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The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is excited to announce the retirement of Mrs. Diana Stamey.

Diana Stamey began working for Chemical Engineering in March 1987 as the typist for the faculty before personal computers were introduced. She had to “re-invent” herself when personal computers were introduced to Chemical Engineering.

Dr. Stephen Melsheimer was able to provide her with direction by reassigning her position to meet the demands and needs of the undergraduate students with the registration and the scheduling of courses. In 1996, her job duties expanded to include Graduate Student Services support.

In 2001, she moved to the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films, an NSF Engineering Research Center. Chemical Engineering was one of the multiple-research departments associated with the CAEFF. Therefore, she was able to maintain a great working relationship with Chemical Engineering.

In 2009, CAEFF moved from Rhodes to Earle Hall as it completed it’s 10-year program to become a graduated NSF-ERC program. Chemical Engineering was in need of expanding its office staff count to 3 as more jobs duties needed to be removed from faculty.

In 2015, Diana’s position changed to part-time Administrative Assistant with CAEFF and Graduate Student Services Coordinator of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

One of her major accomplishments with the department were to uncover the hidden gems in Earle’s documents that dated back to Dr. Charles Littlejohn to find what needed archiving.

“Earle Hall has a lot of history attached to it,” Diana said. “I love learning little pieces of information each time I scan the documents for history. I will miss the people most of all. Watching the students mature with each year as they approach graduation has the greatest rewards with a little heartbreak. You miss them when they leave. Occasionally you get a big surprise when they return. This brings sunshine back into Earle Hall with every visit.”

Diana looks forward to traveling after her husband, Jimmy Stamey, retires. They plan to camp and travel to places that they have talked about for years.
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will cherish her contributions for years to come.

The Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) is an organization focused on advancing human health and well-being. Each year, they host an annual meeting where students, faculty, and industry have the opportunity to connect and present their scientific work. This year, the meeting was hosted in Orlando, Florida from October 6^th to the 9^th. The Larsen Lab submitted abstracts that were selected for two podium presentations and six poster presentations. Through funding from Creative Inquiry and Dr. Larsen’s grants, a team of 14 students were able to attend. The projects that receiving a coveted podium presentation were led by Ph.D. Student Bipin Paruchuri and undergraduate student team Chlo Forenzo, Danielle LaVigne, and Vaishnavi Kanduri.

Presentations

The first in-person podium presentation ever given by the Larsen Lab was presented by senior ChBE Chlo Forenzo, on Friday October 9^th, which is a significant honor for an undergraduate researcher. Her team, comprised of Danielle LaVigne, junior genetics major, Sara Edgecomb, recent ChBE graduate, and Vaishnavi Kanduri, sophomore BioE, looks at the use of polymersomes as Cas9 delivery vehicles as gene knockdown tools to create therapeutic edits.

Minhyun Shin, junior BioE, and Emmeline Bagwell, senior biochemistry major, presented their work on the development of a zebrafish model of Parkinson’s disease and the characterization of new treatment modalities on Friday October 9^th.

Two ChBE undergraduate students, Kayleigh Trumbull, sophomore, and Conner Lumb, junior, presented on their SC EPSCoR funded work to characterize most appropriate polymersomes for nerve regeneration applications on Friday October 9^th.

A creative inquiry team, Taylor Hamas, senior BioE, Jess Jager, senior ChBE, and Joey Lavalla, senior BioE, co-advised by Dr. Angela Alexander-Bryant in Bioengineering and her PhD student Megan Pitz, presented their work on novel CT imaging agents to enhance glioblastoma detection in a poster on Friday October 9^th.

Christopher Pierce, ChBE senior, gave a virtual poster on his work modulating polymersome shape to enhance cellular uptake, leading towards delivery of drugs through the blood-brain barrier.

Morgan Ethridge, junior biochemistry major, presented on behalf of her creative inquiry team on their SC INBRE funded work to determine the validity of enzyme activities as biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease GM1 gangliosidosis on Saturday October 10^th.

Bipin Paruchuri, 5^th year PhD student in ChBE, presented on his work to develop pH and enzyme responsive polymersomes to enhance enzyme replacement therapy in neurodegenerative disease GM1 gangliosidosis on Saturday October 10^th. His results were a significant part of Dr. Larsen’s NSF CAREER proposal that was funded earlier this year.

Mark Pitman, fourth year PhD student in ChBE, presented on his work, funded through the CU SEED program, on the development of thermally-responsive, citrate-based hydrogels, as iron chelating biomaterials to improve microenvironment after nerve injury, promoting nerve regeneration on Saturday October 10^th.

Not only was great science presented, but the team was able to take a day away from the conference and enjoy their hard work with a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Thursday October 8^th.

On Friday, BMES shut down part of the Universal Islands of Adventure park for their big BMES bash where the team got to enjoy countless rides with no line!

Larsen Lab is grateful to have had the opportunity to present their work and to enjoy time bonding as a team.

