2024 Annual Report
from the Director
The CEBC has enjoyed another successful year in terms of research funding, faculty and student recruitments, and research outputs. As it enters its third decade as an erstwhile National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (NSF ERC), the CEBC's mission to develop resource-efficient catalytic technologies to make everyday products avoiding toxic reagents is more relevant now than ever. Technologies with such characteristics not only maximize feedstock usage toward desired products but also avoid waste generation and subsequent clean-up. Chemical companies have long embraced such traits as being keys to a successful business strategy that simultaneously promotes economic visibility and environmental stewardship.
During the last two decades, CEBC researchers have been addressing sustainability grand challenges in industrial chemical processing. Examples featured in this report include sustainable plastics production and recycling, biomass valorization, circularity of critical elements and green hydrogen production. Establishing the significance of trace impurities in plastics precursors and harnessing machine learning for catalyst design are worthy products of note. These core research projects have harnessed expertise in catalysis, tunable solvents, multifunctional reactors, computational chemistry, data sciences and sustainability assessment to advance discovery and innovation. Such collaborations are initiated and sustained through major grants from federal (NSF, DOE, DARPA) and philanthropic organizations (Schmidt Sciences). CEBC member companies have taken advantage of the unique research capabilities/tools that result from the core projects to sponsor proprietary projects. This open innovation model continues to be a unique feature of CEBC's successful track record of spawning core research projects of value to industry.
To celebrate CEBC's accomplishments over the past 20 years, the 2024 Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference in Atlanta (organized by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute) hosted a stimulating session that featured distinguished scientists from academia and industry. CEBC's sustained vibrancy and successes beyond NSF ERC funding was noted as a significant accomplishment by almost every speaker. We were especially delighted that current and former editors-in-chief of Green Chemistry, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering and ACS Catalysis accepted to speak at the session.
CEBC has been a valuable resource for KU to attract outstanding faculty and student talent. Recent recruitments and accomplishments of our faculty and student researchers are highlighted in the report. We are proud to feature the placements of some of the 500+ CEBC alumni who have gone on to successful careers in industry and academia.
Science funding by federal and state legislatures is facing challenges and causing anxiety to the academic research enterprise. In addition to developing effective coping strategies, it is vitally important for stakeholders to articulate the significance of research investments to society and U.S. leadership. We must make effective use of science communication resources available through organizations such as AAAS and ACS to train faculty and students to effectively engage with local legislators and congressional delegations. The CEBC education and outreach program has been and will remain active on both of these fronts. We are providing up-to-date and transparent information to our scholars as we navigate periods of uncertainty and remain resilient as a community during difficult times.
Continued stewardship and support from KU leadership at all levels will be critical to the sustained success of CEBC. I wish to thank all those, past and present, and especially the CEBC Industry and Science Advisory boards, who have contributed to keeping the CEBC's mission strong and vibrant. I am confident that the CEBC will continue to attract outstanding talent that will enable it to reach even greater heights in the coming decades.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bala Subramaniam
CEBC Director
Protecting the Planet
Our mission is straightforward: Invent cleaner, safer, energy-efficient technologies that protect the planet and human health. Our approach is unique: Faculty and students from multiple disciplines collaborate at the CEBC to discover technologies that minimize carbon footprint and toxicity, and are economically viable. We actively partner with chemical companies. This industry-focused approach, uncommon in many university research programs, helps maximize the potential impact of our fundamental discoveries.
New grant: Schmidt Sciences Virtual Institute on Feedstocks of the Future (VIFF)
Professors Marco Caricato and Bala Subramaniam combine quantum chemistry & machine learning
Kevin Leonard to develop new technologies for green hydrogen production
Protecting the Planet: Research Highlights
VIFF $10,000,000, 2024-2029
The CEBC is collaborating on a new Schmidt Sciences Virtual Institute on Feedstocks of the Future (VIFF) and Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) grant to develop a process to convert agricultural and municipal waste into nutrients and feedstocks for manucaturing of everyday products.
CEBC Director Bala Subramaniam is co-PI on the project and will lead efforts to upcycle agricultural waste into feedstock pellets. Two CEBC member companies - ADM and Johnson Matthey - will provide guidance on scaling up technologies developed through this project. "Johnson Matthey is excited to continue to deepen our relationship with CEBC by supporting the Schmidt Sciences VIFF technology project initiative," said Jerry Springs, director of research & development at Johnson Matthey.
"Our team's goal is to demonstrate a technology that can transform diverse sources of chemical feedstocks, ranging from agricultural leftovers to municipal solid wate, into pellets that can be easily processed to make everyday products," said Subramaniam. "Successfully solving this challenge will revolutionize biorefineries and transform agro-based economies like Kansas and beyond into chemical manufacturing hubs that will be sustained for generations."
NSF $602,669, 2024-2027
CEBC Chemistry faculty member, Professor Marco Caricato and CEBC Director, Professor Bala Subramaniam will team up to develop a sustainable method for making propylene, a vital chemical critical to the production of polymeric materials.
The team will determine the reaction mechanism for the metathesis of ethene and 2-butene to form propene on silica-supported W or Mo catalyst in the presence of a second metal such as Nb, and investigate the structural and electronic effects of varying the second metal. The knowledge gained will lead to the design of better-performing catalyst materials.
