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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260410T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260410T140000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
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SUMMARY:ChE MS Thesis Defense: Austin Breed
DESCRIPTION:Name: Austin Breed \nTitle: Fabrication of Na-ion Intercalation Materials for Kinetic Energy Harvesting \nDate: 04/10/2026 \nTime: 01:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Joshua Gallaway (Advisor)\nProf. Sanjeev Mukerjee\nProf. Magda Barecka\nEnock Nagelli\, PhD \nLocation: Snell Library 001 \nAbstract:\nThis work investigates ion-solvation switching as a mechanism for electrochemical kinetic energy harvesting (EKEH) in low-power\, confined environments\, motivated by the growing demand for sustainable energy sources for distributed electronics. Long-term stability\, confined area design\, and unsteady current output limit contemporary harvesting designs\, often hamstrung by material engineering shortfalls. Copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) is a Prussian blue analogue (PBA) promising new active material under investigation in long-term storage and kinetic harvesting devices due to its face-centered cubic (FCC) structure conducive to ion-intercalation\, adequate theoretical capacity\, and stability comparative to traditional Prussian blue cathodes. However\, CuHCF still experiences notable capacity fade and mechanical degradation during prolonged exposure to aqueous electrolyte. This study fabricated copper CuHCF electrodes\, evaluated their structure using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and\, for varying fabrication parameters\, used electrochemical methods including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)\, cyclic voltammetry (CV)\, and open-circuit potential (OCP) power cycles to benchmark performance and\ndurability impacts. \nResults confirm that CuHCF-based systems can reproduce switching potentials on the order of ~0.40 mV. Though consistent with prior reports\, this work demonstrated prolonged voltage saturation time\, highlighting evidence of kinetic and diffusional limitations. Material composition strongly influenced electrochemical performance\, where Fe(II)-rich CuHCF exhibited improved reversibility and reduced overpotentials\, suggesting enhanced charge-transfer kinetics and structural stability\, albeit with a modest reduction in capacity. Electrolyte concentration further impacted performance\, reinforcing its importance as a design parameter. Thermal annealing degraded electrochemical initial performance\, likely due to the loss of interstitial water and disruption of ion transport pathways. \nThis work elucidated the sensitivity of performance and stability to various fabrication parameters in Na-ion intercalation materials for this ion-solvation switching applications.\nFurthermore\, this study highlights key trade-offs between stability\, capacity\, and voltage saturation in CuHCF-based ion-solvation switching systems and identifies critical areas for improvement\, particularly in materials engineering and electrolyte optimization\, to enable practical implementation of next generation electrochemical energy harvesting technologies. Understanding the causal relationships between fabrication methods and these measured quantities will drive future work towards mitigating these failure modes and limitations. \n\nAustin Grant Breed\, BS\, EIT Austin is currently pursuing a Master of Science (MS) in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston\, conducting research in the Gallaway Lab focused on electrochemical kinetic energy harvesting. He completed his undergraduate training in Chemical Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. During his time at West Point\, he conducted research in hemorheology\, developing stochastic models of large amplitude oscillatory shear forces in human blood\, and participated in a waste-to-energy demonstration project involving synthetic gas production via rotary kiln gasification. He also interned at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory\, where he analyzed the kinetic and aerodynamic effects of nanotechnology integrated into solid chemical propellants. Austin earned his EIT status in 2017. Prior to graduate school\, Austin served over seven years as a commissioned U.S. Army Aviation Officer\, accumulating approximately 750 flight hours across multiple rotary- and fixed-wing platforms including the CH-47F Chinook. His most recent military culminated in command of an aviation maintenance company in the 2-501st General Support Aviation Battalion at Fort Bliss\, where he oversaw maintenance operations for a 34-aircraft fleet and over 175 soldiers. He also served in several leadership roles supporting NATO deterrence operations in Europe and Korea. Austin’s service was recognized with the Meritorious Service Medal\, the Honorable Order of St. Michael\, and several other distinctions. Last year\, Austin served as a project lead at Storion Energy in Wilmington\, MA\, directing the development and assessment of a novel continuous vanadium electrolyte production process — work that also forms the basis of his thesis defense through Northeastern University’s Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership fellowship. After completing his MS\, Austin plans to continue working towards his PhD in chemical engineering with the Gallaway Lab while instructing within the chemical engineering department at West Point.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-ms-thesis-defense-austin-breed/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260324T150936Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T150936Z
UID:55820-1775649600-1775653200@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE MS Thesis Defense: Sofia Roger
DESCRIPTION:Name: Sofia Roger \nTitle: Development and Evaluation of Learning Tool for a Global Review of Mineral Commodities \nDate: 04/08/2026 \nTime: 12:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Luke Landherr (Advisor)\nProf. Joshua Gallaway\nProf. Alexis Prybutok \nLocation: Ryder 205 \nAbstract:\nEngineering is a highly collaborative\, intersectional practice that depends on transforming raw materials. Despite this relationship\, it is difficult to explain how engineers’ decisions in industrial settings affect the rest of the world. The consequences of sourcing materials for technological advancement may not always be explicit. The effects of engineers consuming material can have cascading consequences or be so removed that they fall outside design concerns. To promote discussion of the socioeconomic effects of raw material consumption in engineering\, this work aimed to develop a website-based learning tool\, www.wherematerialscomefrom.com. The tool provides context on the mining processes used to obtain raw materials. Through survey data collection\, the tool was evaluated for its ability to help users understand how raw materials are acquired. \n\nSofia Roger completed her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University and has since decided to pursue her master’s also in Chemical Engineering as part of Northeastern’s plus one program. She completed two co-ops\, during which she participated in the research and design of solid-state sulfur-chalcogen batteries at Avanti Battery Co. and the development of conductive ceramic for high-temperature reactor design at Lydian Labs. Her experience in materials engineering for sustainable technology motivated her to explore which environmentally sound raw materials can be used to innovate. This motivation gave rise to the educational tool developed in her thesis work.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-ms-thesis-defense-sofia-roger/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T163000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260325T145409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T155037Z
UID:55823-1775575800-1775579400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE MS Thesis Defense: Richard Gyamfi Atta
DESCRIPTION: Name: Richard Gyamfi Atta \nTitle: Understanding Mucus-Bile Salt/ Phospholipid Mixed Micelle Interactions \nDate: 04/07/2026 \nTime: 03:30:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Steve Lustig (Advisor)\nProf. Rebecca Carrier\nProf. Srirupa Chakraborty\nDennis Leung \nLocation: Forsyth 128 \nAbstract:\nBile salt–phospholipid mixed micelles play a central role in gastrointestinal transport of lipids and poorly water-soluble drugs\, yet their interactions with mucin networks remain poorly understood at the molecular level. Here\, we combine time-resolved ATR-FTIR spectroscopy\, two-dimensional correlation analysis\, diffusion modeling\, and isothermal titration calorimetry to resolve the sequence\, energetics\, and transport behavior of micelle–mucin interactions. The mucin network is first shown to relax into an equilibrium state governed by a glycan-dominated structural hierarchy. Upon exposure to mixed micelles\, this equilibrated network undergoes a distinct sequence of reorganization initiated by perturbation of hydrogen-bonding interactions\, followed by peptide backbone rearrangement and eventual glycan decoupling. Diffusion analysis reveals that micellar assemblies penetrate the mucin network with effective diffusivities on the order of 10⁻⁶ cm²/s despite ongoing structural evolution. Notably\, the ability of a constant-diffusivity Fickian model to accurately describe transport under these conditions indicates that molecular-scale reorganization does not substantially alter the effective transport resistance over the measurement timescale\, establishing a direct connection between spectroscopic dynamics and macroscopic transport behavior. \nCalorimetric measurements further demonstrate a concentration-dependent transition from localized\, enthalpy-driven binding at low micelle concentrations to cooperative\, entropy-dominated network disruption at higher loadings associated with higher-order micellar aggregates. Together\, these results show that bile salt micelles actively remodel mucin networks rather than traversing a static barrier\, while maintaining effective diffusive transport. This work provides a molecular-level framework for understanding mucus- mediated transport and its implications for physiological processes and drug delivery. \n\nRichard Gyamfi Atta is a Master’s candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University\, where he conducts research in the Carrier and Lustig laboratories on transport phenomena across biological barriers. His work focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing interactions between bile salt–phospholipid assemblies and mucin networks\, with the goal of improving drug transport across the gastrointestinal mucus layer. By integrating time-resolved ATR-FTIR spectroscopy\, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy\, diffusion modeling\, and calorimetry\, he develops mechanistic frameworks that connect molecular-scale interactions to macroscopic transport behavior in complex biopolymer systems. In addition to his academic research\, Richard has industry experience in gene therapy process development\, where he contributed to downstream purification strategies for adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors\, including optimization of chromatography and filtration processes to improve product recovery and quality. His research interests are centered on pharmaceutical drug delivery\, particularly the design of biomaterials and carrier systems that enhance the transport of poorly soluble drugs and biologics across mucosal and other physiological barriers. He aims to develop mechanistically driven approaches that bridge molecular interactions\, material design\, and transport phenomena to enable more effective and predictable drug delivery systems.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-ms-thesis-defense-richard-gyamfi-atta/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T190000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251117T144455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251117T144455Z