Four student researchers engaged in catalytic materials and reaction engineering research at Dr. Ming Yang’s group have been recently recognized by the university and external funding agencies for their ongoing research work that aims to tackle climate change and to harvest clean energies.

Luis Morales and John Yeager, junior undergraduate students, were recently accepted into Clemson’s 2021 Summer Creative Inquiry program and given the accompanying Undergraduate Research Award (CI & UR Award). Luis and John, through both thermocatalytic and electrocatalytic approaches, will investigate how chemical engineers can significantly cut CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by turning the CO2 into value-added products through cost-effective environmentally benign catalytic reactions.

Case Sandor, senior undergraduate student, is a recipient of the Undergraduate Student Award from South Carolina NASA Space Grant Consortium. The agency funded Case for 400 hours of research to develop catalytic materials and electrochemical reactors that can convert CO2 in space and cabin into renewable fuels so as to empower deep space exploration. Case will also participate in outreach/public engagement activities during his award period to advocate research and science to public.

Ewa Chukwu, a first-year international PhD student, has been selected to participate in the Student Program at the 2021 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit sponsored by the US Department of Energy. The 2021 Student Program will include the top graduate-level students, an engaging panel discussion regarding a career in energy, a Meet & Greet to speak with energy industries, and many opportunities to learn about cutting-edge energy initiatives.

Congratulations Case, Ewa, John, and Luis! Full speed ahead!

The department graduate symposium occurred on April 13, 2021 after not having a symposium in 2020 due to the pandemic. Planning a research symposium was a major hurdle for Nick Gregorich, Molli Garifo, and Mark Pitman. The CEGSO board devised an idea to utilize Google Sites for displaying the posters virtually. These personalized Google Sites allowed students to upload a poster, abstract, and photo of themselves displayable on the internet. In an effort to mirror an in-person poster symposium virtually, the students sat in individual zoom rooms for a virtual question and answer period while faculty and students could jump from room to room and view the students with their posters.

Zoom links were set up for each person so that judges were able to enter a zoom call and discuss the students’ posters with them. A Google Form was also set up for the judges to input their scoring. For the oral presentations, there was one zoom link that every participant was able to join and give their presentation. Even with some unforeseen technical difficulties, the symposium was an overall success and the event was able to get back on track very quickly with an engaged audience.

Our department would like to extend our thanks to Ph.D. students for their leadership as well as the Graduate Student Coordinator, Diana Stamey. We would also like to thank our faculty members who dedicated their time to serve as judges for the event.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis are fields that have been historically separated. Poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) combines the advantages of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. PSSA is soluble in polar solvents; therefore, all acidic groups are readily accessible. In addition, the catalyst cannot be deactivated through coking because there is no surface for the carbonaceous species to be deposited. At the same time, PSSA, due to its high molecular weight, can be easily recovered by ultrafiltration for further utilization. PSSA has shown promising activity in reactions that require Brønsted acid sites, such as the hydrolysis of PET, dehydration of xylose to furfural, or biodiesel production from vegetable oils. We have recently added a second functionality to this polymer catalyst by the incorporation of AlCl_3, and this led to a soluble and reusable catalyst with both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites (PSSA-AlCl₃). This superacid catalyst was able to catalyze all the reactions involved in the one-pot synthesis of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from glucose and directly from starch. HMF is a valuable platform chemical, and there is an enormous market for some of its derivatives, such as furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and adipic acid. This talk will also address the synthesis of inverse metal oxide-metal catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO₂ and the addition of a sorbent component for the development of dual-function materials (CO₂ capture & conversion). This one-pot approach could eliminate current energy-intensive and corrosive CO₂ capture and storage processes while producing important commodity chemicals and fuels.

Dr. Ana C. Alba-Rubio is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Toledo. She received her B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Malaga, Spain, in 2007. She then moved to the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (CSIC) in Madrid, Spain, to pursue her doctoral studies under the supervision of Dr. Manuel López Granados. As a doctoral student, she enjoyed two research stays in Brazil and the Netherlands. After receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Alba-Rubio joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to conduct postdoctoral research with Prof. James Dumesic and Prof. Manos Mavrikakis. She focused on the controlled synthesis of metal, bimetallic, and bifunctional catalysts for reactions of interest in biomass conversion and the direct synthesis of H₂O₂. In 2015, she joined the University of Toledo as a faculty, and her current research interests involve the rational design and synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts to provide fuels and materials sustainably and the development of nanomaterials for sensing applications. Dr. Alba-Rubio holds a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation studying the development of dual-function materials for CO₂ capture and conversion, the 2019 UToledo College of Engineering Excellence in Supervision of Undergraduate Research Award, and the 2018 UToledo Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity Award. She was also named to the 2020 Class of Influential Researchers by the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research journal and recognized as one of the 2021 Nanoscale Emerging Investigators. She currently serves as a director of the AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division (CRE).

Congratulations to Cabell Lamie for successfully defending his dissertation titled “Synthesis, Supercritical Fractionation, And Kinetic Modeling of Pyrene Pitch Oligomers” on November 24th.