Potential applications include making renewable propylene from ethylene obtained from bioethanol, whose demand as a fuel is expected to decline.
DOE $5,000,000, 2024-2027
Dr. Kevin Leonard is leading a multi-sector Department of Energy funded project to make green hydrogen a reality. In collaboration with Avium, LLC, founded by Leonard and his former PhD student Joe Barforoush, they will develop new catalysts and technologies to improve the efficiency and reliability of green hydrogen production. Green hydrogen may provide an avenue for long-term storage of sustainably sourced energy when an overabundance is created. For example, in the summer, an excess of solar power is often generated, which could be stored and used when solar energy is more scarce (i.e., winter).
Traditionally, hydrogen is made from natural gas, but worldwide hydrogen production results in hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Avium's catalysts make green hydrogen production more efficient.
According to Leonard, the benefits might well extend beyond sectors where hydrogen is already used. "People are interested in green hydrogen for traditional applications, but also for emerging ones," he said. A commodity chemical, hydrogen is used in fertilizers, cement production, metal processing and refining. Leonard says green hydrogen as critical in creating sustainable, petroleum-free fuels. He says green hydrogen is a key part of the transition to clean energy. "Green hydrogen can help make the chemical industry more sustainable by enabling more efficient production of fuels and fertilizers," he said.
DOE $1,300,000, 2023-2027
Collaborating with the Idaho National Laboratory and First Solar Inc., P.I. Dr. Bala Subramaniam and Associate Researcher Dr. Hongda Zhu have developed a technology that uses benign solvents and acoustic vibrations to rapidly delaminate solar panels and recover the critical energy.
Solar power is cost-competitive and avoids carbon emissions associated with conventional energy sources. By 2050, the demand for solar power is estimated to be as much as 100 Terawatts. Critical materials such as cadmium (Cd) and tellurium (Te) are essential to produce high efficiency CdTe photovoltaic panels. To economically produce such solar cells, cost effective and environmentally benign technologies to recover and recycle critical minerals are needed.
CEBC's recycling technology will promote sustainable production of solar panels by replacing sluggish conventional recycling processes that crush the solar panels into particles and use concentrated acid-oxidant mixture for recovering the elements.
ASTER LSAMP $3,500,000, 2024-2029
Dr. Ana Chicas-Mosier is co-PI and Program Director for the newly awarded Aligning STEM Trainees for Enterprising Research (ASTER) Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). This award will support undergraduate STEM research at six regional higher education institutions including KU, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Pittsburg State University, Johnson County Community College, Kansas City Kansas Community College, and Southeast Community College (Lincoln). Undergraduate researchers will receive professional development, multi-tier mentorship, and financial support. The CEBC is excited to be home to this important and interdisciplinary grant. ASTER students will work on a variety of research projects spanning chemistry, neuroscience, genetics, combinatorics, fluid mechanics, particle physics, construction materials and more.
Snapshot of the impact
• 20 students selected for the 2024-2025 University of Kansas cohort spanning the entire science, technology, engineering, and mathematics spectrum
• 33 students from partner institutions include 10 from area community colleges
• 16 faculty mentors have participated in mentorship training
• 75 participants joined the first alliance-wide virtual professional development and community building session
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) $171,969
Small-Scale, Transportable Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis System using only Local Groundwater and Electricity
This research effort by Dr. Elizabeth Corson, Fred Kurata Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, studies the application of using local groundwater and electricity to electrochemically reduce nitrate to ammonia, an energy-dense fuel. The goal is to reveal the mechanisms of catalyst deactivation caused by the most common ions found in groundwater, and explore solutions to address them through catalyst design and electrochemical operating conditions. The ion deactivation mechanisms are being studied using in situ IR and Raman spectroscopy and ex situ product analysis, supported by novel electrochemical cell design.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) $26,166
Plasmon-Enhanced Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction
With this grant, Dr. Elizabeth Corson and a graduate student will travel to the NASA Glenn Research Center to meet with NASA scientists to establish a research collaboration addressing the selectivity and efficiency of CO2 reduction through plasmon-enhanced electrocatalysis, using light and electricity to control the reaction. Electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction could mitigate climate effects caused by the burning of fossil fuels while producing valuable fuels and chemicals. Beyond our planet, the conversion of CO2 to products enables in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) that can lift the burden of bringing supplies from Earth. The key challenges of electrochemical CO2 conversion are low selectivity, which requires costly separation, and low efficiency, which increases the operating costs from electricity.
NSF Research Traineeship (NRT), $3,000,000, 2019-2025
The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship is in its final year with more than 50 graduate students supported through professional development, inter-disciplinary research, and innovative coursework.
Researchers have successfully used machine learning techniques to identify yet unexplored catalyst-electrolyte combinations for nitrogen reduction reactions, and demonstrated automated analysis of voltammograms that could identify kinetic rate constant and transfer coefficients in milliseconds. The integration of machine learning into catalysis can rapidly analyze and accurately generate areas for future research exploration.
