Graduate Student Wins Award
October 22, 2009
Hartawan Laksmono, a graduate research associate in Professor Barbara Wyslouzil's group, received a $500 travel award from the American Association for Aerosol Research to attend the Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN October 26 - 30th. Hartawan will present the results of his research in a symposium focused on understanding particle formation in the atmosphere.

From Research to Recovery
October 14, 2009
Professor Jeffrey Chalmers and his colleagues are cancer cell sleuths. The divces they've developed to detect head, neck, breast and other cancers have earned eight patents, created jobs, attracted multimillion dollar funding, and have the potential to save lives. Read More...

Graduate Student Receives Travel Award
September 25, 2009
Elizabeth Biddinger, a graduate research associate in Professor Umit Ozkan's group, received the AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division travel award. The Catalysis and REaction Engineering Division made up to 20 travel awards to assist graduate students with their travel expenses so that they can attend the AIChE Annual meeting and present the results of their research. The award consists of $400, plus a ticket to the CRE Division Dinner, where the recipients will be recognized.

Operating Cells Via Joystick
September 16, 2009
Professor Jeffrey Chalmers is a part of team at Ohio State University that is working on a device that allows users to manipulate cells with a joystick. To read the complete article, please click here.

Universal Blood Supply?
September 10, 2009
Andre Palmer, associate professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Ohio State University and his research team are developing oxygen-carrying solutions for transfusion medicine. One area of focus is on synthetic red blood substitutes, which may one day lead to a universal blood supply. Watch the You Tube video here.

Hyunkyu Choi Wins IMR Best Poster Award
September 7, 2009
Hyunkyu Choi, a graduate student in Professor Umit Ozan's group, received the Best Poster Award at the 2009 IMR Materials Week. Thew award was passed out at a ceremony at the Blackwell on September 3, 2009.

David Wood Joins the CBE Faculty
July 1, 2009
Associate Professor David Wood joined the CBE faculty on July 1, 2009. He comes to Ohio State from Princeton University. His research interests include protein engineering for bioseparations, biosensing and drug delivery. Please visit Professor Wood's web page for more detailed information on his research: Professor David Wood's web page

Winston Ho Elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
June 30, 2009
Professor Winston Ho was recently elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).  This is the highest grade of membership of the AIChE.  This honor testifies to the high esteem in which Professor Ho is held by his peers for his distinctive professional accomplishments and contributions in engineering.  Professor Ho will be recognized for this significant achievement at the AIChE 2009 Annual Conference to be held in November in Nashville, TN. 

Michael Vilt winsFirst Place Poster Award
June 25, 2009
Michael Vilt, a Ph.D. student and IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) fellow in Winston Ho's group, won the First Place Poster Award in the Membrane Applications category in the Poster Paper Competition at the Annual Meeting of the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) in Charlestown, SC on June 20 - 24, 2009. Mike's poster paper was entitled "Cephalexin Recovery Using Supported Liquid Membranes with Strip Dispersion". The First Place Poster Award consisted of $300. In addition to this poster presentation in the Poster Paper Competition, Mike also presented this paper at an oral session on Membranes for Bioseparations.

Travel Awards for three students
June 14, 2009
Three students in Umit Ozkan's group, Elizabeth Biddinger, Hua Song and Nandita Lakshminarayanan, received North American Catalysis Society Kokes Travel Awards to attend teh 21st NACS Conference in San Francisco to present their work. Congratulations to all three.

Graduate Students in Professor Barbara Wyslouzil's Research Group Win Awards
May 27, 2009
Kelley Distel has been accepted to attend the 2009 National School on Nutron and X-ray Scattering. Kelly will spend one week in Oak Ridge National Laboratory learning about neutron scattering and doing sample experiments on the High Flux Isotope Reactor and/or Spallation Neutron Source. She will then go to the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab to learn about X-ray scattering and to do more sample experiments. The entire two week course including travel and accommodation is paid for. Ashutosh Bhabhe won an NSF travel award to attend the 18th International Conference on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols that will be held August 10 - 14th, 2009 in Prague, Czech Republic. He will be presenting the work he did together with Somnath Sinha and Hartawan Lakmono on the condensation of Ar in supersonic nozzels.