UID:54447-1775235600-1775242800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony
DESCRIPTION:This is the annual event for our community to celebrate the department\, College\, University\, and external awards and achievements given over the past year. \n**Parking is available for a fee at Gainsborough and Renaissance Park Garages. There are also meters on Columbus Ave. Lyft and Uber are also suggested. MBTA commuters can take the Orange Line to the Ruggles stop.**
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-2026-annual-awards-ceremony/
LOCATION:Alumni Center\, 716 Columbus Ave\, 6th Floor\, Boston\, MA\, 02120\, United States
GEO:42.3376775;-71.0852898
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T140000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260310T173057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T173057Z
UID:55826-1775217600-1775224800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Capstone Poster Session
DESCRIPTION:Come join us in celebrating our students’ capstone projects! Explore our graduating seniors’ incredible posters and groundbreaking research.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-capstone-poster-session-2/
LOCATION:McLeod Suites\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 318-322 CSC\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260401T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260401T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260401T172351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260401T172351Z
UID:56116-1775044800-1775048400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Marsha Rolle
DESCRIPTION:Exploring new paths: a career in progress \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: For decades\, graduate trainees have framed their career trajectories as a binary choice between “academia” and “industry”. However\, there is a breadth of opportunity and need for life science and engineering talent across a variety of sectors. This talk will cover one person’s technology and discovery journey and a series of pivots along an ongoing life sciences career path. \n\nMarsha Rolle\, PhD is Director of Advancement at Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI)\, a non-profit founded to build a globally-competitive life science cluster in Central Massachusetts through economic and workforce development and business incubation. She joined MBI following 3 years as Associate Director of Life Science Programs at the Roux Institute in Portland\, ME and Research Professor of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. At the Roux Institute\, she built “BioPILOT” a membership-based mixed use lab facility that supported faculty research\, biotechnology instruction\, and early-stage life science companies. Prior to joining NU\, she was a tenured Professor of Biomedical Engineering at WPI where\, over her 16-year faculty career\, she built a research program focused on vascular tissue engineering and extracellular matrix-based biomaterials funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)\, National Science Foundation (NSF)\, and Manufacturing USA institutes. She holds 10 issued U.S. patents and over 50 peer-reviewed publications with industry and international co-authors.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-marsha-rolle/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260401T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260401T110000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260319T142154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T142154Z
UID:55822-1775037600-1775041200@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE MS Thesis Defense: Daniel Sekyere
DESCRIPTION:Name: Daniel Sekyere \nTitle: Integrating Direct Air Capture with Bicarbonate Electrolysis \nDate: 04/01/2026 \nTime: 10:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Magda Barecka (Advisor)\nProf. Richard West\nProf. Damilola Daramola\nProf. Aaron Stubbins \nLocation: Snell Library 013 \nAbstract:\nBicarbonate electrolysis offers a compelling pathway to integrate direct air capture (DAC) with electrochemical CO₂ reduction\, bypassing the energy-intensive thermal regeneration that is a bottleneck in alkaline solvent-based DAC. Yet a critical flaw undermines most laboratory studies: the electrolytes used do not accurately reflect solvents produced from real atmospheric CO₂ capture. This thesis investigates quantification of carbon speciation during CO₂ absorption in 0.1 M potassium hydroxide (KOH)\, potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃)\, and potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) under pure CO₂\, 1000 ppm CO₂ in N₂\, and ambient air (~430 ppm)\, using a non-destructive real-time DIC quantification method based on inline pH and conductivity measurements. \nThe central finding is that fresh KHCO₃\, typically used for bicarbonate electrolysis\, off-gases a substantial amount of CO₂ and therefore should not be used in bicarbonate\nelectrolysis studies. Using Henderson-Hasselbalch equation\, it is demonstrated that 0.1 M KHCO₃ equilibrates with ~14\,700 ppm dissolved CO₂\, 34 times above ambient air\, driving desorption by Le Chatelier’s principle. Measured DIC losses of 1\,400 mg/L (air) and 1\,046 mg/L (CO₂+N₂)\, alongside pH increases from 8.65 to ~10.12\, confirm this mechanism. By contrast\, KOH retains 87–91% of its pure CO₂ absorption capacity under dilute conditions and produces authentic DAC effluent of bicarbonate-carbonate mixtures (54-65% HCO₃⁻\, 35-46% CO₃²⁻) with negligible dissolved CO₂\, unlike the CO₂-saturated solvent. Equilibration times extended 35-161-fold under dilute CO₂\, marking a transition from kinetic to mass-transfer control with direct implications for contactor design. \nThese findings challenge the validity of performance metrics reported across a substantial body of bicarbonate electrolysis research and provide a rigorous experimental framework for electrolyte preparation that accurately reflects integrated DAC-electrolysis systems. \n\nDaniel is a Chemical Engineering graduate student at Northeastern University\, where he is completing his Master of Science thesis titled Integrating Direct Air Capture with Bicarbonate Electrolysis. His research examines whether common laboratory electrolytes used in bicarbonate electrolysis studies accurately represent real direct air capture (DAC) solvents – a question with significant implications for how the field designs and interprets experiments. In doing so\, his work challenges a foundational assumption in the bicarbonate electrolysis literature and offers a methodological corrective with broad relevance to carbon capture research. His findings are being prepared for journal submission alongside his thesis\, expected April 2026. Beyond the laboratory\, Daniel is an active member of the African Graduate Student Association at Northeastern\, where he contributes to a community that supports and uplifts African scholars in graduate education. He has also presented his research at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)\, engaging a broader professional audience with his work on DAC-electrolysis integration. With strong competencies in carbonate equilibrium chemistry\, electrochemical systems\, and system modeling\, Daniel is driven by the goal of developing rigorous\, scalable pathways for carbon dioxide removal.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-ms-thesis-defense-daniel-sekyere/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260326T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260326T150000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260316T142520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T142520Z
UID:55913-1774533600-1774537200@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE MS Thesis Defense: Benjamin Peck
DESCRIPTION:Name: Benjamin Peck \nTitle: Generalizable Image Analysis Pipelines for Junction Fragmentation and Vascular Marker Analysis Applied to Blood-Brain Barrier Disease Models \nDate: 03/26/2026 \nTime: 02:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Eno Ebong (Advisor)\nProf. Abigail Koppes\nProf. Erel Levine\nRebecca Pinals \nLocation: East Village 102 \nAbstract:\nQuantifying blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity from fluorescence microscopy remains limited by subjective scoring and categorical classification methods that lack reproducibility. This thesis addresses these limitations by developing two semi-automated pipelines that replace manual scoring with automated\, continuous-variable measurement of BBB-associated vascular markers in vitro and in vivo. \nThe in vitro pipeline\, implemented in Python\, quantifies tight junction fragmentation by measuring discrete zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) fragment objects within manually traced junction regions\, yielding continuous-variable metrics including average fragment area\, junctional fragmentation ratio\, and total junctional area. In human brain microvascular endothelial cells under glycocalyx knockdown (KD)\, the pipeline detected significantly reduced fragment area (37%\, both p < 0.015) and junctional fragmentation ratio (both p < 0.014) in both CD44- and syndecan-1-KD conditions. \nThe in vivo pipeline integrates ilastik-based machine learning classification with FIJI macro automation to quantify vascular marker colocalization and resolves vessel signal from microglial contamination within a single fluorescence channel without requiring a dedicated counterstain. Applied across four mouse cohorts [young\, aged\, Alzheimer’s disease (AD)\, and traumatic brain injury (TBI)] and three brain regions (prefrontal cortex (PFC)\, hippocampus\, and midbrain)\, the pipeline revealed concurrent ZO-1 loss and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) elevation in the PFC and hippocampus of aged and AD mice\, with no significant differences between the two groups. Total endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was the sole marker to show an AD-specific effect\, nearly doubling in the PFC of AD mice (p = 0.0013). TBI mice showed persistent ZO-1 loss with transient changes in ICAM-1 and eNOS\, consistent with published recovery timelines. \nBoth pipelines are deterministic\, publicly available on GitHub\, and designed for adoption beyond the specific markers and systems analyzed here. \n\nBenjamin Peck is a second-year Master of Science candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University\, expected to graduate in April 2026. His graduate research is conducted in the Ebong Mechanobiology Lab\, where he investigates blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction across Alzheimer’s disease\, traumatic brain injury\, and aging mouse models. His thesis\, Generalizable Image Analysis Pipelines for Junction Fragmentation and Vascular Marker Analysis Applied to Blood-Brain Barrier Disease Models\, centers on quantification of vascular markers in vitro and in vivo by examining tight junction integrity in cultured brain endothelial cells\, and quantifying vascular marker expression across multiple brain regions and disease cohorts in mouse models\, supported by custom image analysis pipelines developed for both. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University in 2021. Prior to his graduate studies\, Benjamin worked in industry across pharmaceutical and medical device settings. At Bristol Myers Squibb\, he worked within the compound management departments at two Bay Area locations\, supporting early-stage cardiovascular drug development through compound characterization and analytical testing. Before that\, he worked at Genapsys\, Inc. during the scale-up of a next-generation genomic sequencer\, with responsibilities in quality systems and manufacturing operations. Benjamin’s industry background spans pharmaceutical\, biotech\, and medical device environments\, with demonstrated expertise in analytical method development\, quality systems\, and workflow optimization. This fall\, he will begin his doctoral studies\, where he intends to continue investigating the mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-ms-thesis-defense-benjamin-peck/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260325T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260210T160617Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T160617Z