Snapshot of the impact
• Engagement with graduate students from chemical engineering,
chemistry, computer science, mechanical engineering, bioengineering,
and environmental engineering
• New graduate certificate in Machine Learning for Scientists and Engineers
• 11 masters and doctoral degrees
• 16 peer-reviewed publications to date
KU student's NRT research recognized at international Gordon Research Conference
Brianna Farris (second from left above), received the Best Poster Award at the Green Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in Barcelona, Spain in July 2024. Her poster, “Using Large Language Models to Gain Insights into Electrocatalysis,” so impressed the reviewers that they also invited Brianna to give a flash talk on the research.
NSF-funded collaboration with University of Galway
Brianna Farris, PhD student in the Leonard laboratory, travelled to Ireland for one month to learn about Natural Language Processing at the University of Galway with Prof. Paul Buitelaar. This NRT-based collaboration brought together chemical engineering expertise from KU with computational expertise from Ireland. The project expands on Brianna’s research investigating machine learning applications as a strategy to mine knowledge gaps in catalysis. A publication is in preparation and demonstrates the inter-disciplinary and international opportunities the NRT program has created.
Advanced Manufacturing of Renewable and Recyclable Polymers (R2P) $4,000,000, 2021-2025
A multi-campus program to develop renewable and recyclable polymers is in its fourth year. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the R2P project brings together researchers from KU’s CEBC, the University of Delaware’s (UD) Center for Plastics Innovation, and Pittsburg State University’s (PSU) National Institute for Materials Advancement. The team is working to design biobased polymer precursors that can be made into plastics and more easily recycled.
The transition from petroleum-based plastics to more sustainable alternatives is a challenging research field. Getting from the raw biomass material to an actual plastic polymer requires several steps, and each step must be optimized for the end product to compete with traditional plastics. Two recent papers by authors at KU and UD highlight some of the advances being made.
Led by UD graduate student Charles Fields and KU postdoc Preeti Jain, one paper reports an improved method to produce a plastic precursor, 4,4’-DMBP, at much faster rates and at high purity.
A second paper focuses on the techno-economic analysis required to simulate commercial scale production of BFDCA, and estimate the cost and environmental impacts of its production. This analysis requires extensive physical property data. KU graduate student Samir Castilla-Acevedo and several coworkers at KU and UD developed a physical property model that can be used to carry out these calculations.
Meanwhile, collaborators at PSU are working to incorporate these materials into polymer samples that can be evaluated for their performance, and scientists at KU and UD are testing different approaches to recycling them.
ASTER (Aligning STEM Trainees for Enterprising Research) Locations
Elizabeth Corson, Fred Kurata Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
Bri Farris, center left, receives an award at the Green Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in Barcelona, Spain
Catalyzing Discovery: Faculty & Researcher Highlights
In early 2024, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced its 2023 class of fellows. CEBC Director, Dr. Bala Subrama-
niam received this high scientific honor. He was recognized for “seminal contributions in sustainable catalysis and engineering research via publications of high impact, licensed technologies and professional leadership, including the founding of KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis.”
Dr. Subramaniam also was honored as the recipient of the 2024 Great Plains Catalysis Society Award. The GPCS noted Bala’s discoveries in metal-incorporated mesoporous silicates with tunable acidity, and harnessing tunable media to influence rates and selectivity in multiphase catalysis.
Dr. Bala Subramaniam and Dr. Alan Allgeier hosted a symposium at the American Chemical Society Spring Annual Meeting titled “Promoting Industrial Decarbonization and Sustainability: A Session Celebrating Twenty Years of the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (CEBC).” The symposium highlighted the more than 20 years of innovation and discovery by the CEBC such as industrially relevant and less carbon-intensive chemical technologies, which has been guided by quantitative sustainability assessment, machine learning, and industry partnerships.
CEBC Associate Researcher Dr. Sandip Singh recently served as one of three guest editors for a special issue of TOPICS IN CATALYSIS. Released in February 2025 by SpringerNature, the volume comprises a collection of research papers presented at the International Conference on Ma-terials for Sustainable Energy, Environ-ment, and Health (ICMSEEH-2023) held in October 2023 at Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
The 18 articles selected by the editors for the special issue address pressing global challenges at the intersection of sustain-able energy production, environmental protection, and improved human health.
Dr. Manar Shoshani, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Education:
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2018-2021, California Institute of Technology
• PhD Chemistry, 2018, University of Windsor
• BSc. Chemistry, 2013, University of Windsor
Notable:
• NSF CAREER Awardee, 2024
• Thieme Chemistry Journal Awardee, 2024
• Dalton Transaction New Talents: The Americas, 2024
• ACS PRF Undergraduate New Investigator Award, 2023
• UT Faculty STARs Awardee, 2021, as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Governor General Gold Medal, 2019
Research Interests:
Research in the Shoshani lab is focused on the conversion of cheap and abundant precursors to value-added products including liquid fuels, functionalized heterocycles, and polymeric materials. The group’s approach utilizes well-defined, homogeneous multimetallic complexes to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the reactivity pathways involved, enabling the design of cooperative catalytic strategies.
Alan Allgeier is now a full Professor in KU Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. He seeks to promote sustainable catalysis and manufacturing by understanding fundamen-tal reactions of catalytic species and developing novel characterization methods of fluids in contact with porous media.