Cabell’s research during his studies here at Clemson focused on developing and utilizing supercritical extraction techniques for furthering the fundamental knowledge in the field of pitch research, with a focus on modeling the reaction kinetics of pitch formation and determining how the oligomeric composition effects the bulk properties of the pitch.

Cabell is continuing his career at Clemson as a Post-doctoral Researcher for Mark C. Thies, his graduate advisor.  Here, he will continue his research in pitch fractionation and pass on the reins to the next pitch researcher in the Thies Research Group.

Cabell had this to say about his time here at Clemson; “I am grateful for the opportunity to do my PhD studies here at Clemson, and though it has been difficult and stressful, has made me feel ready for any challenge I may encounter in my career. I am excited to see what the future holds for me”

Allison Yaguchi successfully defended her dissertation titled “Development of Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus to Convert Lignin-Derived Phenolics to Oleochemicals” on November 18^th.

Her research identified a novel yeast able to robustly convert an aromatic-rich waste stream, called lignin, into lipids. These microbially-derived fats can be converted into value-added oleochemicals, such as biodiesel or omega-3 fatty acids. Her findings regarding the metabolism and genetics utilized by Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus will enhance the body of knowledge regarding aromatic catabolism in yeast systems – an area that remains largely unexplored. She is an author on 8 publications, presented at over 20 conferences, and mentored over 15 undergraduates during her time at Clemson.

Yaguchi says she will look back fondly on her time at Clemson, though it was a long, hard road. She reflects, “I joke that if I redid my whole PhD knowing what I know now, I could probably do the whole thing in at least half the time. There will be a lot of missteps, failures, and unfortunate surprises. It might feel like you take three steps back for every one step forward. My advice is to surround yourself with people who will support you through those rough waters. Remember that you are here at Clemson because someone saw potential in you. Find good mentors who can help you turn that potential into success and a positive group of friends to keep you going when you feel discouraged.”

After graduating, Yaguchi will take a position at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO as a post-doctoral researcher before returning to academia as a faculty member.

A paper from Dr. Scott Husson’s group was selected as a July 2020 Editor’s Choice Article for the Journal of Membrane Science.

The article title is “Effect of mechanical strain on the transport properties of thin-film composite membranes used in osmotic processes”.

Authors include Jaime Idarraga-Mora (recent PhD graduate), Alton O’Neal (ChBE undergraduate), Morgan Pfeiler (ChBE undergraduate), David Lander (Assoc. Prof. EEES), and Scott Husson (corresponding author).

Christopher Pierce, a junior undergraduate student in Chemical Engineering, was recently awarded funding through SC INBRE along with his mentor Dr. Jessica Larsen. Through the Student-Initiated Research Program (SIRP), Christopher will receive $3,000 to pursue his project which has a basis in drug delivery, biomedicine, and neuroscience.

His project, entitled “Modulation of Polymersome Shape to Enhance Blood-Brain Barrier Uptake”, will explore the effect of hydrophobicity on changing the shape of vesicular nanoparticles called polymersomes. Polymersomes have the benefits of simultaneously encapsulating hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, evading the immune system, and circulating for extended periods of time. Thermodynamically, polymersomes form into spherical shapes. However, materials natively internalized in cells are not generally spherical. By altering the polymersome shape into various structures, including more elongated rods and more blood-cell like stomatocytes, he aims to increase endothelial uptake to aid in transport of payloads through the blood-brain barrier.

He will develop design rules to create each shape by exploring biodegradable polymers with varying hydrophobicities and altering osmotic pressure gradients. Of the awards given, only two were given to undergraduate students and only one award was given to a student majoring in an engineering field. Congratulations to Christopher Pierce and Dr. Jessica Larsen!

CU-CIA Funded project “Towards the Creation of Biomimetic Complement Protein: Understanding Self-Assembly in Whole Blood” led Dr. Jessica Larsen and Honors College Undergraduate (’20) Lauren Maghak to an accidental discovery.

Maghak and Larsen were working to drive self-assembly of polymers around blood borne pathogens. Their electron microscopy experiments were leading to very unexpected images. Upon further examination and with the addition of lysed controls, Maghak and Larsen began to realize that these clinically-approved polymers were causing dramatic morphological changes to blood cells. These polymers are commonly used in pre-clinical nanomedicine that then fails upon entering clinical trials.

Their project morphed into an exploration of the effect of varying hydrophobicities of polyesters on each major blood component, summarized in their paper entitled “Intact or in Pieces? A Look at How Clinically Approved, Biodegradable Block Co-Polymers Affect Blood Components” published in ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering in July of 2020, which is also present on the cover. This letter can be thought of as a as a call for more thorough testing of polymeric materials in blood prior to clinical trials. This research culminated in an Honors Thesis in Chemical Engineering for recent Biochemistry graduate, Lauren Maghak. Maghak is now pursuing her PhD at Indiana University.