UID:55440-1774440000-1774443600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Steven Wrenn
DESCRIPTION:Realizing emergent properties in functional composite from directed assembly at the micro-scale \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: This talk will describe fundamental studies and practical applications of biological colloids in the context of human disease. The talk will begin with endogeneous colloids and how they contribute to disease pathogenesis\, including the important roles that microstructural transitions and particle aggregation dynamics play. Specifically\, it will be shown how an incomplete transition from hepatic vesicles to bile salt micelles leads to enhanced vesicle aggregation and faster rates of cholesterol nucleation to produce gallstones and how aggregation of low density lipoproteins within the intima contributes to foam cell formation and subsequent atherosclerotic plaques. \nThe talk will then focus on how exogenous biological colloids can be designed to diagnose diseases or treat diseases\, or both. Specifically\, interactions between ultrasound\, phospholipid monolayer-coated gas bubbles\, phospholipid bilayer vesicles\, and cells will be reviewed with an eye toward diagnostic ultrasonic imaging and ultrasound-induced controlled drug delivery. Microbubble physics\, including inertial cavitation and the influence of membrane properties will be reviewed\, and a comparison between model predictions and experimental measurements will be made. Noteworthy is the predicted dependence\, or lack thereof\, of inertial cavitation on area expansion modulus through the variation of PEG molecular weight and mole fraction in the microbubble monolayer coating. \nThe talk will also involve a discussion of nesting microbubbles inside the aqueous core of vesicles and how this significantly increases the inertial cavitation threshold. The talk will conclude with an examination of the role that triglycerides play during the nesting process\, how this contributes to encapsulation efficiency\, and how this could give rise to novel microbubble architectures going forward. \n\nSteven Wrenn earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1991. While an under-graduate\, he worked as a co-op for G.E. Plastics (formerly Borg Warner) in Parkersburg\, WV. After graduating he worked for three years as a process engineer for Zeneca\, Inc. (formerly ICI Americas\, Inc.) in New Castle\, DE. He then returned to school\, earning his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1999. After graduating from Delaware\, he joined the chemical engineering faculty at Drexel University in Phil-adelphia. In 2006 he became an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow and spent a year at Ruhr University in Bochum\, Germany. In 2021 he returned to Virginia Tech to serve his alma mater as Department Head of Chemical Engineering.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-steven-wrenn/
LOCATION:108 SN
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T160000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260316T142439Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T142439Z
UID:55816-1774364400-1774368000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Victus Kordorwu
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nVictus Kordorwu \nTitle:\nUnderstanding the role of mucus in supersaturated drug delivery \nDate:\n03/24/2026 \nTime:\n03:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Rebecca Carrier (Advisor)\nProf. Steve Lustig (Co-Advisor)\nProf. Mansoor Amiji\nSteven Castleberry\, PhD\nDennis Leung\, PhD \nLocation:\nCSC 333 \nAbstract:\nMany drugs entering clinical trials today are poorly water-soluble and rely on supersaturating formulations such as amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) to generate transient supersaturated states in the gastrointestinal tract to enhance the bioavailability. However\, correlating the rate and extent of drug precipitation observed in vitro to in vivo performance of supersaturating formulations has proven to be very difficult with limited success in establishing predictive relationships. This difficulty suggests that some aspects of the relevant in vivo environment which impact the performance of supersaturating formulations is possibly overlooked by current biorelevant dissolution methods used to evaluate the in vivo performance of these formulations. Mucus and mucins are key components of the in vivo environment and can undergo numerous types of interactions with different molecules and solutes (e.g.\, drugs\, polymers\, additives). Yet\, many in vitro biorelevant dissolution testing methods used to evaluate the performance of metastable formulations do not incorporate mucins\, leading to potential discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo drug performance prediction. \nDetailed in this work are mechanistic\, thermodynamic\, and translational investigations into the role of intestinal mucin as an active modulator of drug supersaturation stability and formulation performance. Mucin is shown to mimic and impact the ability of ASD polymers to stabilize supersaturated drug solutions. Mucin-mediated supersaturation translated to increased drug absorption through transport studies using Caco-2/HT29-MTX-E12 co-culture. Importantly\, mucin is found to alter the apparent performance of classical polymeric precipitation inhibitors\, either synergistically enhancing or antagonistically diminishing polymer effectiveness depending on the drug system\, thereby reshaping excipient rankings under physiologically relevant conditions. \nThe thermodynamics of drug-mucin interactions were explored using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and ATR-FTIR 2D dimensional correlation spectroscopy. Small molecule binding exhibits two-event association behavior and is predominantly enthalpy driven\, consistent with hydrogen bonding and conformational ordering within the mucin network. Spectroscopic analyses reveal coordinated perturbations across hydroxyl\, amide\, carboxylate\, hydrophobic\, and saccharide associated domains\, confirming heterogeneous interaction environments and diffusion coupled structural rearrangements. \nBuilding on these mechanistic understanding\, a thermo-statistical Gibbs energy framework is developed to quantitatively predict the rank ordering and impact of mucin and excipients on drug precipitation across diverse compounds. The framework employs Gibbs energy curvature\, described as the second derivative of the Gibbs energy with respect to composition\, as a predictive descriptor of resistance to concentration fluctuations. Extension of this framework to the hydrophobic macrocyclic peptide\, cyclosporine A\, demonstrates that mucin also stabilizes peptide supersaturation through distinct entropy driven interaction pathways involving solvent restructuring. Curvature based predictions correlate with experimental precipitation outcomes and enable rational comparison of mucin and polymeric excipients as stabilizing agents. Overall\, this work demonstrates that intestinal mucus is an active modulator of supersaturation\, precipitation risk\, and formulation performance across both small molecule and peptide systems. Thus\, biorelevant dissolution testing should include appropriate mucus activity to enhance the predictive assessment of drug precipitation risk in supersaturated drug delivery systems. \n\nVictus Kordorwu is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston\, Massachusetts\, where he will graduate in April 2026. His doctoral research focuses on understanding the role of mucus in supersaturated drug delivery to improve formulation performance prediction. Victus holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Technology from Dalian University of Technology in China and a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. \nDuring his doctoral studies\, he completed a 6-months research internship at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company\, where he gained expertise in RNA-lipid nanoparticle and oral solid dosage formulation and process development. His research contributions have resulted in peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences including the AIChE Annual Meeting\, Controlled Release Society \, the American Chemical Society and the Society for Biomaterials. \nHis research interests span formulation and process development\, biomaterials and soft matter systems and the development of predictive tools for complex chemical and biological systems. He is particularly interested applying chemical engineering expertise to solve problems across pharmaceutical development\, biotechnology\, energy related materials\, and other complex chemical systems. In the short term\, he looks forward to working as chemical engineer and formulation scientist in the pharmaceutical industry to deepen his expertise in pharmaceutical development. Outside of academics\, Victus enjoys playing bass and publishing bass tutorials\, kayaking and swimming.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-victus-kordorwu/
LOCATION:333 CSC\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 333 CSC\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260312T134810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T134810Z
UID:55842-1773835200-1773838800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Andrew D. Jones