Kevin Leonard is now a full Professor in KU Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. He seeks to advance fundamental understanding to design new electro-catalytic systems to improve the efficiency of and reduce fossil carbon emissions associated with fuel and chemical production.
Justin Hutchison is now an Associate professor in KU Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. His research focus is protein and enzymatic (biocatalytic) applications to treat drinking water, and to offer alternative catalytic processes that promote the use of earth-abundant metals.
- Alan Allgeier, Prof. of Chemical Engineering, received the Miller Faculty Scholar Award and Miller Award for Service to the Profession from KU School of Engineering
- Rachael Farber, Asst. Prof. of Chemistry, received the November 2024 KU Dept. of Chemistry Sutton Family Research Impact Award
- Justin Hutchison, Assoc. Prof., Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, received the KU School of Engineering Miller Award for Research
- Ward Thompson, Prof. of Chemistry, was named as Richard S. Givens Professor of Chemistry, and awarded the KU Department of Chemistry Sutton Family Research Impact Award in both February and April 2024
Alan Allgeier, Professor of Chemical Engineering
International: University of Lancaster, UK, Seminar, June
International: 18th International Congress on Catalysis (ICC), Lyon, France, July
• ACS 2024 Annual Spring Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March
• Characterization of Porous Materials (CPM)-9 Conference, Delray Beach, FL, May
Juan Bravo Suárez, Assoc. Professor of Chemical Engineering
• Great Plains Catalysis Society 2024 Webinar Series, May
Rachael Farber, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
• Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
• University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
• University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
• ACS Midwest Regional Meeting, Omaha, NE, October
• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Elizabeth Corson, Asst. Professor of Chemical Engineering
• Electrochemistry Gordon Research Conference, Discussion Leader, Ventura, CA, January
• DyMERS Seminar, University of Kansas, Department of Chemistry, February
• 245th Electrochemical Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, May
• ACS San Diego Section (virtual), August
• Great Plains Catalysis Society Fall Symposium, Norman, OK, August
• University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Chemistry, Reno, NV, September
• AIChE Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October
Justin Hutchison, Assoc. Professor of Civil/Enviro./Arch. Engineering
• University of Nebraska, Environmental Engineering Seminar, Lincoln, February
• American Chemical Society Spring Conference, New Orleans, LA, March
• BioNexus, Kansas City, Kansas, April
• KU Environmental Engineering Conference, Lawrence, KS, April
• Pratt City Commission, Pratt, KS, August
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Lawrence, KS, August
Tim Jackson, Department Chair & Professor of Chemistry
International:International Conference on Hydrogen-Atom Transfer, Moteporzio Catone, Italy, June
• ACS 2024 Annual Spring Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March
Kevin Leonard, Professor of Chemical Engineering
International: CDT in Sustainable Chemistry Winter Showcase, University of Nottingham, UK, Keynote Address, February
International:DOE ARPA-E / European Innovation Council, September
• ACS Green Chemistry Conference, Atlanta, GA, June
• ACS Catalysis Division Summer School, August
Ward Thompson, Professor of Chemistry
International: International Conference on Ionizing Processes, University of Notre Dame, August
• National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA, March
• Gordon Research Conference, “Vibrational Spectroscopy,” Smithfield, RI, August
• Telluride Science Research Conferences, Telluride, CO, July and September
• Sandia National Lab Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences (CSGB) Seminar (virtual), September
• Statistical Thermodynamics and Molecular Simulations (STMS) Virtual Seminar Series, December
Welcome, New Affiliate Scientists & Science Advisors
In 2024, two new adjunct researchers and three new Science Advisory Board members joined the CEBC to provide their expertise for CEBC core projects.
Dr. Anil Guram, Affiliate Research Scientist
Dr. Anil Guram joined the CEBC as an Affiliate Research Scientist to lend support in chemical catalysis research and development. Dr. Guram has extensive industrial expertise in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis with more than 30 years’ industrial work experience at commodity and
fine chemical companies including Union Carbide, Symyx Technologies, Amgen, and Art of Elements. He is an established innovator of high-throughput experimentation workflows/tools for catalysis research, and has developed numerous chemical technologies including catalysts, reactions, and processes to promote both academic and industrial chemical research. He has authored more than 75 journal and patent publications. Dr. Guram is currently engaged as a Chief Scientist at Art of Elements, LLC providing consulting and R&D services to chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Bill Gong, Affiliate Research Scientist
Dr. William (Bill) Gong joined the CEBC as an Adjunct Researcher in August 2024. Bill has over 30 years of research and development experience from BP (26 years, Senior Research Scientist), and Origin Materials (7 years, Senior Principal Scientist). Bill’s interests span catalytic oxidation (Mid Century Catalyzed Oxidation) to chemical conversions of renewables to specialty and commodity chemicals. In the last 10 years of his career with BP, he researched in the area of carbohydrates to aromatics. Bill also has extensive experience managing several external collaborations on behalf of
BP and Origin Materials. For several years, Bill also served as a CEBC Industry Advisory Board member representing Origin Materials.
