Howdy Howdy and welcome to the Spring 2024 ChEGS newsletter! Beichen and Maya are leaving their editorial rolls soon, and Changsu and Libby have officially taken over this operation. Join us as we get to know Prof. Reid Van Lehn and graduate student Steph Brown, as we learn about the history and activity of UW's NOBCChE, and as we fondly remember past events, graduated students, and Engineering Hall's premiere Trash Duck.
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FACULTY Highlight: PROFESSOR Reid C. Van Lehn
Professor Van Lehn received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT in 2014 under the supervision of Prof. Alfredo Alexander-Katz, then performed research as a NIH Ruth-Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Tom F. Miller III at Caltech. He joined UW-Madison CBE in May 2016, where he is currently the Hunt-Hougen Associate Professor and has an affiliate appointment in the Department of Chemistry. He is also a Topic Area Leader for the Center for the Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics and a Co-Investigator of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.
What inspired you to be a professor?
I grew up around faculty (my parents and sisters are or used to be professors), so I had a pretty good idea of what the career path would involve. While I did pursue internships in industry and consulting during college, I was drawn to the flexibility offered in academia. Yes, we have to secure funding, but we have the opportunity to pursue broad research interests – something that I’ve taken advantage of in my group. I also love teaching! I find it energizing and it’s one my favorite parts of the job.
What made you choose UW-Madison?
I expected UW to be an excellent environment for collaborative research, both due to exceptional faculty in CBE and numerous potential collaborators across campus. I was also impressed by the excellent undergraduate and graduate students in the program, as well as life in the city itself. I can safely say that my expectations have been exceeded!
If you could have the complete answer to any scientific question, what would you ask?
It sure would be great to know how we can definitively address climate change within my lifetime, although this requires the answers to many questions, not just one.
What piece of advice would you give to grad. students/post-docs aspiring to become principal investigators?
Here are two pieces of advice:
(1) Research is non-linear, and “failure” is normal and expected. You’re going to have redo experiments, you’ll make mistakes, papers/grants are going to be rejected, and sometimes entire projects won’t work as expected. Try to develop a thick skin as you face these inevitable challenges and see the positives in everything you do.
(2) Be curious and explore outside your specific subfield. I recommend attending seminars even if they don’t obviously relate to your research, meeting people outside of your discipline, and reading papers broadly – you never know what will inform your own research, or who you meet that might become a future collaborator.
What is your favorite scientific concept, theorem, or experiment?
This doesn’t quite fit the prompt, but I’ve been amazed by numerous rapid advances in science and technology in the last ~decade. I remember first hearing about CRISPR-Cas9 in grad school – now gene editing therapies have gained FDA approval. AlexNet pioneered the use of deep learning for image analysis in 2012 – now we have AlphaFold2, ChatGPT, self-driving cars (and laboratories!), AI-designed drugs, and more. Perhaps most impressively, COVID vaccines were developed in about a year. How cool is it to be active in the scientific community at this time and who knows what the next ten years will hold?
What hobbies do you enjoy outside of research?
Sports - I used to play ultimate frisbee regularly, but now I mostly watch professional sports (I’m a fan of the Steelers, Penguins, and Bucks) and play fantasy football.
What is your favorite book or movie? Or if you there are too many and you can't pick, What is your favorite book or movie genre?
For movies, I have broad interests and can’t really choose one, so here are some favorites in no particular order: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Die Hard, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Margin Call, My Cousin Vinny, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Being John Malkovich, What We Do in the Shadows, Arrival, and La La Land. For books, I like science fiction – favorites include Dune, the Hyperion Cantos, Lord of Light, and right now I’m working my way through The Expanse.
Grad Student Highlight
We wanted to take a second to highlight some of the cool things us fellow graduate students are getting up to. We talked with Steph Brown of the Loo lab about her recent experience running the Boston Marathon.
Let us know who we should interview next! Email Brungardt@wisc.edu with suggestions for graduate students doing cool stuff!
How did you get into running?