Graduate Student Elizabeth Biddinger Wins Award
Elizabeth Biddinger won first place in the Graduate Division of the Ohio Fuel Cell Symposium poster competition held May 27-28, 2009 in North Canton, Ohio. Elizabeth is a fourth year PhD candidate in Professor Umit S. Ozkan's research group of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her poster was titled "Stacked Platelets with High Edge-Plane Exposure as Nitrogen Containing Carbon Nanostructured (CNx) Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction at PEM and DMFC Cathodes." Dieter von Deak, also a PhD student in Professor Ozkan's group, co-authored the poster. The Ohio Fuel Cell Symposium is an annual meeting sponsored by the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition as an event to allow members of industry, government and academia come together to support the development of all types of fuel cells.

Denman Undergraduate Research Forum
Fifteen Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering undergraduates participated in the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum held on May 13th. Lead researchers, poster titles and advisors are listed below. Sam Lentz took a third place prize in our Engineering Division. More...

Craig Buckley, Darian Richardson and Katie Vermeersch: "Gold Nanoparticle Polymer Biomodification" (Jessica Winter)

Serra Elliott: "Studying Hydrodynamic Stress in Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorters" (Jeffrey Chalmers)

Elise Ferguson: "Development of Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Tumor Cell Migration Studies" (Jessica Winter)

Alexander Hodge: "Analysis of Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Expansion in PET Scaffolding" (S.T. Yang)

Douglas Knapke: "Sulfur Growth Promotion of Carbon-Nitrogen PEM Fuel Cells" (Umit Ozkan)

Samuel Lentz: "NOx Reduction over Pd-Based Catalysts: Effect of Synthesis Parameters" (Umit Ozkan)

Kunal Parikh: "Effects of Nanotopography on Cell Morphology" (Jessica Winter)

Barrett Richter: "Development of Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Tumor Cell Migration Studies" (Jessica Winter)

Eric Sacia: "Synthesis and Regenration of Enhanced Sorbents for Clean Coal Applications" (LS Fan)

John Titone: "Supercritical CO₂ Sterilization of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene" (David Tomasko)

Andrew Vail: "Enzyme Catalyzed Esterification of Organic Acids with Short-Chain Alcohols" (S.T. Yang)

Yao Yang: "Sorbent and Reactor Investigation of Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture" (LS Fan)

Lowrie Family Donates $17,000,000 to Ohio State Engineering, University recognizes generosity with first-ever named department
The Ohio State University today announced a commitment of $17 million from Ernestine and William G. Lowrie in support of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering at Ohio State.  The commitment is the largest made by an individual donor to engineering at the university.
        
The gift will endow construction and support of a new laboratory facility, create the H.C. "Slip" Slider Professorship for an untenured faculty member in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, establish a new endowed chair, and provide an endowment to support new initiatives in education and research.
       
"Bill Lowrie’s support will create tremendous opportunities for generations of students," said Gregory N. Washington, interim dean of engineering. "He has served the College of Engineering in so many ways since he was a student here, and now he is making it possible to serve our students for years to come. We are so thankful for the Lowries and their generous support of our program."

"At this stage of my life, I find myself in a position where I can help and give back in a meaningful way," said Lowrie.  "I wanted to move on it now, regardless of what is going on in the economy, so that I could see it happen and partially repay the university and the Department of Chemical Engineering for the huge impact they have had on my life and the lives of so many others."

In recognition of their gift, The Ohio State University Board of Trustees approved today the naming of the William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering to be housed in the new Koffolt Laboratories building, which is scheduled for completion in 2014. The building replaces an older Koffolt Laboratories, named in honor of the late, highly regarded former Chemical Engineering Professor and Chair Joseph H. Koffolt.
       