Dr. Gregg Beckham, to Science Advisory Board
Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader, National Renewable Energy Lab
Research Interests: Biomass conversion, plastics recycling and redesign
Notable: National Academy of Engineering, elected 2025; Plastics Recycling and Upcycling Gordon Research Conference co-chair and founder, 2023; Lignin Gordon Research Conference co-chair and founder, 2018
Education:
• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Master’s, Chemical Engineering Practice, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Bachelor, Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University
Dr. Elizabeth Biddinger, to Science Advisory Board
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, The City College of New York
Research Interests: Biomass utilization, CO2 utilization, catalysis, chemical engineering, decarbonization, electrochemical engineering, energy storage technologies, ionic liquids
Notable: ECS Industrial Electrochemistry & Electrochemical Engineering Division, Vice Chair 2024-2026, Secretary/Treasurer 2022-2024; ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Associate Editor, 2022-Present; Center for Decarbonizing Chemical Manufacturing Using Sustainable Electrification (DC-MUSE), Deputy Director, 2020-Present; AIChE Catalysis & Reaction Engineering Division Director, 2017-2019
Education:
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of
Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 2010-2012
• Ph.D., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 2010, The Ohio State University
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, Mathematics minor, Magna Cum Laude, 2005, Ohio University
Dr. Justin Notestein, to Science Advisory Board
Northwestern University Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Director of the Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS)
Research Interests: Catalysis science, energy, materials, and nanoscience. The Notestein research team develops novel designs and syntheses of catalysts, adsorbents, and other functional materials especially for the purposes of more sustainable routes to important chemicals and fuels.
Notable: More than 150 papers and patents in catalysis; Five times named to teaching honor roll
Education:
• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
• B.S.E Chemical Engineering (magna cum laude), Princeton University, NJ
Spreading the Seeds
WinterFLY 2024/2025 was the largest yet
Postdoc Nakisha Mark helps Prof. Alan Allgeier's son use a benchtop microscope
CEBC Trainees share their research experience with the community
WinterFLY 2024/2025 was the largest yet with students from three departments joining the fun! This year, students played teambuilding games, integrated their creativity with science through collage-making, learned about and practiced leadership skills, and toured the Spencer Museum of Art. WinterFLY was borne of the NRT program to bring students together across disciplines for socialization and interdisciplinary skill-building. This was the last official NRT WinterFLY but the event has consistently demonstrated the value of bringing students together as a method to improve the graduate student experience.
Attendees
Alexander Lara (EECS), Paul Nyankey (CPE), Darik Rosser (CPE), Abdullah Bahdad (CPE), Jared Bartlett (CPE), Josena Frame (CPE), Eli Walther (CPE), Bri Farris (CPE), Mukhtiar Ali (CPE), Kara Poge (Environmental Engineering), Shelby Atherton (CPE)
The annual Carnival of Chemistry, hosted by the KU Department of Chemistry, welcomes more than 300 kids and their families to explore the Gray-Little building and learn about chemistry firsthand. The CEBC hosted an exploration of size, using benchtop microscopes and images of transmission electron microscopes. CEBC graduate student, Alejandra Torres Velasco, used MatLab to program a virtual experience for the kids to “see” catalysts at nanometer scale.
Emporia State University holds an annual Enhancing Your Future with Science and Mathematics event that hosts more than 200 girls in 6th-8th grade. The event engages them in science workshops, discussions with women scientists, and hands-on activities. CEBC Teaching and Research Postdoctoral Researcher, Nakisha Mark, talked about what it means to be a woman in chemistry, and led an experiment converting corn starch into plastics.
The CEBC continued its monthly outreach event at Full Circle Afterschool Program at the Lawrence Housing Authority. Each month, we explore a new chemistry topic with a hands-on activity such as the chemistry of DNA extraction, green energy, and distillation.
In 2024, we added a monthly outreach activity at Raintree Montessori in Lawrence, KS. The first- through third-grade students have engaged with non-Newtonian fluids, made plastic from corn starch, and used cabbage to determine the pH of common household liquids.
Event at Emporia State University hosts more than 200 girls in 6th-8th grade
Grad student Darik Rosser helps students during a Full Circle activity
Raintree elementary students make plastic from cornstarch
Growing the Seeds: Conferences and Student Awards
In 2024, researchers, students and faculty attended numerous conferences, including international venues. Several students also were honored at selective competitions and programs at U.S. and international venues.