Soccer was my main sport growing up but my middle school didn't have a soccer team so I decided to join cross country in 7th grade. Two years later I quit club soccer and I've been obsessed with running ever since.
How do you keep up with marathon prep while in graduate school? Is it hard to strike a balance?
Definitely hard! Life was basically run-class-research-run-sleep. My brain was fried from grad school and my body was fried from training so there wasn't much bandwidth for anything else.
What motivated you to run the Boston Marathon?
It's an event with incredible history. It's unique because it draws top runners from around the world and the local community loves the race. Marathon Monday is a state holiday in Massachusetts and so many people come out to cheer on runners. There wasn't a single part of the 26.2 mile course that didn't have people lining the streets cheering.
Were there any moments that stood out to you during the marathon? Unexpected challenges, or fun memories?
It was so hot! Training in the winter in Wisconsin did not prepare me for 3+ hours in the heat and sun. The best parts were in the last couple miles getting to see some of my college teammates and my family along the side of the course.
Do you plan to run any more marathons during your graduate career?
Eventually, but not right away. I mostly ran the 5k in college and I miss those shorter, faster races. I'm hoping to do Grandma's Marathon in Duluth before I leave the Midwest. It's flat and fast and draws some of the top American marathoners every year!
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NobCChE highlight
Written by Ugochuwku Ikegwu and Abayọmi Awoyọmi
The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), established in 1975, aims to develop a distinguished group of diverse global leaders in STEM by enhancing their academic, professional, and leadership pursuits throughout their careers. We are pleased to announce the reestablishment of the UW-Madison NOBCChE chapter, following the successful application process with the NOBCChE Midwest and National bodies and the UW-Madison Student Organization Resource and Policy Guide. Special thanks to our chapter president Abayọmi Awoyọmi, a second-year Chemistry PhD student in the Song Jin Group; our faculty sponsor, Dr. Desiree Bates, Professor of Chemistry; and all chapter executives and members for their contributions to this achievement. The UW-Madison NOBCChE chapter is dedicated to advancing chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields through interdisciplinary research collaborations on UW-Madison campus and professional development opportunities for young scientist in their respective area of endeavor. We invite faculty, staff, and students in STEM at UW-Madison to join us in this initiative and make a meaningful impact.
To commemorate the heroics within our field and nation, the UW-Madison NOBCChE chapter successfully hosted a coffee hour celebration on February 29th in honor of Alice Ball. This date, observed quadrennially, acknowledges the significant and transformative impact of the Alice Ball method in Chemistry and Medical Sciences for developing a cure for leprosy. The event featured enriching conversations between faculty and students about the relevance of Ball's contributions to the contemporary academic landscape, all while enjoying delicious coffee and pastries.
Likewise, the UW-Madison NOBCChE chapter successfully organized a Juneteenth event to acknowledge the holiday, raise awareness about the abolition of slavery, and promote a more inclusive environment. This event featured engaging discussions among a group of distinguished panelists, including students and faculty. Many attendees mentioned that the event was their first exposure to the history and significance of Juneteenth, underscoring its impact on campus. We extend our special thanks to panelists Taylor Stephens (Yoon group), La’Darious Quinn (Lynn group), and Maia Bates (Barkholtz group), and to Brian Foster for his exceptional moderation. Our gratitude also goes to the entire UW-Madison NOBCChE chapter team for their efforts in making this event a success. The event concluded with a delightful menu catered by Kipps, complemented by drinks and music.
When asked about the impact of the UW-Madison NOBCChE chapter on their graduate school experience and the potential future of the chapter, we received the following responses.
“The NOBCChE chapter here in Madison has improved my grad school life tremendously by providing me with a community of students with whom I feel comfortable and safe sharing my experiences” Brian Foster (Choi Research Group).
“I see our chapter continuing to foster a community amongst the people our organization aims to serve so that we can be better equipped to implement any necessary changes to our department” Abayọmi Awoyọmi (Song Jin group).
