News
A Legacy of Leadership: Remembering Dr. Arvind Varma (1947-2019)
Dr. Arvind Varma (1947-2019) Professor Arvind Varma, the R. Games Slayter Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University and 10th Head of the School, passed away on July 14, 2019. Dr. Varma will be known as a ground-breaking chemical engineering researcher who has had significant impacts in the areas of hydrogen and other energy sources, chemical and catalytic reaction engineering, and in the synthesis of advanced materials. He will also be fondly remembered as an innovative leader in the field of chemical engineering.
Monica Cardella, CISTAR Pre-College Director, Recognized with ASEE 2019 President's Award
This award, which recognizes organizations that make the best use of print, broadcast, or electronic media to encourage K-12 students to pursue engineering and/or influence public opinion about the critical role that engineering plays in today’s technology-driven society, is being given to Purdue University’s INSPIRE Research Institute for the Pre-College Engineering program’s Engineering Gift Guide.
Elsa Koninckx Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and Belgian American Educational Foundation Fellowship
(MAY 3, 2019)- CISTAR congratulates Elsa Koninckx, a CISTAR Graduate Fellow at Northwestern University, as she has received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the Belgian American Educational Foundation Fellowship.
Dr. Fabio Ribeiro selected to receive 2019 Giuseppe Parravano Award
CISTAR congratulates our Director, Dr. Fabio Ribeiro, as he was selected to receive the 2019 Giuseppe Parravano Award.
Ethan Edwards Presents Alternative Energy Research
(APRIL 22, 2019) - Ethan Edwards, CISTAR Undergraduate Fellow and a current undergraduate student studying civil engineering with an environmental focus, presented his research at the 2019 Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference. Throughout the previous year, Edwards has worked to discover how to catalyze change in the energy field.
Fueling the Future: Tapping into a 100-year supply of natural gas
Series of solutions may provide keys to driving down production costs and harvest century worth of natural gas WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – It is a figure that has been thrown around quite a bit lately in the energy debate – the United States has enough energy in shale to provide all of the nation’s transportation fuels for 100 years. But two challenges remain – how to tap into that supply and how to process it into fuel at a reasonable price.
Rajamani Gounder to Receive the 2019 College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award for Early Career Research
(March 18, 2019) – CISTAR congratulates Rajamani Gounder, the Larry and Virginia Faith Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University and CISTAR Thrust Co-leader as he has been selected to receive the 2019 College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award for Early Career Research. The award will be presented to Gounder as part of the 17th Annual Engineering Faculty Awards of Excellence Banquet at the Ross-Ade Pavilion Shively Club on April 5, 2019. Gounder has also been recognized with awards from the Department of Energy Early Career Research Program, American Institute of Chemical Engineers 35 Under 35 Award, 2018 Sloan Research Fellowship.
Abhaya Datye Receives 2019 Robert Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis
(March 18, 2019) CISTAR congratulates Abhaya Datye, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Regents Lecturer at The University of New Mexico and UNM CISTAR Site Leader as he has received the 2019 Robert Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis sponsored by Johnson Matthey and administered by the North American Catalysis Society. The award recognizes recipients for their contributions to the field of catalysis and catalytic literature. Datye will accept the award at the 2019 North American Catalysis Meeting this June. For more information please visit: https://engineering.unm.edu/news/2019/03/datye-receives-major-catalysis-honor.html
Linda Broadbelt Elected to National Academy of Engineering
(February 18, 2019) The Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) congratulates Professor Linda Broadbelt, Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University and CISTAR Thrust leader, as she has been elected to National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Gift helps fund research to modernize fuel production
When Irene Binash (BSChE '79, MS Mgmt '81) learned that Purdue Engineering had landed a $19.75 million National Science Foundation grant to study new petrochemical resources, she was intrigued. Having spent 36 years at Exxon Mobil Corp., she follows innovations in the oil and gas industry. The purpose of the Engineering Research Center (ERC) grant, awarded in 2017, is to engineer a system to convert light hydrocarbons from shale resources into chemicals and transportation fuels in smaller, modular, local and highly networked processing plants.
Energy for the future: Purdue NSF-funded engineering center works on energy technology to inject billions of dollars into the U.S. economy
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University researchers are working with some of the world’s largest energy companies to create new ways to produce fuels and chemicals from United States light alkane deposits. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, these shale gas resources are believed to contain enough untapped reserves to provide the nation’s transportation fuels and chemicals for a hundred years, creating an unparalleled opportunity to revitalize the economy and build a powerful bridge to a more sustainable future.
