancerous tissue from a patient. In this regard, the team has just received a two-year Partnerships for Innovation-Technology Translation (PFI-TT) grant ($250,000) from the National Science Foundation to study the viability of the sensor in partnership with pathologists and surgical oncologists. The rapid on-site detection of cancer cells in the operating room is expected to help both patients and hospitals reduce pain and economic burden.
Gov. Henry McMaster is honoring Jessica Larsen of Clemson University with an award that recognizes the research she is conducting to better understand and treat diseases of the central nervous system.
Larsen, a Dean’s Assistant Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has won the 2022 Governor’s Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.
“It’s exciting, almost validating in a way,” she said. “I’ve got five Ph.D. students and 25 undergraduates, and it feels good to be recognized for all the work we’re putting in.”
April Heyward, South Carolina Academy of Sciences President-Elect, Jessica Larsen, ChBE Assistant Professor, and David Bruce, ChBE Department Chair, after Larsen received her award.
Larsen and her students conduct research in the field of polymeric nanotechnology. They work to develop materials that respond to diseases in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.
The research can lead to new materials to better diagnose disease, deliver drugs and regenerate tissue, she said.
The group has a special focus on GM1 gangliosidosis, an inherited disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The disorder affects 1 in 100,000 to 200,000 newborns, Larsen said.
David Bruce, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Clemson, said the award underscores that Larsen is an exceptionally talented, hard-working researcher and educator.
“Dr. Larsen is conducting innovative research that shows promise for easing suffering and saving lives,” he said. “Her work also provides opportunities for students to work on the cutting-edge of health innovation. She is highly deserving of this award.”
Larsen joined Clemson in 2017 after receiving a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Auburn University.
This video was created after Jessica Larsen received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.
“When I visited Clemson, I saw the collegiality of the people in my department, and this whole Clemson family feel was very true inside of this building,” she said in Earle Hall, the department’s current home.
Larsen has racked up several honors in recent years, including the Outstanding Woman Award in the faculty category from the Clemson University Commission on Women. She received funding for her GM1 gangliosidosis research through a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.
Larsen said her favorite part of being on the Clemson faculty is the opportunity to advise top-notch students, who she has found to be inquisitive, excited and passionate. A bulletin board in her office is covered in hand-written thank-you notes from students.
“Those are the moments that really get me– when they send me these emails or letters letting me know the impact that I’ve made on their lives,” Larsen said. “I have to remind them that they give themselves the opportunity. I just provided the space.”
Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, said Larsen’s award from the governor is well-deserved.
“Dr. Larsen is expanding knowledge in the field of health innovation, helping create an engineering workforce of the future and helping raise Clemson’s national and international profile,” Gramopadhye said. “I offer her my wholehearted congratulations on this honor.”
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is proud to announce our senior award recipients for the class of 2022.
Trinity Pominville was selected as the recipient of the Western S.C. Section AIChE Scholastic Achievement Award by the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. Pominville served the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering as a student ambassador, encouraging prospective students to become tigers with her bubbly and welcoming personality. She is an active member of AIChE, the Society of Women Engineers, the Catholic Student Association and a Grand Challenge Scholar. She is also a recipient of the Intel Society of Women Engineers Undergraduate Scholarship, a Dixon Fellow, the Arthur and Lillie Shands Scholarship, and was named the ChBE Junior of the Year in May of 2021.
Kara Bane was selected by the ChBE faculty as the Top Senior for the Class of 2022. During her time at Clemson, Bane completed three co-op rotations with BASF Seneca, a summer internship with Milliken Chemical, and served as the Vice President for Clemson University’s chapter of AIChE. She also made the Clemson University President’s List each semester and received the 2021 Western SC AIChE Clemson Scholarship. During her free time, Kara enjoys playing soccer, going on long walks with her dog, and spending time at the local restaurants with her friends. Following her graduation, Bane will be moving to Houston, TX to work for Siemens Energy in their Engineering Management Acceleration Program. She is very excited for this next chapter of her life and will always be grateful to the ChBE faculty and fellow students for making her time at Clemson the best it could possibly be.