In conclusion, we extend our gratitude to the NOBCChE Midwest and national chapters, as well as the Student Organization Resource and Policy Guide at UW-Madison, for their support in making the revival of our chapter possible. We also thank Proctor & Gamble (P&G) and the Chemistry Department for their financial support to date. We anticipate hosting more engaging events that will further our chapter's objectives. We invite you to join us for a fulfilling graduate school experience. Stay tuned for the launch of our social media accounts and website soon! You can reach us via email on nobcche.uwmadison@gmail.com.
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Trash Duck
Written by Anna Mangus
On a crisp, sunny day this past Spring, a young duck couple decided to bring new life to the steps of our very own Engineering Hall. Diana the Duck, after Princess Diana, and her partner, Charles, opted to nest their eggs by a quaint and humble pile of trash. Diana quickly became a local celebrity, with staff guarding her nest like Buckingham Palace and students frequently offering her food and well wishes. While seven eggs were spotted in the nest, only one duckling has been seen since the hatching (whether it’s William or Harry is up for debate). Though they’ve flown the nest, Diana and her duckling serve as unwavering symbols of resilience, adaptability, and the enduring power of nature.
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Events Recap
Pictures include a look at the spring aurora borealis sightings, the April 8th solar eclipse (photo credits to Josh Abraham, Insta: joshpabraham), and various ChEGS events :)
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Congratulations!
Defenses:
We'll be missing a lot of amazing students next semester. One last round of applause for all our graduated peers!
- Raka Ghosh Dastidar: Catalytic Upgrading of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Fuels, Solvents, and Polymer Precursors (Advisor: Prof. George Huber, Defended 2/14/2024)
- Richard (RJ) Hommel: Modeling and flow dynamics of dilute wormlike micelle solutions (Advisor: Prof. Michael Graham, Defended 2/26/2024 )
- Kyle Chin: From Molecules to Models: Advances in 3D Printing of Polymeric Materials Toward Improved Control, Functionality, and Sustainability (Advisor: Prof. Andrew Boydston, Defended 3/13/2024)
- Kevin Sánchez-Rivera: Recycling of Multilayer Plastic Packaging Materials by Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (Advisor: Prof. George Huber, Defended 4/10/2024)
- Christine Lucky: Electrochemical Transformation of C(sp3)−H and C(sp3)−C(sp3) Bonds in Small Organic Molecules (Advisor: Marcel Schreier, Defended 5/17/2024)
- Carlos E. Pérez De Jesús: Learning data-driven reduced-order models of complex flows (Advisor: Michael Graham, Defended 5/22/2024
- Jiaze MA: Scalable Decision-Making Frameworks for Sustainability (Advisor: Victor Zavala, Defended 5/20/2024)
- Aaron D. Simmons: Methods to monitor and improve the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (Advisor: Sean Palecek, Defended 6/18/2024)
- Min Soo Kim: Sustainable chemicals from biomass catalytic conversion and biodegradable plastics development (Advisor: George Huber, Defended 6/21/2024)
- Amy Qin: Machine Learning Methods for Chemical Property Prediction, Sensing, and Design (Advisor: Victor M. Zavala, Defended 6/21/2024)
- Abdullah J. Al Abdulghani: Development and Operando Characterization of Selective Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol and Propane Oxidative Dehydrogenation to Propylene (Advisor: Ive Hermans, Defended 7/1/2024)
- Maya Venkataraman: Improving Crop-Microbe Symbiosis in Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria (Advisor: Brian Pfleger, Defended 7/10/2024)
- Yunfeng Ding: Applications and Improvements of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Blood Brain Barrier Models (Advisors: Sean Palecek and Eric Shusta, Defended 7/11/2024)
Awards
- NSF-GRFP: Abigal Cordiner, Sam Johnstone
- Bird Stewart Lightfoot Graduate fellowship: Jiayang Wu, David Cole
- PPG Graduate fellowship: Libby Brungardt, Kenneth Martinez
- TA Ragatz Awardees: 1) Harshal Bakshi 2) Libby Brungardt 3) Shawn Stephens 4) Marissa Gallmeyer 5) Ugochukwu Ikegwu
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