News

Shor Nominated for the Research Innovation and Leadership Award

Connecticut Technology Council Women In Innovation Awards
UConn Engineering Leila Daneshmandi, Audrey Larson, Leslie Shor, and Fei Dou at the Connecticut Technology Council Women In Innovation Awards on Oct. 25.

Warmest congratulations to Professor Leslie Shor on her nomination for the Research Innovation and Leadership award in the 8th Annual Women of Innovation Awards led by the Connecticut Technology Council!

Several University of Connecticut women leading STEM, innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives were recognized in a state-wide event last week.

The UConn College of Engineering garnered several awards in the 18th Annual Women of Innovation Awards led by the Connecticut Technology Council held at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven on Oct. 25.

Read more on UConn Today.

1881 Series featuring UConn Brewing Innovation & Student Brewed Can Release

Jennifer Pascal on Sept. 15, 2016.

Our two senior design teams advised by Professor Jenn Pascal are brewing with Kinsmen Brewing Co. for an exclusive launch event for UConn Brewing Innovation. This initiative marks a unique collaboration between UConn students and some of Connecticut’s finest breweries! This is a moment to celebrate the spirit of innovation and community, where the art of brewing meets the science of chemical engineering.

📆 Mark your calendar: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
🕒 Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
📍 Location: Kinsmen Brewing Co., 409 Canal St.Milldale, CT 06467

Join us at the 1881 Series featuring UConn Brewing Innovation & Student Brewed Can Release (Registration link on UConn Foundation Website).

Burkey wins $2.5M NSF S-STEM Grant to Support Students Majoring in Computing, Data Sciences

Dan Burkey PhotoA newly awarded $2.5M National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant—spearheaded by Professor and Associate Dean Daniel Burkey—will support low-income and first-generation students majoring in computing and data science at the University of Connecticut (UConn).

Professor Burkey said UConn will use the grant—titled “Community, Identity, and Competence: Supporting Low-Income Students in Computing and the Data Sciences”—to assist approximately 30 students over the next six years of the grant. Students, who will go through an application and selection process, will be eligible for up to $15,000 per year throughout the entirety of their degree.

S-STEM is a signature program from the NSF that supports low-income and first-generation students with academic ability, talent, or potential to pursue successful careers in promising STEM fields. The grant includes scholarship funds as well as a cohort model that provides various programmatic, curricular, and co-curricular activities to ensure that students are well-supported, from matriculation through graduation, and prepared for the workforce or further graduate study. Read more on Engineering News.

UConn Celebrates the Inauguration of Radenka Maric as 17th President

President Radenka Maric
UConn President Radenka Maric poses for a photo during her inauguration in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 29, 2023. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Warmest congratulations to President Radenka Maric, an acclaimed innovator in clean energy technology whose leadership as a vice president helped propel UConn to new heights in research funding, formally inaugurated as the 17th president of the University of Connecticut in a ceremony Friday afternoon at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.

President Maric joined UConn’s College of Engineering faculty in 2010 and holds the rank of Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor. She is also the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor of Sustainable Energy in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Read more about President’s inauguration on UConn Today.

Guarantees of Optimality: A New Model to Help the Manufacturing Industry Transition to Renewables

Matthew Stuber

Pratt & Whitney Associate Professor in Advanced Systems Engineering Matthew Stuber worked with two undergraduate students and co-lead authors Justin Rastinejad ’22 (ENG) and Sloane Putnam ’22 (ENG) answer this question in their recent paper published in Renewable Energy.

Stuber explains that this research answers a question he has been thinking about for several years now, “How do we start incorporating renewable energy into conventional industrial processes? Is it always worth it? The alternative is to buy energy in the form of fossil fuels, invest in renewables, or generate energy onsite through renewable means.”

Read more about this on UConn Today.

Austin Gelinas & Pranavi Rebala Triumph in Clean Energy & Sustainability Innovation Challenge

Austin Gelinas ’25 (ENG), left, Pranavi Rebala ’25 (CLAS) present their research on an iterative approach to renewable energy transition during “The Sustainable Clean Energy Summit: Decarbonizing Society and the Grid” at the Student Union Theater on Oct. 4, 2023. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

Warmest congratulations to Austin Gelinas and Pranavi Rebala, two brilliant undergraduate students from Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and College of Liberal Arts, respectively, who emerged as champions in the Clean Energy & Sustainability Innovation Challenge! They not only took the lead among six outstanding teams but also presented an ingenious strategy to reduce New England’s heavy reliance on natural gas.

Austin and Pranavi’s visionary approach demonstrates the incredible potential for positive change. Their two-part strategy not only sets a precedent for sustainable energy but also highlights the pivotal role UConn can play in this endeavor.

Read more on their Winning Project “Enhancing Connecticut’s Green Economy: Comprehensive Short and Long-Term Approach to Renewable Energy Transition” and the event on UConn Today.

Inspiring Story of our Ph.D. Student Laron Burrows

Laron BurrowsLaron Burrows, making remarkable strides in environmental innovation. His groundbreaking work focuses on cleaning up one of the world’s dirtiest chemical processes, ammonia production. Along with Prof. George Bollas, he has developed a new chemical looping reactor that is smaller, more efficient, and less expensive than traditional methods.

Laron is an entrepreneur at heart, and his startup company Andros will be competing in two major entrepreneurship challenges later this month. Best of luck to him!

Read the full article to learn more about Laron’s incredible journey and the impact they are making in UConn Today.

Dr. Stuber Appointed as the Pratt & Whitney Associate Professor in Advanced Systems Engineering

Matthew StuberWarmest congratulations to Dr. Matthew Stuber on his appointment as the Pratt & Whitney Associate Professor in Advanced Systems Engineering! 

Dr. Stuber’s dedication to excellence and tireless commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge have earned him this well-deserved recognition. His contributions to the field of advanced systems engineering have been nothing short of exceptional, and we are proud to have him as a part of our academic community. We eagerly anticipate the continued impact and contributions Dr. Stuber will make in this new role.

Dr. Laurencin Receives the Kathryn C. Hach Award from ACS

Cato LaurencinWarmest congratulations to Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, the recipient of the 2024 Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success as part of the 2024 ACS National Awards! This award recognizes Dr. Laurencin’s outstanding contributions to the world of entrepreneurship, innovation, and scientific leadership. His pioneering work in the field of regenerative engineering and tissue engineering has not only transformed the medical landscape but has also laid the foundation for groundbreaking entrepreneurial endeavors. Read more about Dr. Laurencin and other outstanding recipients of the 2024 ACS National Awards in the Chemical & Engineering News