Chlo Forenzo tied with Elijah Taylor (pictured separately) as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Researcher. Forenzo joined the Larsen Lab in the Fall of 2020 as a junior. Since that time, Chlo has become a leader within her research team. Her project focused on delivering gene-editing tool, Cas9 ribonucleoprotein using polymer-based nanoparticle delivery systems. In these efforts, Chlo was selected to give an oral presentation at the 2021 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. This honor is typically reserved for top-performing graduate students and the highest quality undergraduate students. Chlo has decided to continue her research here at Clemson University in the Ph.D. program, working under the advisement of Dr. Larsen.
Nicholas Gregorich received the R.C. Edwards Outstanding Graduate Student Award given by Clemson University’s Division of Student Affairs on April 28, 2022.
The award is given to the “all around best” graduate student who has exhibited both high scholastic achievement and commitment to the Clemson community through leadership in university organizations.
Gregorich is a 5th year PhD Candidate under the advisement of Dr. Eric Davis.
Missoury Lytle, Ph.D. student, was named as the graduate student recipient of the 2022 Awards of Excellence for the Advancement of Women presented by the Commission on Women.
The commission annually honors individuals who make outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life for women and inspire women’s leadership and success at Clemson University.
Lytle co-founded a Clemson chapter of Women in Chemical Engineering (WChE). WChE focuses on advocating for women in chemical engineering and supporting their success. She also co-chaired the organizing committee for the 2022 Women’s Celebration Month and led an effort to provide free menstrual products to women in Earle Hall.
Ewa Chukwu, ChBE Ph.D. student, was named as a recipient of a 2022 Kokes Award for the 27th North American Catalysis Society meeting in New York, NY. The meeting is scheduled to be held on May 22-27, 2022. The Richard J. Kokes Travel Award program of NACS aims to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to attend and participate in this biennial conference. The Kokes Award is sponsored by the North American Catalysis Society and received more than 225 excellent applications submitted.
Congratulations, Ewa! We look forward to hearing about your trip in May.
Left to Right: Joshua Osuofa, Ph.D. student, Scott Husson, professor, Jaime Idarraga-Mora, Ph.D. graduate
Scott Husson, distinguished professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, received a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, entitled: “Fast-Track: Improving therapeutic protein purification with new, high-productivity multimodal membranes”.
In this Fast-Track SBIR project, Dr. Husson will work with Purilogics, LLC to develop a new class of membrane chromatography columns that can rapidly and selectively purify therapeutic proteins produced by cell culture technologies. Therapeutic proteins are among the most effective treatments for severe and chronic conditions such as cancers and autoimmune disorders.
There is tremendous demand for new therapeutic molecules and personalized medicines. Biomanufacturers are moving towards multidrug facilities to meet this demand, and many are moving to small batch production runs to increase manufacturing flexibility and counteract market risks. The proposed research is expected to have a significant impact on the industry and contribute to improving human health by designing membrane products that support faster changeovers in these multidrug facilities.
On April 26, Dr. Jessica Larsen was presented with the 2021 Outstanding Woman Faculty Award by Clemson University’s Commission on Women. She is adding this award to a growing list as Dr. Larsen recently received the 2021 National Science Foundation CAREER award and last year’s Bradley Mentoring Award.
Dr. Larsen leads a research program that centers on biomimetic and polymeric materials for drug delivery applications in neurodegenerative disease and other brain disorders. She is a passionate role model both at the university and in the broader community as an Assistant Coach for the Seneca High School Cross Country team.
As a faculty member of our department, Dr. Larsen aims to be an advocate for undergraduate woman as she continuously demonstrates a passion towards the advancement of female scientists. Since beginning as an Assistant Professor in 2017, Dr. Larsen has mentor a total of 44 undergraduate researchers with a high majority (32) of those students being female scientists throughout multiple departments at the university. Dr. Larsen aims to provide her students with research independence so that they are able to gain confidence to present at national and international conferences and publish journal articles.
Dr. Larsen recently asked her students what they want their laboratory to be known for; Among the answers was not only producing high quality scientific products, but also being respectful, considerate members of society who value diversity and inclusion. This is evidence of the inclusive community that Dr. Larsen is trying to build in our department.