Trainees Receive Awards in 2024
Brianna Farris, Advisor: Kevin Leonard
• Best Poster Award at the 2024 Green Chemistry Gordon Research Conference
Emma Russin, Advisor: Justin Hutchison
• MOAWWA/MWEA Conference Student Poster Competition 2nd Place
Alejandra Torres Velasco, Advisor: Juan Bravo-Suárez
• Travel Award for Attending the 18th International Congress on Catalysis, awarded by the North American Catalysis Society
• Best Poster Presentation, awarded by the Great Plains Catalysis Society, August 2024
• Presentation Award Winner, awarded at the 2nd Virtual Symposium of LatinXinChE
Natalie Lind, Advisor: James Blakemore
• KU Chemistry Department, H.P. Cady Award
Emily Mikeska, Advisor: James Blakemore
• KU Chemistry Department Ernest & Marvel Griswold Award in Organic Chemistry
Alejandra Torres Velasco, Advisor: Juan Bravo-Suárez
• KU Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department, Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Elizabeth Bartlett, Advisor: Ward Thompson
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 2024 Honorable Mention
• University of Kansas Department of Chemistry Graduate 2024 Scholarship
• KU Self Fellow
Shreyaa Brahmachari, Advisor: Marco Caricato
• KU Chemistry Department Burton & Cheryle McKenzie Scholarship
• KU Chemistry Department Wilson Summer Scholar
Sam Brunclik, Advisor: Tim Jackson
• KU Chemistry Department Charles & Beatrice Kulier Scholarship
Fynn Cooper, Advisor: James Blakemore
• KU Chemistry Department Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship
Alex Ervin, Advisor: James Blakemore
• KU Chemistry Department Burton & Cheryle McKenzie Scholarship
Natalie Lind, Advisor: James Blakemore
• KU Self Fellow
Lindsey Penland, Advisor: Rachael Farber
• KU Chemistry Department Elmer McCollum Research Scholarship
Emma Russin, Advisor: Justin Hutchison
• Terry L. McKanna Scholarship
• Kansas Water Environment Association Scholarship
Abdullah Bahdad, graduate student, Advisor: Kevin Leonard
Won second place in the AIChE Student Competition in Sensors at the organization’s Annual Meeting in October for his work titled “360b Anodically Grown Pt(II) Oxide Micro
electrode/Nanoelectrode pH Sensor.”
Tate Bestwick, graduate student, Advisor: Kyle Camarda
Attended the Gaussian Process and Uncertainty Quantification Summer School in Manchester, UK, in September. The four-day program presented a deep dive into practices and modelling of Gaussian Processes.
Fynn Cooper, graduate student, Advisor: James Blakemore
Named the 2024 SCI America Perkin Medal Scholar. One of the highest honors given for outstanding work in American industrial chemistry, the medal was presented to Fynn by the Society of Chemical Industry in Philadelphia, PA, in September.
Natalie Lind, graduate student, Advisor: James Blakemore
Selected as one of four recognized at the 21st Kansas Capitol Graduate Research Summit in Topeka in March.
Alejandra Torres Velasco, graduate student, Advisor: Juan Bravo Suarez
Won a monetary award for her September presentation at the 2nd Virtual Symposium of
LatinXinChE, sponsored by AIChE and Dow.
Ben Auer, undergraduate student, Advisor: Alan Allgeier
Selected for the Future Leaders in Chemical Engineering Symposium at North Carolina State University. The two-day October event recognized top U.S. undergraduates in chemical engineering, with 18 participants sharing their research.
Students, Postdocs & Faculty Attend Conferences in 2024
• National Postdoctoral Association Annual Conference, Seattle, WA
Postdoctoral Researcher, Apoorva Ranjekar
• American Chemical Society Spring Meeting, New Orleans, LA
Faculty: Alan Allgeier, James Blakemore, Juan Bravo Suárez, Justin Hutchison, Kevin Leonard, Bala Subramaniam; Associate Researcher, Hongda Zhu; Students: Sam Brunclik, Samir Castilla (talk), Sahan Godahewa (poster), Thanuja Jayawardena (poster), Khanh Le (poster), C.J. Ponge (talk), Nathaniel Sheehan (talk)
• Department of Energy Conference, Arlington, VA
Associate Researcher Hongda Zhu
• Department of Defense DEPSCoR Meeting, Norman, OK
Associate Professor Juan Bravo Suárez
• Gordon Research Conference, Catalysis, New London, NH
Postdoctoral Researchers: Loveneesh Kumar (poster) and Anoop Uchagawkar
• American Chemical Society, 28th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference Atlanta, GA
Professor Kevin Leonard
• Department of Energy, ARPA-E Workshop, Washington, DC
Professors Alan Allgeier and Kevin Leonard
• EPSCoR Summit, Washington, DC
Professor Kevin Leonard
• Gordon Research Conference, Water & Aqueous Solutions, Holderness, NH
Student, Elizabeth Bartlett (poster)
• Gordon Research Conference, Lignin, Boston, MA
Associate Researcher Sandip Singh
• American Chemical Society Fall Meeting, Denver, CO
Faculty: Alan Allgeier and James Blakemore; Postdoctoral Researcher Preeti Jain (talk);
Students: Sam Brunclik and Nigel Twi-Yeboah
• Great Plains Catalysis Society Fall Symposium, Norman, Oklahoma
Faculty: Alan Allgeier, Juan Bravo Suárez (talk), Elizabeth Corson (talk) and Bala Subramaniam (plenary lecture, GPCS Award); Associate Researchers: Sandip Singh (talk) and Kirk Snavely; Postdoctoral Researchers: Preeti Jain, Loveneesh Kumar (talk), Sahil Kumar, Nakisha Mark, Priyanka Pal (talk), Apoorva Ranjekar (talk), and Kinithi Wickramaratne (talk); Students: (all gave talks) Hashim Alzahrani, Ben Auer, Jared Bartlett, Samir Castilla, Prathusha Kothinti, Bhagyesha Patil, Odiri Siakpebru, and Alejandra Torres-Velasco
• NRT Annual Conference, Washington, DC
Professor Kevin Leonard and Student Darik Rosser
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA
Professors Kevin Leonard and Bala Subramaniam; Associate Researcher Sandip Singh; Postdoctoral Researchers Preeti Jain and Anoop Uchagawkar; Students: Hashim Alzahrani (talk), Shelby Atherton (poster), Abdullah Bahdad (poster), Tate Bestwick (poster), Brianna Farris (poster), Prathusha Kothinti (talk), Darik Rosser, Nigel Twi-Yeboah (talk)
SPAIN
Grad students Darik Rosser, Shelby Atherton and Brianna Farris of Dr. Kevin Leon-
ard’s lab attended the Green Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in Barcelona, Spain, in July. Brianna gave an invited talk and won a “Best Poster” award.