"Ernie and Bill have long been among the university’s firmest friends, and I am deeply grateful to them for their latest gift to advance teaching, learning, and research," said President E. Gordon Gee. "The Lowries’ strategic support for our faculty and facilities is a powerful statement about the wisdom of investing in higher education and in the future of Ohio, our nation, and beyond."
       
Chemical and biomolecular engineers design, develop, and operate processes by which chemicals, petroleum products, food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods can be produced economically and safely for use in products we use every day.

"We are at a point in time where we badly need to replace the chemical engineering facility. Even in this difficult time in the world we can’t just put a stop to everything and hope it all goes away," said Lowrie. "The progress with the faculty size and stature over the last 25 to 30 years needs to continue, and we need to be able to attract the best. We are stuck by the lack of proper facilities and that detracts from our ability to recruit and retain faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students."
 
A native of Painesville, Ohio, Lowrie received his Bachelor’s of Chemical Engineering from Ohio State in 1966. He spent his entire 33-year career with Amoco, working his way up through the company in positions of increasing responsibility, including president of Amoco Oil Company in 1990, president of Amoco Production Company in 1992, and president of Amoco from 1995 until 1998, when it merged with BP. He then served as deputy CEO of BP Amoco until 1999.
        
Along with administrative and managerial contributions to Amoco, Lowrie had a major role in increasing oil production and advancing oil drilling technology. In recognition of his distinguished industrial career, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers awarded him the Charles F. Rand Gold Medal in 2001.

His many contributions to Ohio State have been recognized with the 1979 Texnikoi Outstanding Alumnus Award; a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Engineering; and the Benjamin G. Lamme Meritorious Achievement Medal, the College of Engineering’s highest honor. Lowrie is the only engineering alumnus to receive all three awards. In 2005, the university recognized his years of dedicated service as chair and volunteer to The Ohio State University Foundation with the Everett D. Reese Medal.
       
Bill Lowrie has also received the 2008 Alumni Medalist award for career achievement, the highest honor accorded by The Ohio State University Alumni Association, given to those who have brought extraordinary credit to the university and significant benefit to humankind. He and Ernestine currently reside in Sheldon, South Carolina.

Annual Lowrie Banquet

May 8, 2009

The Annual Lowrie Honors Banquet was held on Thursday, May 7th. The Lowrie Lectureship Award was given to Gabor A. Somorjai, University Professor, University of California, Berkeley. The following students were honored:

Faculty Receive Awards

May 5, 2009

Three of our faculty were presented awards at the College of Engineering Faculty Awards Dinner on May 4, 2009. Bhavik Bakshi and Barbara Wyslouzil each received Lumley Research Awards for exceptional activity and success in persuing new knowledge. LS Fan received a MacQuigg Award for superior demonstration of interest in, and willingness to help students, and outstanding teaching ability. The MacQuigg Awards involve a student nomination process.

Andre Palmer Selected to Serve on NIH Study Section
Professor Andre F. Palmer was recently appointed to the Biomaterials and Bionterfaces Study Section at the National Institutes of Health. This is a significant honor that highlights Professor Palmer's stature in the Biomaterials research community.

Michael Vilt Wins 2009 Elias Klein Founders' Travel Award
Michael Vilt, a Ph.D. student and IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) fellow in Winston Ho's group, has been selected as a winner of the 2009 Elias Klein Founders' Travel Award from the North American Membrane Society (NAMS). The selection of this award is based, in part, on academic achievements, and it will provide up to $500 for Mike to present a paper, entitled "Cephalexin Recovery Using Supported Liquid Membranes with Strip Dispersion", at the 2009 NAMS Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina on June 21 - 24. Mike also won this award in 2008.

Umit Ozkan Honored
Professor Umit Ozkan was recognized by the Mortar Board Senior Honorary Society at a Reception and Ceremony held on March 11, 2009 at the Longaberger Alumni House.   Professor Ozkan was nominated by Sam Lentz, a senior in the William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a member of the Mortar Board Senior Honorary Society, who cited her inspiring mentoring, advice and guidance and wrote “Dr. Ozkan has been a catalyst in my life” in his nomination statement.