DESCRIPTION:Come to my window: Porosity and binding distribution provide better predictors for biofilm penetration \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: The Jones Systems for Engaging the Environment Lab builds novel tools to study biofilm dynamics. In this presentation we will discuss two such tools: a mechanical tool and a mathematical tool describing Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 interaction with antibiotics. Biofilms are the common mode of life for bacteria in infections and in the environment. Biofilm infections have been shown to be more recalcitrant to antibiotic treatment than planktonic bacteria. This recalcitrance has been partially attributed to periphery sequestration\, where antibiotics fail to penetrate biofilm cell clusters. Biofilms have also been identified as the primary environmental sink of engineered nanomaterials. However\, there have been results attributing charge as the main predictor of biofilm uptake of these nano-sized materials. We developed a model for antibiotic accumulation in bacterial biofilm microcolonies using heterogenous porosity and attachment site profiles replicating the periphery sequestration reported in prior experimental studies on Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm cell clusters. We account for periphery sequestration using two physical phenomena: biofilm matrix attachment and volume-exclusion due to variable biofilm porosity. The antibiotic accumulation model which incorporated both phenomena better fit observed periphery sequestration data compared to previous models that leveraged charge. We propose a novel tool for being able to conduct medium throughput screens with microscopy measurements on these biofilms and validate it against existing standards. We show quantifiable effects of antibiotics on biofilm streamers and propose that this may be useful for quantifying the attachment site density and porosity. \n\n \nAkhenaton-Andrew (Andrew) D. Jones\, III is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering and affiliate faculty in the Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science Department\, Duke Materials Initiative\, and Integrated Toxicology & Environmental Health Program at Duke University. His research uses engineering and policy analysis to help solve global challenges related to water and health. He is a 2021 recipient of the NIH R35 Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award to develop new models and tools for studying biofilms and a 2019 Sloan SEED fund award to develop new tools for point of use water quality monitoring systems. He was recognized as Young Investigator by the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State\, the premier center for biofilm research in the US. He received a BS in Mathematics and BS\, MS\, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was a Lemelson Presidential Fellow and Alfred P. Sloan UCEM Scholar. He completed post-doctoral training as a Future Faculty Fellow at Northeastern University. He has directly supervised 2 high school students\, over 20 undergraduates\, 5 MS\, 6 PhD\, and 2 post-doctoral trainees including 12 from underrepresented backgrounds and 24 women. He and his team have presented at over 50 conferences and seminars. He is the 2023 Recipient of the Duke Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor Award.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-andrew-d-jones/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T120000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260310T173142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T173142Z
UID:55765-1773741600-1773748800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Alexandra Nukovic
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nAlexandra Nukovic \nTitle:\nOptimizing the Immunogenicity of an Oxygen-Generating Cryogel Vaccine Platform Against Prostate Cancer \nDate:\n03/17/2026 \nTime:\n10:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Stephen Hatfield (Advisor)\nProf. Sidi Bencherif\nProf. Kara Spiller\nProf. Rebecca Carrier\nProf. Allison Dennis \nLocation:\nHastings 209 \nAbstract:\nTherapeutic cancer vaccines have been a promising avenue of research to boost patients’ own immune system to fight cancer\, targeting tumor eradication and inducing long-term immunological memory. However\, promising vaccine candidates have had limited success in clinical trials due to immunosuppressive mechanisms and insufficient delivery methods to overcome tolerance to tumor antigens.  Cryogel delivery scaffolds have already been established as a promising delivery vehicle for cancer vaccines\, due to their biocompatibility and macroporous nature\, which allow effective delivery to infiltrating cells; however\, cryogel-based vaccines are limited by rapid\, diffusion-mediated burst release of encapsulated recombinant proteins and local immunosuppressive hypoxia within the scaffold. Herein\, biochemical strategies are explored to improve hyaluronic acid-glycidyl methacrylate (HAGM) cryogels as effective delivery vehicles for a therapeutic prostate cancer vaccine. \nFirst\, the degradation of cryogels via polymer oxidation was investigated as a potential strategy to control in vivo degradation and cargo delivery. Degradation of HAGM is hindered by the slow hydrolysis of the polymer after free-radical polymerization\, yielding dense polymer networks that endow cryogels with mechanical robustness. Ideally\, the degradation and resorption of HAGM cryogels should align with the timing of their application. Oxidation of the polymer facilitates degradation through alkaline hydrolysis. This work emphasizes the complexities involved in modeling degradation kinetics\, demonstrates that polymer degradation enhances the in vivo delivery of the model antigen ovalbumin\, and highlights the potential of cryogels as biocompatible\, degradable\, and injectable scaffolds for biomedical uses\, reducing long-term side effects and removing the need for surgical removal. \nNext\, a cryogel-based vaccine platform was explored to improve immunological memory to an anti-cancer vaccine for prostate cancer. Click conjugation of a tumor-associated protein within the cryogel improved antigen delivery\, supporting strong cellular memory responses. Meanwhile\, the inclusion of oxygen generation within the cryogel serves as a powerful co-adjuvant to boost humoral immunity. Cryogel-based vaccination elicited a robust anti-cancer response\, inhibiting tumor growth. Together\, these biochemical strategies prove to be key improvements that could help tailor cryogel-based delivery of immunological agents to improve patient responses \n\nAlexandra (Alex) Nukovic is currently a PhD candidate in her 5th year of study in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. She has previously graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering from Clemson University. Alex has been a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society\, the Society of Biomaterials\, and the American Association for Cancer Research. She is currently a member of the Association for Women in Science.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-alexandra-nukovic/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T140000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260310T173217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T173217Z
UID:55759-1773662400-1773669600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Bryan Schellberg
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nBryan Schellberg \nTitle:\nA Robust\, Scalable\, and User-Friendly Organ-Chip Platform for Automated\, Spatiotemporal Characterization of Living Cell Culture Conditions \nDate:\n03/16/2026 \nTime:\n12:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Abigail Koppes (Advisor)\nProf. Ryan Koppes (Advisor)\nProf. Allison Dennis\nProf. Samuel Chung \nLocation:\nHastings 113 \nAbstract:\nOrgan-chips\, or microphysiological devices (MPSs) are an emergent technology that bridges the gap between current in vitro and in vivo models used in biomedical research. To address the technological gaps associated with current options\, MPS models have been engineered to integrate three-dimensional tissue architectures in vitro to recapitulate organ-specific function. These systems offer improved bio-relevance and controlled complexity via integration induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines\, physical and chemical stimulation\, and biomimetic extracellular matrices. Although significant advancements have been made toward recreating organ-specific physiology on-chip\, the methods available to study the structure and function of the cell microenvironment are still limited. This work developed\, validated\, and applied a technology platform for characterizing the state of the cellular microenvironment on chip. \nA fiber-optic-based sensing platform was engineered and validated to non­invasively sense luminescence from MPS devices. The optical setup delivered excitation light via fiber-coupled LEDs and recorded luminophore emission to a monochrome camera. Linking a microcontroller enabled automated image capture for remote data acquisition and characterization of the on-chip cellular microenvironment. Addition of multi-fiber bundles permitted spatiotemporal data acquisition for whole-chip monitoring. This fiber-optic-based sensing platform provides a starting point for significant improvements to real-time interrogation of on-chip structure and function. \nWe applied our sensing platform to a previously validated MPS model of intestinal barrier function to confirm efficacy and reliability. Caco-2 epithelial cells were cultured in our established MPS and subjected to a cocktail of pro-inflammatory cytokines to disrupt barrier function. MPSs dosed with the cytokines showed significantly decreased barrier function\, as monitored by our fiber optic sensing platform. \nIntegration of MPS sensing with automation tools is essential to bridge the academic-industrial gap for broad use of these devices. Here\, we coupled our fiber­optic-based sensing system with a fluid handling robot and motorized programmable microscope stage. With these tools\, we demonstrated automated culture and monitoring of iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte beat rate\, providing a blueprint for high-throughput MPS sensing. \nIn summary\, this thesis outlines tools and techniques that may be used to design\, build\, validate\, and apply optical sensing approaches for rich\, real-time\, and high­throughput data acquisition from MPS devices. \n\nBryan Schellberg is a 5th year PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. He will graduate in March 2026 with his thesis defense titled “A Robust\, Scalable\, and User-Friendly Organ-Chip Platform for Automated\, Spatiotemporal Characterization of Living Cell Culture Conditions.” Bryan’s work focuses on the intersection of biology and technology to build improved sensing approaches for applications in human pathophysiology and novel drug development. Throughout his time at Northeastern\, Bryan has engineered\, validated\, and applied a fiber-optic-based sensing platform for real-time\, high-throughput data collection from organ-on-a-chip systems. As a result from this work\, he has submitted a patent application for the technology developed\, two first-author publications\, and submitted an additional co-first author manuscript for review. In the short-term\, Bryan looks forward to applying his expertise to the private sector to aid in the development of disruptive technologies to overhaul the current drug discovery pipeline.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-bryan-schellberg/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T133000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260227T155922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T155922Z
UID:55575-1773226800-1773235800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Justin Hayes