FRANCE
Grad student Alejandra Torres-Velasco of Dr. Juan Bravo-Suárez’s lab, and Postdoctoral Researcher Nakisha Mark of Dr. Bala Subramaniam’s lab attended the 18th International Congress on Catalysis in Lyon, France, in July. Alejandra won a North American Catalysis Society travel award to attend.
GERMANY
Alex Ervin (R), a graduate student in Dr. James Blakemore’s (L) lab, attended the Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology 2024 Workshop and Conference in Karlsruhe, Germany in October. The five-day conference combined the International Workshop on Advanced Techniques in Actinide Spetroscopy (ATAS) and the AnXAS International Workshop on Speciation, Techniques, and Facilities for Radioactive Materials at Synchrotron Light Sources.
USA
Lindsey Penland, a graduate student in Dr. Rachael Farber’s lab, attended the AVS 70th International Symposium & Exhibition in Tampa, FL, in November. The week-long event included topics in machine learning, big data, and emerging artificial intelligence across the many different topical areas of AVS.
Educating Future Leaders
As the chemical industry's global output continues to expand, the CEBC's mission is more relevant than ever. Over the past 20 years, more than 1,000 people have helped make the Center a success, including more than 500 alumni who have gone on to successful careers in industry and academia.
Celebrating our 2024 Graduates, New CEBC Postdocs, and CEBC Alumni
Samuel Brunclik, Ph.D. Chemistry
Advisor, Tim Jackson
Now a NIH IRACDA postdoctoral researcher at KU
Riddhi Golwankar, Ph.D. Chemistry
Advisor, James Blakemore
Now a Postdoctoral Researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Joseph Karnes, Ph.D. Chemistry
Advisor, James Blakemore
Emily Mikeska, Ph.D. Chemistry
Advisor, James Blakemore
Now a Postdoctoral Researcher at Argonne National Lab
Ngun Za Luai Mang, M.S. Environmental Engineering
Advisor, Justin Hutchison
Now a Staff Research Scientist at Desert Research Institute
Dacosta Osei, M.S. Chemical Engineering
Advisor, Ana Morais
Now an Associate Process Engineer at Conagra Brands
Felix Sotvik, M.S. Chemical Engineering
Advisor, Kevin Leonard
Nigel Twi-Yeboah, M.S. Chemical Engineering
Advisor, Alan Allgeier
Now a Project Management Consultant at Nextera Energy
Dr. Sangeeta Mahala joined the CEBC in March 2024, and is working on an ADM project to establish a cost-effective reaction protocol for the transformation of biobased polyols over a heterogeneous catalyst. Sangeeta’s research focuses on the reaction mechanism, catalyst synthesis and characterization of material with various analytical techniques. Her past research includes the synthesis and characterization of metal oxide and metal organic framework catalysts to convert sugar in fructose and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, an important pre-cursor for biobased liquid fuels. Sangeeta is also a CEBC safety committee member.
Ph.D. 2023, Chemical Science IISER Mohali, Punjab India
Rajasthan University, Jaipur, India: M.Sc. 2017, Chemistry ; B.Sc. 2015, Chemistry, Zoology and Botany
Dr. Sahil Kumar is focused on developing environ-mentally benign processes for the epoxidation of olefins using robust heterogeneous catalysts. During his Ph.D., Sahil worked extensively on the development of water-tolerant metal oxide-based solid acid catalysts for the transformation of carboxides derived from mango seed shells into high-value chemicals. This work equipped him with expertise in advanced catalyst characterization techniques, including X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and chemisorption analyses such as NH3-TPD, CO2-TPD, and H2-TPR. Notably, Sahil had the opportunity to work with the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow as part of the prestigious Newton-Bhabha fellowship in 2022 for four months sponsored by The British Council, UK. There, he contributed to research on producing bio-based surfactants from cellulose and conducting theoretical studies using computational tools, advancing green chemical innovations. Outside of research, Sahil enjoys cooking new dishes, singing, and exploring adventurous activities.
Ph.D. 2023, Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar Hons. School: M.Sc. 2016 Chemistry; B.Sc. 2014, Chemistry
Dr. Kinithi Wickramaratne is a solid-state and materials chemist specializing in electrochemical energy conversion, catalysis, and energy storage. Her expertise includes the design, synthesis, and characterization of metal oxides for applications in fuel cells, electrocatalysis, and pseudocapacitive charge storage. She has extensive experience in electrochemical water splitting, CO2 reduction, impedance spectroscopy, and analyzing capacitance contributions in energy storage materials. At the CEBC, Kinithi’s research focuses on in-situ electrochemical methods to address energy and environmental challenges. She works to convert nitrate pollutants into ammonia through in-situ electrochemical reduction, offering a sustainable solution for fertilizer and fuel production. She is developing strategies for the co-reduction of CO2 and nitrate to produce renewable urea. Her work bridges electrochemistry with sustainable energy solutions, offering more eco-friendly alternatives for various applications.