David Tomasko Honored
Professor David Tomasko was initiated as an Honorary Member into Texnikoi on March 1, 2009.  Texnikoi is an engineering service organization of the College of Engineering at Ohio State that recognizes qualities of leadership, integrity and personality as exemplified by active participation and leadership in extracurricular activities.

Joe's Jewel Takes First and Qualifies for Nationals
Over the weekend of February 27th, the ChemE Car team traveled to Chicago for the North-Central Regional Conference. Team Members Doug Knapke, John Larison, Mike Nechay, Kyle Purdue, Eric Sacia, Justin Spitzer, Katie Vermeersch, LindsayVopenheim, Chris Wielgus and Thomas Yeh competed in both the performace and poster competition held on the campus of Illinois Institute of Technology. The team had an outstanding showing, finishing both best among Big Ten Teams present (Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan) and overall. "Joe's Jewel" finished first overall in the performance competition ahead of Akron and Buffalo, while placing second in the poster competition just behind Akron. The goal was to carry a weight of 273 grams a distance of 50 feet. The car performed very well achieving an OSU compeition record of 3 inches from the line (also one of the best overall competition marks of all time). The first place finish qualifies the team for the national competition in November at the AIChE conference in Nashville, TN. This is the first competition win for the Ohio State ChemE Car team.

ChemE Car Team Competes in National Competition at the AICHE Annual Convention

The ChemE Car team competed in the national competition against 34 college teams, finishing in 19th place (1st in the Big Ten!). The team's best result stopped 6'8" short of the line. The winner of the competition, Cornell, earned the first ever perfect performance with the front wheel stopping exactly on the finish line at 60 feet. The OSU team was represented by Beth Johnson, Jean Wheasler, Eric Sacia, Justin Spitzer, Katie Vermeersch, Alex Aossey, Craig Buckley, Thomas Yeh, Chris Wielgus, and Mike Nechay.

Stuart L. Cooper Elected to the Governing Board of the Council For Chemical Research
Stuart L. Cooper, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was elected to the Governing Board of the Council For Chemical Research. The Council for Chemical Research (CCR) is an organization which recognizes and facilitates basic research in the chemical sciences and engineering.  CCR’s purpose is to benefit society by advancing research in chemistry, chemical engineering and related disciplines through leadership collaboration across discipline, institution and sector boundaries.

William G. Lowrie Wins Alumni Medalist Award
William G. Lowrie was awarded the Alumni Medalist Award on September 26, 2008. This award is given for national or international career achievement and is the single highest honor accorded by The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. It is presented to alumni who have gained national or international distinction as outstanding exponents of a chosen field or profession and who have brought extraordinary credit to the University and significant benefit to humankind. Lowrie received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1966.

Over the course of a 33-year career with Amoco Production Co. in Louisiana, William Lowrie rose from engineer to president and played a major role in increasing oil recovery and advancing drilling technology. He supervised the development of environmental fuels, managed international oil acquisitions, and directed projects leading to technology for producing methane from coal beds.

When BP and Amoco came together in 1998 in what was the world's largest merger, Lowrie became the company's deputy chief executive before retiring the following year.

Lowrie has received many industry awards, including the Charles F. Rand Gold Medal from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers.

In 1998, Lowrie and his wife established the William G. and Ernestine R. Lowrie Endowment Fund for Chemical Engineering Excellence at Ohio State. In addition, Lowrie is chair of the national committee for renovating and expanding the university's Koffolt Laboratories.

Lowrie's many contributions to Ohio State have been recognized with the 1979 Texnikoi Outstanding Alumnus Award; a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Engineering; and the Benjamin G. Lamme Meritorious Achievement Medal, the College of Engineering's highest honor. Lowrie is the only engineering alumnus to receive all three awards. In 2005, the university recognized his years of dedicated service with the Everett D. Reese Medal.

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