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nJustin Hayes \nTitle:\nLeveraging Synthetic Biology and Gut-on-chip Systems to Interrogate and Modulate Intestinal H₂S \nDate:\n03/11/2026 \nTime:\n11:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Benjamin Woolston (Advisor)\nProf. Ryan Koppes (Advisor)\nProf. Abigail Koppes\nPhilip Strandwitz \nLocation:\nCabral Center \nAbstract: \nHydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gaseous and reactive molecule fundamental to human biology. The gut microbiota is a major producer of sulfide\, yet our understanding of how it impacts intestinal diseases is poorly understood. Many studies are contradicting\, some suggesting it drives diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer\, while others suggest it has anti-inflammatory properties and can promote wound healing. Emerging research suggests its role in health is concentration dependent. Contributing to this confusion is the difficulty in controlling sulfide concentration in vitro and in vivo due to its gaseous and reactive nature. Thus\, studying the molecule has been a bottleneck in understanding its fundamental role in human health and translating these findings as treatments. The goal of this thesis is to use engineered bacteria as systems for controlling sulfide concentration in intestinal environments. Metabolic engineering of bacteria offers a method for continuous and tunable production and degradation of sulfide in intestinal environments. These engineered bacteria hold promise as tools for investigating its dose-dependent roles in human health and for therapeutic uses. \nWithin the thesis\, a panel of engineered bacteria was developed to titrate the level of H2S across the putative gut physiological concentration range. To do so\, sulfur metabolism of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was engineered via gene knockouts\, overexpression of putative L-cysteine desulfidases and transporters\, and use of different strength promoters to drive gene expression. In an in vitro setting\, these strains titrated H2S across a 53-fold range\, spanning the putative gut concentration range. The work also contributed to the general knowledge of E. coli sulfide biology and the role of these desulfidases and transporters in its production. \nThese strains were used in human gut-on-chip systems to explore the concentration dependent impacts of H2S on human gut epithelial cell biology. The engineered bacteria titrated sulfide across a 16-fold range on chip\, and the effects on gut permeability\, metabolism\, and gene expression were investigated. The data show the engineered bacteria are superior to sodium sulfide at maintaining specific H2S levels on chip\, critical for studying the impacts on epithelial biology. Increasing sulfide levels significantly elevated gene expression associated with DNA damage and an increase in thiosulfate levels\, and a non-significant trend towards higher gut permeability. Broadly\, the platform represents a new method to investigate the fundamental role of volatile and reactive molecules on the gut environment. \nBeyond in vitro studies\, the thesis aimed to develop strains for functionality in vivo\, which would enable exploring the impacts of sulfide in animals. The intestinal tract is a complex organ\, with strong longitudinal differences in pH\, metabolic environment\, oxygen tension\, microbiota abundance\, secreted host factors\, and more. Considering these variables in engineered strain design is critical. For design inspiration\, human fecal microbiota communities were used to probe how the human gut microbiota degrade and produce sulfide. E. coli was engineered to produce and consume H2S under several complex in vitro environments\, including in the presence of human fecal microbiota\, under different oxygen tensions\, and diverse nutrient environments. \nThe strains that successfully modified H2S in these in vitro screens were tested in vivo to demonstrate proof-of-concept data. The H2S-producing engineered bacteria successfully delivered and elevated H2S in the mouse upper gut. The engineered strain was superior to the gold-standard sulfide delivery molecule\, GYY4137\, at elevating intestinal levels. This highlights the value of this microbe as a tool for probing H2S hypotheses and as a translational tool for precise H2S delivery. The H2S-consuming strains were also tested in vivo but failed to demonstrate significant reductions in sulfide levels. Testing in ex vivo small intestinal extracts demonstrated significant sulfide reduction by the microbe\, underscoring the challenges of creating in vivo models for H2S elevation and degradation. \nOverall\, the thesis represents several contributions to scientific knowledge and the development of new research tools. These include a deeper understanding of E. coli sulfur metabolism and the development of microbial tools as novel H2S delivery vehicles. Further\, this thesis developed a gut-chip workflow for probing how gaseous molecules impact the gut\, generated insights into human gut microbiota sulfide metabolism\, and a general framework for designing and evaluating engineered bacteria destined for in vivo use. \n\nAfter receiving a BS in chemical engineering and BA in Spanish from the University of Rhode Island\, Justin Hayes\, PhD’26\, chemical engineering\, began his PhD program at Northeastern in 2020 and is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He is advised by Ryan Koppes\, associate professor of chemical engineering\, and Benjamin Woolston\, assistant professor of chemical engineering. Hayes’ research focuses on understanding how gut microbial metabolism impacts human health. Insights from his research are being leveraged to develop probiotic therapeutics and medical foods for individuals suffering from gastrointestinal disease.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-justin-hayes/
LOCATION:The Cabral Center\, 40 Leon Street\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260218T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260218T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260210T160538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T160639Z
UID:50029-1771416000-1771419600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Randall Erb
DESCRIPTION:Realizing emergent properties in functional composite from directed assembly at the micro-scale \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: In this talk\, I will present my lab’s recent work on directing the assembly of nano- and micron- scale colloidal ceramic particles within composite materials. Through our approach\, we are able to tailor the internal microstructure of composite materials and drive meaningful changes to extrinsic properties ranging from mechanical to thermal. In the mechanical realm\, fiber orientation is a dominate factor in anisotropic property outcomes. We leverage colloidal forces ranging from shear alignment to magnetic alignment to control particle orientation. We have determined routes for applying these colloidal forces in situ to additive manufacturing. In this way\, we can construct objects that have control over complexity from the macroscale down to the micron scale. We highlight examples from bioinspired structures to theory-inspired structures to hinder crack propagation and substantially increase fracture toughness. Within the thermal realm\, we have investigated routes for controlling particle percolation pathways within thermal composites to program thermal conductivity pathways within manufactured materials. We have also pushed the limits of percolation through both volume fraction and post-sintering processes. During these studies we’ve stumbled across a new family of ceramics that are thermoformable (similar to metals and plastics). This thermoformability is reliant on the underlying microstructure which can be set into the ceramic material with new additive manufacturing processes developed in our lab. \n\nRandy Erb is a Full Professor and Associate Chair of Research of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Head of the DAPS Laboratory and the RF and Thermal Laboratory at Northeastern University. Randy’s research group focuses on multiscale synthesis and characterization of functional composite materials to impact diverse fields from structural composites to energy storage to thermal management. Randy’s research group has developed new forms of AM including 3D magnetic printing\, 3D mineralization printing\, and vibration-assisted\, tape-casting DLP printing. He has received a Northeastern Translation award for converting fundamental scientific breakthroughs into successful companies. Randy has co-authored ~50 journal publications\, is co-inventor on 18 pending or issued patents\, and is a co-founder of Fortify\, Boston Materials\, and Fourier.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-randall-erb/
LOCATION:108 SN
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260128T162540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T162540Z
UID:53642-1770206400-1770210000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Wilson Wong
DESCRIPTION:Engineering Vaccines\, Cell and Gene Therapies Using Synthetic Biology  \nLocation: 300 Richards Hall \nAbstract: In this seminar\, I will share with you some of the work that my trainees and colleagues have done on using synthetic biology in various areas\, such as foundational circuit engineering\, cellular immunotherapy\, and vaccines. I will discuss our work on improving the specificity and safety of CART cell therapy against cancer using synthetic biology and biomaterials. I will also share our recent discovery on engineering self-amplifying RNA with reduced innate immune response and improved protein expression\, leading to a highly potent COVID-19 vaccine as demonstrated in a lethal live virus challenge in mice. \n\nDr. Wilson Wong is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and an Allen Distinguished Investigator at Boston University. He is an expert in immune cell engineering and synthetic biology for therapeutic applications. Dr. Wong’s research has been published in numerous high-impact journals\, including Nature\, Nature Biotechnology\, Cell\, and PNAS. Dr. Wong has been recognized with multiple academic career awards\, including membership in the AIMBE\, NIH New Innovator Award\, the ACS Synthetic Biology Young Investigator Award\, the NSF CAREER Award\, and the Allen Distinguished Investigator Award. He has co-founded three companies\, with one in the clinical stage. Dr. Wong has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California\, Berkeley\, and a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of California\, Los Angeles. Dr. Wong completed his postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Professor Wendell Lim at the University of California\, San Francisco.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-wilson-wong/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260202T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260202T150000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260122T162157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T155543Z
UID:54441-1770037200-1770044400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Eric Zimmerer
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nEric Zimmerer \nTitle:\nRechargeable alkaline Zn-MnO₂ batteries for grid-scale energy storage \nDate:\n02/02/2026 \nTime:\n1:00:00 PM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Joshua Gallaway (Advisor)\nProf. Hannah Sayre\nLu Ma\nProf. Magda Barecka \nLocation:\n333 Curry Student Center \nAbstract:\nGrid-scale batteries enable the integration of renewable energy from intermittent sources and level demand on power plants\, but recent installations have been almost exclusively lithium-ion. Aqueous batteries\, such as the ubiquitous primary alkaline Zn-MnO₂ battery\, are free from the flammability\, toxicity\, and supply chain concerns that surround lithium. Rechargeable alkaline Zn-MnO₂ batteries currently rely on a low depth of discharge (DOD) of both the MnO₂ cathode and Zn anode\, however\, worsening their economics. \nDetailed in this work are developments to the mechanistic understanding and electrochemical performance of rechargeable alkaline MnO₂ cathodes cycling their full capacity of two electrons per Mn atom. During cycling the cathode undergoes intercalation and dissolution-precipitation type reactions involving disordered species\, making characterization difficult. Furthermore\, MnO₂ cathodes need to be modified with Bi to cycle reversibly\, but the mechanism through which Bi makes MnO₂ rechargeable is not well defined. \nAn interfacial region of disordered β-MnOOH is identified for the first time and found to be stabilized by Bi using operando extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and post-mortem selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Furthermore\, irreversible Mn₃O₄ formation is proven not to occur in Bi-modified alkaline MnO₂ electrodes using in-situ Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD). An alternative degradation mechanism is investigated through characterization of Bi-doped MnO₂. Finally\, a cell with decoupled catholyte and anolyte is designed to prevent zinc poisoning of the MnO₂ cathode. \n\nEric Zimmerer is a member of the Analysis of Complex Electrochemical Systems (ACES) lab led by advisor Professor Joshua Gallaway. In February 2026\, Eric will defend his Ph.D. thesis on the development of low-cost and sustainable batteries for grid-scale energy storage. While at Northeastern\, Eric served as lab safety officer\, treasurer for the Graduate Student Council\, and a mentor for undergraduate researchers. During his time at Northeastern\, Eric specialized in the development and characterization of aqueous battery chemistries. Specifically\, he used synchrotron characterization techniques\, performed at Brookhaven and Argonne National Laboratories to characterize disordered structures present during battery cycling and to characterize the materials inside of sealed batteries under compression. After graduating\, Eric hopes to work in battery research in the San Francisco Bay Area.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-eric-zimmerer/