Phil Kester Awarded Best Poster at 2018 AIChE Annual Meeting
CISTAR congratulates Phil Kester, graduate student at Purdue University, on an excellent representation of CISTAR research that earned him best poster presentation of the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering (CRE) Division at the 2018 AIChE Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA.
CISTAR Universities Rank Highly in The Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2017 List
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. (August 20, 2018) - The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) announced the top university patent holders granted by the USPTO during the 2017 calendar year. Four of CISTAR's university partners (Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of New Mexico and the University of Texas) are among the top universities ranked according to the number of issued patents. The list - published annually since 2013 - showcases the importance of the contributions made by universities in research and innovation. According to the list, CISTAR universities have a total of 492 patents issued. The University of Texas is ranked 3rd with 219 patents, Northwestern University is ranked 14th with 106 patents, Purdue University is ranked 17th with 100 patents and the University of New Mexico is ranked 32nd with 67 patents. To view the complete list, please visit: academyofinventors.org.
Marks Elected to the Italian National Academy of Sciences
August 9, 2018- Professor Tobin Marks, Northwestern University, has been elected to the Italian Academy of Sciences, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. The induction ceremony will take place in November at the Palazzo Corsini in Rome.
CISTAR Summer Program Poster Session
WEST LAFAYETTE (July 26, 2018) - CISTAR hosted a poster session for its summer research programs on July 26th at CISTAR Headquarters on Purdue's campus. Participants in the Research Experience for Teachers (RET), CISTAR Undergraduate Fellows, and Young Scholars (high school students) presented their research to their colleagues and peers. Additionally, the participants, along with Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) students were recognized with certificates presented by CISTAR Center Director, Fabio Ribeiro. REU students will present research posters at Purdue's SURF poster presentation later this week.
CISTAR NEWS - July 2018 Newsletter
CISTAR hosted its inaugural annual meeting at Purdue University on May 24-25. Researchers, staff, students from the five partner universities and industry representatives were in attendance. The leadership team presented on the progress made towards thrust research goals, innovation ecosystem status, workforce development advances, and diversity and inclusion programs.
Benny Freeman Awarded New Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC)
AUSTIN, TX (July 9, 2018) CISTAR congratulates Benny Freeman, Richard B. Curran Centennial Chair in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and CISTAR team member, as he has been selected to lead the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) for Materials for Water and Energy Systems (W-MET). The center is focused on the design of polymeric membranes for selective decontamination or resource recovery from complex aqueous mixtures in energy application. W-MET is one of 22 new EFRCs to receive funding for groundbreaking, energy-based research - approximately $2 million to $4 million per year for four years.
Dr. Rajamani Gounder Receives DOE Early Career Research Program Funding
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. (June 21, 2018) CISTAR congratulates Dr. Rajamani Gounder, the Larry and Virginia Faith Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University and CISTAR Thrust Co-Lead as he has been selected to receive a research grant over the course of five years from the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the prestigious Science Early Career Research Program. Gounder was selected for his research proposal, Dynamic Multinuclear Active Sites Formed from Mobilized Single Atom on Heterogeneous Supports for Selective Oxidation Catalysis.
CISTAR Holds Inaugural Center-Wide Annual Meeting
CISTAR hosted its inaugural annual meeting at Purdue University on May 24-25. Researchers, staff, students from the five partner universities and industry representatives were in attendance. The leadership team presented on the progress made towards thrust research goals, innovation ecosystem status, workforce development advances, and diversity and inclusion programs.
Joan Brennecke, CISTAR Deputy Director, Recognized as University of Texas at Austin Distinguished Engineering Graduate
Brennecke, the Cockrell Family Chair Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded the Distinguished Engineering Graduate Award, the highest honor the Cockrell School of Engineering presents its alumni. The award recognizes 'honorees as highly respected professionals, dedicated engineers and supporters of higher education.”
Philip Kester, CISTAR SLC Chair, Receives First Place Award at Michigan Catalysis Society Spring Symposium
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. (May 3, 2018) - The Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) congratulates Philip Kester of Purdue University and CISTAR Student Leadership Council Chair as he was selected for the Outstanding Student Oral Presentation award at the 39th Annual Michigan Catalysis Society Spring Symposium. The conference took place on May 3, 2018 in Midland, Michigan.
CISTAR's Arvind Varma Selected to Receive 2018 ASEE Benjamin Garver Lamme Award
Professor Varma of Purdue University will accept the award this June at the 2018 ASEE Exposition in Salt Lake City.