Ph.D. 2024, Materials Science & Inorganic Chemistry, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
B.S. 2017, Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemical Sciences, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Dr. Ravi Teja Addanki Tirumala specializes in high-pressure electrochemistry using CO2 and N2O-expanded media. Ravi has extensive experience in pilot plant operations and detailed engineering in the catalytic and polymer sectors. His expertise encompasses photocatalysis, electrochemistry, solar cells, and battery materials. He has made significant contributions, particularly during his tenure at Oklahoma State University and Pluss Advanced Technologies in Delhi. His work in photocatalytic and electrocatalytic materials have potential applications in the fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, care chemicals, and fine chemical industries. Ravi’s scholarly record includes 15 peer-reviewed publications, four patents, and a role as Co-PI in research grants. An active member of the American Chemical Society, he is deeply engaged in professional development, NSF proposal reviews, and CEBC outreach initiatives.
Ph.D. 2022, Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
M.Tech. 2015, Chemical Engineering (Spl. in Process Design), University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India
B.Tech. 2013, Chemical Engineering Sathyabama University, Chennai, India
More than half of former CEBC students, postdocs and researchers are employed in the chemical industry after leaving KU. Several (with *) have returned to deliver seminars as part of CEBC’s Industry Colloquia series. A partial list of these CEBC alumni who continue to help protect the planet in their daily endeavors:
Industry:
AbbVie: *Simon Velasquez Morales, Nan Wang
ADM, Derek Butler
Advanced ReactorTechnology, Sagar Sarsani (co-founder)
AmSpec Group, *Hong Jin
Aspen Tech, Faisal Baksh
Avium, LLC, *Joe Barforoush (co-founder)
Benet Labs, David Sconyers
Braskem, Priya Srinivasan
Chemours, Bill Gilbert
Chevron Phillips Chemical, Julie Leseberg, Anand Ramanathan
Deloitte, Luan Nguyen
Delrin Acetal Homopolymer, David Mennick
Dow Chemical Co., Swarup Maiti
Eastman Chemical, Chad Johnson, Bhuma Rajagopalan
Eli Lilly, Sylvia Nwosu
ENCINA, Meng Li
Evonik, Jack Ford
EVRI, Pallavi Bobba
Exxon-Mobil, Madhav Ghanta, Wei Ren
Hcpect, Tie-Pan Shi
Honeywell, Venu Arunajatesan
INEOS, Chi-Cheng Ma
Inpria, Amy Jystad
Intel Corp., *Dylan Jantz, Brandon Kinn, Tim McDonald, Ankit Verma, Pubudu Wimalasiri
LyondellBasell, *Arely Torres
Mars Corp., Manoj Kumar
Metatechno Lanka Co. Ltd., Hiranya Mendis
Michelin, Yuanchun Li
Pfizer, *Kakasaheb Nandiwale
Phillips 66, Kening Gong
PPG Industries, Pansy Patel
Prairie Food, Griffin Roberts (co-founder)
Reliance Industries, LLC, Amit Chaudhari
Solentis: Murilo Toledo Suekuni
TCG Green Chemistry, Inc., Aravind Gangu
Zoetis, Tapan Maji
Nearly half of former CEBC students, postdocs and researchers are employed in academia worldwide, or at U.S. national labs or government agencies.
National Labs & Government:
Ames National Lab, Yuting Li
Argonne National Lab, Emily Mikeska, Christian Nilles
Berkeley National Lab, Dupeng Liu
Los Alamos National Lab, Riddhi Golwankar
Oak Ridge National Lab, Domenick Leto, Victor Sharma
Pacific Northwest National Lab, Bhanupriya Boruah, Mi Yeon Byun, Honghong Shi
Sandia National Lab, Matthew Stalcup
U.S. Department of Energy, Robbie Hable, Kourosh Kian
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Jing Fang
Academia:
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani (India), Bibhas SarkarLancaster China University of Petroleum (PRC), Xin Jin and Wenjuan Yan
College of St. Scholastica (MN), Pablo Palafox
Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC), Julian Silverman
Lancaster University (UK), Geoffrey Aiken
Lanzhou University (PRC), Jian-Feng Wu
Ottawa University (KS), Xiaobin Zuo
Paul Scherrer Institut (Switzerland), Kyle Stephens
Rutgers University (NJ), Zeke Piskulich
University of Alabama, Gayan Wijeratne
University of Central Oklahoma, Jesse Kern
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Alexander Mironenko
University of Kansas, Sam Brunclik, Michael Lundin, Anoop Uchagawkar, Hongda Zhu
University of Kentucky, April French
University of Virginia, Jason Bates
University of York (UK), Andrew Danby
Yanshan University (PRC), Ziwei Song
Youngstown State University (OH), Shirley Xie