LOCATION:333 CSC\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 333 CSC\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20260108T155609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260113T214522Z
UID:54822-1768392000-1768395600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Peter Kofinas
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Enabling Sub-Ambient Li-Ion Performance and Postoperative Anti-Adhesion Protection with Functional Material Design\n \nLocation: 108 SN \nAbstract: Research in the Kofinas Laboratory focuses on the design\, synthesis\, and processing of functional materials for energy storage\, printed electronics\, and biomedical technologies. This presentation will focus on two complementary thrusts:\nElectrolytes for lithium-ion batteries in extreme environments: We develop solid and water-based polymer electrolyte platforms engineered for improved safety and long-term reliability. A key emphasis is enabling stable ion transport at low temperatures\, with target performance metrics that include broadened electrochemical stability windows and sustained ionic conductivity under sub-ambient conditions relevant to cold-weather and extreme-environment operation.\nAnti-adhesion biomaterials for surgery: We design biodegradable\, functional polymer blends to mitigate postoperative adhesions. Using solution blow spinning\, we directly deposit conformal fibrous mats onto wet and irregular tissue surfaces. Upon warming to body temperature\, these fibers transition into protective films that adhere selectively\, provide localized coverage\, and degrade on a controlled timeline. These features intended to support use across abdominal\, cardiac\, and gynecologic procedures. Across both thrusts\, we integrate polymer chemistry\, transport and electrochemistry\, interfacial science\, and scalable processing\, paired with application-driven testing. The overarching goal is to translate functional polymer systems into safer lithium-ion batteries and clinically practical anti-adhesion barriers suitable for operating-room deployment. \n\nPeter Kofinas is Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Maryland (since July 2017). A member of the UMD faculty since 1996\, he previously served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Graduate Programs in the A. James Clark School of Engineering and also as Equity Officer and Diversity Officer. He holds affiliate (courtesy) appointments in Bioengineering and in Materials Science and Engineering. Kofinas earned his SB and SM in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1989 and a PhD in Polymers from MIT in 1994\, followed by two years as a postdoctoral associate in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering. He directs the Functional Macromolecular Laboratory (FML; fml.umd.edu)\, which advances functional polymers for medicine and pharmaceutics\, energy storage\, and microelectronics. His group focuses on the synthesis and structure–property relationships of complex polymer architectures\, with current projects in lithium-ion battery electrolytes\, additive manufacturing for printed electronics\, and sprayable surgical materials to prevent postoperative adhesions. Kofinas is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and the Clark School’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching\, Senior Faculty Outstanding Research\, and Faculty Outstanding Service awards. He holds the endowed Keystone Professorship for excellence in undergraduate teaching and is also an Engaged Faculty Award honoree. Born in Switzerland and raised in Greece\, he is bilingual in French and Greek and speaks fluent English\, German\, Spanish\, and Italian. A former concert pianist\, he is currently a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-peter-kofinas/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251203T154555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T154555Z
UID:54567-1765357200-1765371600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Barrett Smith
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nBarrett Smith \nTitle:\nin situ polymer gelation in confined flow \nDate:\n12/10/2025 \nTime:\n9:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Sara M. Hashmi (Advisor)\nProf. Steve Lustig\nProf. Xiaoyu Tang\nProf. Matt Kipper \nLocation:\n425 Shillman Hall \nAbstract:\nPolymer flows through pores\, nozzles and other small channels govern engineered and naturally occurring dynamics in many processes\, from 3D printing to oil recovery in the earth’s subsurface to a wide variety of biological flows. Cross-linking within these polymer flows can change their material properties dramatically. Bulk characterization of these changes is insufficient to describe how these materials behave in microfluidic flow. Shear stresses produced by confinement cause changes in gel properties. Additionally\, small inhomogeneities which arise during cross-linking become more important at microfluidic length scales. As a result of these complexities\, the behavior of polymer solutions which are actively undergoing cross-linking is understudied and few principles have been established which help determine a priori whether emergent behaviors such as clogging will occur. \nIn this dissertation\, we investigate a simple model system of polymer cross-linking in microfluidic flow. Alginate\, a common biopolymer\, is crosslinked by calcium ions while being driven through a microfluidic channel at constant flow rate. We map the boundaries defining clogging and flow as a function of flow rate\, polymer concentration\, and crosslinker concentration. Between the dynamic regimes of complete clogging and unrestricted flow\, we observe a remarkable phenomenon in which the crosslinked polymer intermittently clogs the channel. This pattern of deposition and removal of the crosslinked gel is simultaneously highly reproducible\, long-lasting\, and controllable by system parameters. We provide an analytical framework to quantitatively explain and describe the intermittent behavior as resulting from diffusively driven deposition in a high Peclet number flow where convection dominates over diffusion. Fitting the experimental data shows that higher component concentrations lead to more efficient deposition and more swollen gels\, while increasing the flow rate increases the deposition rate but produces much less swollen gels. By correlating the analytical analysis with bulk rheology measurements\, we find that deposition efficiency increases with the stiffness of the gel formed in flow. Softer gels withstand higher shear stresses before ablation. Upon detaching from the channel\, the gel retains its shape\, resulting in alginate microrods. To investigate the properties of these alginate rods\, we\ndevelop and validate a novel method which uses common laboratory equipment to measure viscoelastic mechanical properties of small\, soft rods and fibers. Finally\, we discuss future directions for this model system and related experimental setups. \n\nBarrett Smith is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. Mr. Smith obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Engineering from Cornell University in 2014. Upon graduating\, he worked for five years in the research department of the pharmaceutical company Insmed Inc\, where he developed nebulized and intravenous nanoparticle formulations for novel antibiotics. He joined the Hashmi Complex Fluids lab in 2021and is defending his dissertation in December 2025. In his graduate work\, Mr. Smith investigates the behavior of polymer hydrogels in microfluidic systems. Outside of school\, Mr. Smith enjoys spending time with his wife and two children reading\, completing puzzles\, and riding bikes.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-barrett-smith/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251204T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251204T180000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251117T144415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T204440Z
UID:54438-1764858600-1764871200@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Research Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our Annual Chemical Engineering Research Showcase in the Raytheon Ampitheater! Every year\, our Chemical Engineering PhD students and select faculty members present their work through Oral Presentations\, Poster Sessions\, and 5-minute Presentations. This year\, the Capstone and Professional Development classes will also be presenting their posters as part of the event. All are welcome to attend.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-research-showcase-2/
LOCATION:Raytheon Amphitheater (240 Egan)\, 360 Huntington Ave\, 240 Egan\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251124T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251124T133000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251114T153718Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251114T153718Z
UID:54423-1763978400-1763991000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Su Sun
DESCRIPTION:Name:\nSu Sun \nTitle:\nToward Automated Reaction Mechanism Generation for Electrocatalytic CO2 Conversion\, Boron Nitride CVD\, and Beyond \nDate:\n11/24/2025 \nTime:\n10:00:00 AM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Richard West (Advisor)\nProf. Francisco Hung\nProf. Qing Zhao\nProf. Peter Schindler\nDr. Harsha K. Chelliah \nLocation:\n157 Ryder Hall \nAbstract:\nThe advancement of sustainable energy and advanced material deposition technologies relies on a deep mechanistic understanding of chemical reactions governing electrochemical and heterogeneous catalysis processes. Computational modeling offers a powerful means to accelerate the design and optimization of these systems. However\, constructing detailed reaction mechanisms by manually enumerating all possible pathways is laborious and error-prone\, as comprehensive models can involve hundreds of chemical species and thousands of elementary reactions. In this dissertation\, I present advances toward automated reaction mechanism generation and simulation for complex chemical systems\, focusing on (i) electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR)\, (ii) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of boron nitride (BN)\, and (iii) the development of a modern MATLAB interface for Cantera that links automated mechanism generation with process-level modeling tools.\nBuilding upon the Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG) framework and prior methodological developments for electrochemical kinetics\, I developed and modernized a prototype RMGElectrocat implementation that can automatically generate detailed mechanisms for CO2RR. I implemented a transport-coupled reactor interface\, in collaboration with colleagues\, to connect surface and solution-phase chemistry with mass transport at the electrode–electrolyte interface. I integrated ab initio thermochemical and kinetic parameters provided by collaborators into the RMG database\, and I introduced the first bimetallic catalyst surface\, Cu3Sn\, into RMG. Using these capabilities\, I constructed a comprehensive “Grand Model” for CO2RR on Ag\, Cu\, and Cu3Sn surfaces\, which includes 296 unique species and 1\,322 reactions\, among them 79 protoncoupled electron-transfer (PCET) steps. I performed Faradaic efficiency (FE) analyses to evaluate model predictions against experimental data and to identify key mechanistic pathways leading to C1–C4 products. Through this work\, I established a practical\, extensible workflow for automated generation and quantitative evaluation of electrochemical reaction mechanisms.