CISTAR Team Member Elected as Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Science
The Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) congratulates C. Jeffrey Brinker of the University of New Mexico and CISTAR team member as he has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Brinker will officially be inducted into the Academy in October of this year.
CISTAR Undergrad Wins Second-Place at Research Poster Competition
CISTAR congratulates Rebecca Reitzel, a CISTAR undergraduate student, for her second-place prize at the 2018 AICHE North-Central Regional Student Conference Research Poster Competition.
CISTAR Team Members Greeley, Gounder Approved for Promotion
CISTAR team members and Davidson School of Chemical Engineering professors, Dr. Jeffery Greeley and Dr. Rajamani Gounder, were approved for promotion by Purdue’s Board of Trustees. Greeley, CISTAR Thrust 1 team member, was promoted to full professor. Gounder, CISTAR Thrust 2 Co-Lead and the Larry and Virginia Faith Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, was promoted to associate professor. The promotions are set to be in effect for the 2018-19 academic year.
CISTAR Graduate Student Ravi Joshi Receives 2018 Presidential Safety Award
Chemical Engineering graduate student and CISTAR graduate research assistant, Ravi Joshi, has been selected to receive the 2018 Presidential Safety Award for his efforts to implement safety programs in the School. Joshi will receive the award during the Purdue University Annual Safety Chair Meeting on March 28.
CISTAR Site Leader Selected to Receive 2018 Giuseppe Parravano Award
William Schneider will accept the award at the 39th Annual Symposium of the Michigan Catalysis Society in May 2018.
CISTAR Site Leader Announced as an AIChE Fellow
Linda Broadbelt, CISTAR site leader at Northwestern University, was recently elected as an AlChE fellow for her extensive AIChE activities and significant service to her profession.
Linda Broadbelt Receives E. V. Murphree Award
Northwestern Engineering’s Linda Broadbelt has received the E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, awarded by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and sponsored by ExxonMobil Research & Engineering. Broadbelt is the CISTAR Site Leader for Northwestern University.
Purdue professor and CISTAR member named 2018 Sloan Research Fellow
Purdue University chemical engineering professor and CISTAR's Thrust 2 co-lead, Rajamani Gounder, has been named a 2018 Sloan Research Fellow in chemistry as one of the next generation of scientific leaders. Dr. Gounder will receive a $65,000 fellowship to continue his research in heterogeneous catalysis.
CISTAR Thrust Lead Selected to Receive 2017 Harvey Prize
Technion Israel Institute of Technology will present Professor Tobin Marks of Northwestern University the 2017 Harvey Prize on June 10, 2018.
Professor David Allen Elected to National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected David T. Allen, the Melvin H. Gertz Regents Chair in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and CISTAR Co-PI, to the prestigious academy. The ceremony took place on October 8, 2017. Professor Allen becomes the 9th NAE member to be associated with CISTAR.
Four new NSF Engineering Research Centers will advance US health, energy sustainability
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has invested nearly $80 million in four new Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) to create novel technology platforms to address national challenges in health and energy sustainability.
NSF-funded center at Purdue could help power U.S. for next century
The National Science Foundation has chosen Purdue University to lead an engineering research center, which will develop new technologies to produce fuels from U.S. shale-gas deposits that could inject $20 billion annually into the economy.
UNM partners with NSF, Purdue on new engineering research center
The University of New Mexico is part of a new National Science Foundation-funded engineering research center that will develop new technologies to produce fuels from U.S. shale gas deposits that could inject $20 billion annually into the economy. UNM researchers will partner with lead institution Purdue University in the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources, or CISTAR, which will be based at Purdue.
New engineering research center to focus on challenges of upgrading shale gas
Chemical engineers at the University of Notre Dame will contribute their expertise in materials development and modeling to a new research center that will focus on new methods of converting shale gas reserves into chemicals and transportation fuel.
Northwestern Joins NSF Center to Produce Fuels and Chemicals
Northwestern University is a key partner in the new Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR). Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led by Purdue University, the engineering research center will develop new technologies to produce fuels from US shale-gas deposits that could inject $20 billion annually into the economy.
UT Austin to Co-Lead $20 Million NSF Center Aimed at Converting Natural Gas Into Transportation Fuels
Engineers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have been selected to help lead a five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation engineering research center aimed at developing new mobile technologies for converting natural gas into transportation fuels near rural natural gas sites.
Modular shale-gas processing could supply fuels, chemicals to U.S. at lower cost, with reduced carbon emissions
Purdue University will lead a newly funded National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center to develop energy technologies for production of fuels and chemicals from U.S. shale-gas deposits.