2010 - Chemical & Biomedical Engineering - University of South ...

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AIChE Student Chapter News
Our Chapter’s mission is to promote the
professional development of its members by
its programs, its relations
with other Student Chapters,
and its relations with
the parent body, the American
Institute of Chemical
Engineers, and to contribute
to the development
of chemical engineering at
the University of South
Florida through activities
involving faculty and student
members. We hold
monthly meetings where
speakers from industry
come in and discuss chemical
engineering topics relevant
to new engineers and
emerging technologies.
The USF Chapter of
AIChE started off this
school year volunteering at
the Central Florida Chapter
of AIChE’s Annual Clearwater
Conference in June. Students
spent two days
helping at the conference and got the opportunity
to network with professionals.
Our annual fall picnic took place at Riverfront
Park on October 17. Dr. Joseph and
Dr. John Kuhn - New Faculty Member
Dr. Kuhn received a Ph.D. in Chemical
Engineering from Ohio State University in
2007. Prior to joining the faculty at USF,
he did postdoctoral work in the Chemistry
Department at the University of California,
Berkeley. He teaches numerical
methods for chemical engineers. Dr.
Kuhn’s research interests include heterogeneous
catalysis and structure and properties
of metal and metal oxide
nanoparticles.
Dr. Kuhn’s research will be workinging
with the intersection of materials
chemistry and of heterogeneous catalysis.
The purpose of this merger is to use the
morphological control obtained by synthetic
chemistry to demonstrate catalytic
phenomena and to design catalysts by reducing
the polydispersity of active sites.
The research will entail synthesis of welldefined
metal and metal oxide nanopar-
Dr. Gupta and his family joined the students
for burgers, hot dogs and volleyball. We
made slime at “oobleck” at
Mosi’s Day of the Scientist
in September where 1200
elementary school students
from around Tampa attended
and explored science
and engineering
principles.
Our Chem-E-Car team
went to the AIChE National
Student Conference in November
to compete against
30 other universities with
their car The Hydro Project.
They placed 5th at the Regional
Competition in April
2009 that qualified them to
compete at the National
Competition. The conference
was held at the Gaylord
Opryland in Nashville,
TN. The team will be building
a new car for the Regional
competition in April
2010 at NC State. The team
that traveled to Nashville consisted of Summer
Konja, Marialbys Hernandez, Heather
White, Jesse Parks, Harry Helmich, and Jennifer
Burnham.
ticles, the characterization of these materials,
and the evaluation of their catalytic
properties. Microscopy, diffraction, and
spectroscopy studies will be performed to
characterize the materials. Spectroscopic,
isotopic, and adsorption techniques will
be used to understand the interactions
between the materials and adsorbates.
These fundamental investigations will be
used as platforms for understanding catalytic
activity, selectivity, and stability of
the materials under reaction conditions.
Applications will include generation of
fuels and chemicals from renewable
sources and electrochemical conversion of
hydrogen and of alcohols.
John Kuhn, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of
Chemical and Biomedical
Engineering
Current AIChE Officers
President: Jennifer Burnham
Secretary: Summer Konja
Vice President: Jessica Torrivilla
Treasurer: Ana Rioja
Special Events Officer:
Daniel Hampton
Expo Chair: Arash Nozartash and
Lindsey Loutzenhiser
Fundraising: Heather White and
Marialbys Hernandez
Chem–E-Car: Harry Helmrich
Public Relations: Jessica Ewbank
Historian: Nicole Hupal
The AIChE student chapter participated
in a Fundraiser soccer tournament
organized by the Society of
Hispanic Professional Engineers
(SHPE) in November.
- Jennifer Burnham