\nTo extend automated mechanism generation toward materials synthesis\, I carried out preparatory work for BN CVD using RMG. I expanded the RMG database to include boron and Group III atom types and the associated functionalities required to describe B–N–H–Cl chemistry. I performed targeted ab initio calculations on key precursors and intermediates to benchmark quantumchemical methods for boron-containing species\, and conducted a preliminary group-additivity-value (GAV) fitting into the RMG database. I then generated a prototype gas-phase BN mechanism with 29 species and 101 reactions and conducted a proof-of-concept CVD reactor simulation to demonstrate its viability. These efforts established a foundation for future automated construction of detailed BN CVD mechanisms and illustrated the adaptability of RMG to emerging thin-film materials systems.\nFinally\, I developed a modern MATLAB interface for Cantera\, enabling robust and user-friendly access to advanced chemical-kinetics\, thermodynamics\, and transport models directly withinMATLAB. I built the interface usingMATLAB’s clibgen infrastructure to provide an objectoriented\, memory-safe API that maps directly onto Cantera’s application binary interface (ABI). I implemented automated build workflows and created a comprehensive suite of MATLAB Live Script tutorials to support educational and research use. This interface connects mechanisms generated by RMG with detailed reactor and process modeling in Cantera\, bridging automated mechanism generation with engineering analysis and simulation.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/che-phd-dissertation-defense-su-sun/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251119T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20250916T203937Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T151757Z
UID:53705-1763553600-1763557200@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Marjan Rafat
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: The Role of Mammary Tissue Damage in Breast Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) recurrence rates remain high despite aggressive therapeutic intervention\, including surgery\, chemotherapy\, immunotherapy\, and radiotherapy. Recent studies suggest that circulating tumor cell recruitment rather than persistent tumor cells in the irradiated surgical bed may enable recurrence. However\, the mechanisms that govern how the breast tissue microenvironment facilitates recurrence and metastasis are not well understood. In this seminar\, our recent efforts in studying the role of irradiated mammary tissue in influencing tumor cell behavior will be presented. Our novel decellularized extracellular matrix hydrogels derived from mammary glands as well as the contribution of stromal cells to tumor cell recruitment will be discussed. Our work reveals that radiation damage of breast tissue promotes a pro-tumor and immunosuppressive microenvironment through alterations in the structure and composition of the extracellular matrix. We also establish that radiation causes metabolic reprogramming in fibroblasts that supports tumor growth. Our studies represent an important step toward elucidating the impact of stromal cells in driving worse outcomes following therapy in patients with TNBC. Future research will utilize these results to engineer improved biomimetic in vitro tumor and tissue microenvironment models to probe the complex physical\, chemical\, and biological cues that regulate TNBC recurrence and metastasis. \n\n Dr. Marjan Rafat is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University. She has courtesy appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Oncology and is a member of the Program in Cancer Biology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Breast Cancer Research Program at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Among other recognitions\, she has received the NIH Pathway to Independence award\, the Young Innovator in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering award\, Breast Cancer Alliance Young Investigator award\, Concern Foundation Conquer Cancer Now award\, METAvivor Early Career Investigator award\, and the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant. She received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT\, a PhD in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University\, and was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Rafat currently applies chemical and biomedical engineering concepts toward understanding the mechanisms driving breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. Her interdisciplinary laboratory at Vanderbilt examines and models the tumor and tissue microenvironment. She has contributed over 50 peer-reviewed publications\, 7 book chapters\, and over 85 conference presentations and proceedings.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-marjan-rafat/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20250916T203743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T154317Z
UID:53701-1762948800-1762952400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Micheál Scanlon
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Electrosynthesis of Conducting Polymer Thin Films at a Polarizable Liquid | Liquid Interface \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: The broken symmetry of a liquid|liquid interface is ideal for the electrosynthesis of dimensionally confined nanomaterials\, i.e.\, thin films. Certain liquid|liquid interfaces are electrochemically active. Tuning the electric field provides a powerful external stimulus to overcome kinetic barriers to interfacial electrosynthesis. For example\, the rate of thin film formation can be controlled by electric field driven motion of ions (such as the oxidant) to the interface. In this presentation\, I will discuss recent breakthroughs in the electrosynthesis of commercially vital conducting polymer thin films\, such as biocompatible poly(3\,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) [JACS\, (2024)\, 146\, 28941; JACS\, (2022)\, 144\, 4853]\, as well as metallic nanoparticle/PEDOT and carbon nanotube/PEDOT nanocomposites\, at a polarized liquid|liquid interface. The concept involves controlling interfacial electron transfer between an aqueous oxidant\, such as Ce4+\, and an organic soluble monomer\, such as EDOT\, at the liquid|liquid interface. Such control is possible by using (i) a 4-electrode electrochemical cell in conjunction with a potentiostat or (ii) an electrodeless approach by chemically establishing a distribution potential. The latter allows ease of scale-up of the thin films. Once formed\, the free-floating thin films can be transferred to any solid surface for ex situ applications\, for example in supercapacitor devices for energy conversion and storage or as biocompatible substrates in cell- and organoid-related studies for tissue engineering. \n\n Professor Micheál D. Scanlon graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from University College Cork (UCC)\, Ireland\, in 2005. He then went on to do a PhD in electrochemistry (2005-2009) at the Tyndall National Institute\, Cork\, Ireland\, under the mentorship of Professor Damien W.M. Arrigan. Following that he carried out postdoctoral research under the supervision of Professor Edmond Magner at the University of Limerick (UL)\, Ireland from 2009 to 2011\, and under the supervision of Professor Hubert H. Girault at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)\, Switzerland\, from 2011 to 2014. He established his own independent research group in 2014 in the Department of Chemistry at UCC upon winning a Science Foundation Ireland Starting Investigator Research Grant. He was awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant in 2016. Subsequently\, he was hired as an Associate Professor B in the Department of Chemical Sciences at UL in 2017 and joined the Bernal Institute at UL as a principal investigator. He has since been promoted to Associate Professor A (2020) and Professor (2022). At UL he has built an activity around electrochemistry at polarizable liquid | liquid interfaces to pioneer new approaches to the (photo)electrocatalysis of energy related reactions\, the electrosynthesis of conducting polymer thin films and their nanocomposites\, and the bioelectrochemistry of the model enzyme Cytochrome c (for more details see https://www.scanlonelectrochemlab.com/). He has published 1 book chapter and over 70 articles to date\, in leading journals such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society\, Chemical Science\, Science Advances\, and Angewandte Chemie International Edition. He is currently the Irish regional representative of the International Society of Electrochemistry.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-micheal-scanlon/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20251105T160000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20251105T180000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251103T151248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T151248Z
UID:54315-1762358400-1762365600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:CACS Panel Discussion 
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an exclusive career event\, in conjunction with the AIChE Annual Meeting\, featuring Anne O’Neal (President Elect of AIChE) and outstanding chemical engineers from both industry and academia. Bring your questions about career development directly to renowned professors and industry leaders and gain valuable insights into building your future. Refreshments will be provided during the panel discussion.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/cacs-panel-discussion/
LOCATION:440 Egan\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
GEO:42.3396156;-71.0886534
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=440 Egan 360 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=360 Huntington Ave:geo:-71.0886534,42.3396156
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T213000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251010T145646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T145646Z
UID:54045-1762198200-1762205400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:2025 AIChE Annual Conference CHME Reception
DESCRIPTION:Join CHME Faculty and Staff at the 2025 AIChE Annual Conference in Boston\, Massachussetts! \nWe’ll be hosting our department reception in Hynes Convention Center\, Room 204. Stop by to network with our faculty and visiting alumni. Light snacks and refreshments will be offered. We look forward to meeting you there!
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/2025-aiche-annual-conference-chme-reception/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251102T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251102T160000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251010T145615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T145615Z
UID:54041-1762074000-1762099200@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:2025 AIChE Annual Conference Student Recruitment Fair
DESCRIPTION:Join CHME Faculty and Staff at the 2025 AIChE Annual Conference in Boston\, Massachussetts! Ask your questions about our Master’s and PhD programs at our recruiting booth! We’ll be in Hynes Convention Center\, Exhibit Hall A\, Booth #26. We look forward to meeting you there!
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/2025-aiche-annual-conference-student-recruitment-fair/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20250916T203526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T192942Z
UID:53697-1761739200-1761742800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Zhiyong Gu
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Developing Soldering Nanomaterials for Advanced Materials Joining and Bonding \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Joining and bonding methods are not only necessary\, but also quite often critical in materials forming and electronic device manufacturing processes. Among various joining methods\, soldering is one of the most widely used ones\, due to its electrical conductivity and mechanical reliability\, which makes it widely used in a variety of applications such as electronics\, sensors\, transportation vehicles\, and biomedical devices. In this presentation\, I will show the synthesis and development of soldering-driven nanomaterials\, including both nanoparticles and nanowires\, for a variety of micro/nanoscale bonding and joining applications: (1) low-temperature lead-free nanosolders have been synthesized and applied for Cu-Cu joining and bonding; (2) site-selective core/shell and multi-segment nanowires have been synthesized by a combined electrodeposition and chemical reduction method\, which can be aligned and assembled by external force field such as magnetic field or electrical field\, before subsequent soldering. These nanoparticles and nanowires\, and the associated nano-soldering techniques\, have shown great promise in the assembly and construction of functional nanoelectronics and nanodevices. \n\n Dr. Zhiyong Gu is currently a Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2004\, and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University from 2004 to 2006. In September 2006\, he joined UMass Lowell as an Assistant Professor\, was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in September 2012\, and then promoted to Full Professor in September 2017. He served as the Graduate Coordinator and then Associate Chair from 2012 to 2023. His research interests include synthesis of nanoparticles and nanowires\, lead-free nanosolders\, self-assembly\, nanocomposite materials\, and nanoscale joining and packaging for electronics\, sensors\, and biomedical applications. He has published 5 book chapters and over 80 peer-reviewed journal papers\, and contributed to over 200 conference presentations. He received the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award in 2010\, Department Teaching Excellence Award in 2011\, US EPA People\, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award in 2015\, and Outstanding Mentoring of Undergraduate Students Award in 2018. He is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Nanoparticle Research\, served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Electronic Materials from 2015 to 2020\, and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of several other journals.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-zhiyong-gu/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251003T194228Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T194228Z
UID:53954-1761134400-1761138000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: William Doherty
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Stimulating Excitable Cells with Optosomes: Development of a Non-viral Cell Derived Vesicle Capable of Stimulating Excitable Cells in Response to Light Stimulus \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: For years\, researchers have studied and developed neuromodulation techniques meant to stimulate and/or inhibit excitable cells both in research and clinical settings. A method to excite cells with light\, termed Optogenetics\, has been researched extensively since its discovery in the early 2000’s. A major constraint of Optogenetics is the expression of the necessary light-gated ion channels most often achieved using a viral vector. While this is not overly concerning in research settings\, clinical applications of optogenetics have been slow to develop as the use of viral vectors in humans presents challenges regarding safety. Additionally\, foreign opsin genes are believed to be a permanent addition to the transfected cells. \nThis dissertation aimed to develop Optosomes; a cell-derived vesicle containing excitatory opsin that couples with excitable cells via Gap-Junctions that conduct the stimulus current from the opsin into the cell. Initial production of Optosomes followed established protocols for producing Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles (GPMVs) in which small volumes of cytoplasm are encapsulated in a piece of the cell’s plasma membrane. The number of GPMVs produced varied with pH\, cell confluency\, and base medium having a noticeable impact on the number of GPMVs generated. Optosome production required the creation of a stable cell line expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and connexin-43 (Cx43) proteins required to form Gap-Junctions. Two separate transfections in the series generated a ChR2-Cx43 Hek293 cell line capable of producing Optosomes at a high concentration. Finally\, a mathematical model was built to simulate Optosome stimulation of excitable cells and how changes in the size of Optosomes and cells affect the strength of stimulus generated. The result of these simulations and attempts to stimulate neonatal Cardiomyocytes (CM) in vitro confirmed that the majority of Optosomes produced were too small to generate a stimulus capable of exciting CMs. Production of Optosomes with larger diameters or the use of a different strand of ChR2 is needed to increase the number of Optosomes able to stimulate CMs will be needed moving forward. \nThe results of this dissertation provide the foundation for developing Optosomes as an alternative approach to stimulating excitable cells with light. \n\nAfter spending nearly two years working on the development of a new automated Biomanufacturing system in the Love Lab\, Bill was accepted and enrolled in the PhD program for Chemical Engineering. After finding his home for the next 7 years in the Koppes Lab\, he got to work both on forming his thesis and integrating into the community at Northeastern. In pursuing his Ph. D\, he had started to appreciate how applying mathematical modeling techniques to biological systems offers a whole new perspective when trying to understand the complex innerworkings of the human body. It offered a nice juxtaposition to the time spent in lab running hands on experiments that are less about math and academic prowess and more about technique\, adaptability\, and problem solving in real time. Bill has sed the better part of his twenties working in Research and its why he was so eager to pursue a Ph D as he hopes to work his way into scientist positions overseeing research and development projects. Still residing in Boston\, he hopes to find a position in the New England Area after submitting his Dissertation; staying close to family and friends in the area.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-william-doherty/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T130000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20250916T203230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T193125Z
UID:53692-1759924800-1759928400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Vincent G. Harris
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Academic Scholarship vs. Entrepreneurship: Research choices in pursuing a career in academia at Northeastern \nLocation: 108 Snell Engineering Center \nAbstract: Success as a faculty member at a Tier 1 research university—fair or unfair—still depends heavily on securing research funding and producing independent\, high-quality scholarship with those resources. Yet\, over the past two decades\, there has been a profound shift in how faculty contributions are evaluated\, with increasing recognition of entrepreneurship as an important dimension of academic impact. \nThis raises an important question: can one pursue academic research that satisfies both the rigorous standards of scholarship and the entrepreneurial expectations of a tenure and promotion (T&P) committee? \nIn this talk\, I reflect on choices made over my three-decade career\, including two decades at Northeastern\, where my research evolved from pure scholarship to one deeply focused on market transition—ultimately leading to a successful spin-out company founded 17 years ago. I will discuss the challenges of bootstrapping a start-up versus pursuing venture capital funding\, and the unique satisfaction that comes from building a company from the ground up. \nMuch of this work was—and continues to be—performed at Northeastern\, with many of the start-up’s employees being former students. The science and engineering behind it sit at the intersection of physics\, chemistry\, materials science\, and RF engineering. \nI will attempt to satisfy the audience’s appetite in S&T by reviewing some of the meaningful contributions made by my students that have been commercialized and impacted society. \n\nVince Harris has built a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years at the intersection of science\, technology\, leadership\, and national security. He has served in diverse roles\, including engineer and physicist; innovator and inventor; mentor and educator; entrepreneur and CEO; Department of Defense branch chief; Department of State policy expert; and global defense teaming lead. \nHis expertise lies in advanced multifunctional materials and RF electronics\, with pioneering contributions to magnetism\, magnetoceramics\, RF device physics\, and novel RF systems. His work has shaped technologies ranging from handheld communication devices to advanced radar platforms\, as well as permanent magnet materials critical to defense and national security. \nIn 2025\, Harris was recognized as the world’s leading researcher in the modern history of ferrites\, ranked first among more than 28\,500 scientists worldwide. His scholarly impact has earned him Fellow status in numerous professional societies\, including AAAS\, APS\, IEEE\, NAI\, the UK Institute of Physics\, and AIIA\, and he has been honored as both a Fulbright Fellow and a Jefferson Science Fellow. His contributions have further been recognized with some of the field’s most prestigious awards\, including the W. David Kingery Award and Edward C. Henry Award from the American Ceramics Society\, the Distinguished Scientist Award from The Minerals\, Metals and Materials Society\, the Lee Hsun Scholar Award and Lectureship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences\, and designation as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer in RF Applications of Magnetoceramics.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-vincent-g-harris/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T143000
DTSTAMP:20260420T192558
CREATED:20251003T194307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T194307Z
UID:53935-1759498200-1759501800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Chaochao Dun
DESCRIPTION:Seminar Title: Fast-Track Materials Discovery Beyond Equilibrium for Energy and Sustainability \nLocation: Egan Center 306 \nAbstract: The development of stable multicomponent materials remains a central challenge in inorganic chemistry and chemical engineering. In systems containing multiple elements\, positive mixing enthalpy\, size and valence mismatch\, and structural incompatibility tend to drive phase separation\, especially under equilibrium conditions. Traditional doping strategies for tuning electronic structure and defect chemistry have had some success but are fundamentally constrained by narrow solid-solution windows. To address these limitations\, we developed a non-equilibrium flame synthesis technique capable of producing multicomponent solid solutions across alloys\, ceramics\, and metal-organic frameworks. This method enables rapid evaporation\, nucleation\, and growth within milliseconds\, establishing a well-defined thermodynamic and kinetic pathway for kinetically trapping metastable phases. When combined with entropy-driven stabilization\, this approach yields two types of material outcomes\, depending on the configurational entropy of the system: high-entropy systems with five or more elements tend to form stable single-phase solid solutions\, while systems with two to four components undergo controlled in situ exsolution in response to mild enthalpic stimuli. This unified strategy is broadly applicable to thermocatalysis\, electrocatalysis\, and critical mineral recovery\, and offers a robust framework for materials design beyond the limits of equilibrium-based methods. \n\n Dr. Chaochao Dun joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in June 2019 and currently serves as a project staff scientist at the Molecular Foundry. He earned his Ph.D. from the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials in the Physics Department at Wake Forest University in 2017. At Berkeley Lab\, Chaochao is leading three main research thrusts: (I) synthesizing multicomponent materials via non-equilibrium flame-aerosol method for energy conversion and storage; (II) designing sorbents and redox-active clusters for recovering critical minerals; and (III) mechanism-oriented studies that link defect chemistry and kinetics/thermodynamics to performance\, supported by multi-scale characterization.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-fall-seminar-series-chaochao-dun/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR