Alumni

Graduate Students

Christian Ayafor  (Ph.D. in Energy Engineering, 2024)

Dissertation: Sustainable Processes for Waste Plastics Upcycling and the Use of Safer Solvents

After graduation: Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN

Fuat Sakirler  (Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, 2024)

Chemical Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2024); AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering (CRE) Division Travel Award (2023); 28th North American Catalysis Society Meeting (NAM) Kokes Travel Award (2023); 27th International Symposia on Chemical Reaction Engineering (ISCRE) Travel Award (2023); Foundations of Molecular Modeling and Simulation (FOMMS) Travel Award (2022)

Dissertation: Effects of Noncovalent Interactions on the Chemical Kinetics of Biomass Fast Pyrolysis Chemistry

After graduation: Jenike & Johanson, Tyngsboro, MA

Peng Yu  (Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, 2021)

Chemical Engineering Outstanding Graduate Research Award  (2021)

Dissertation: Reaction Pathways and Kinetics of Reaction Coupling for Process Intensification

After graduation: Postdoc at Tufts University, Medford, MA

Current position: Analytical Scientist at Tedor Pharma, Cumberland, RI

Melisa Nallar  (Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, 2020)

Chemical Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2020)

Dissertation: Application of Sustainability Principles for Green Engineering: Production of High-Value Platform Chemicals from Selective Biomass Fast Pyrolysis and Use of Safer Solvents for Liquid Chromatography

After graduation: Pioneer Astronautics, Lakewood, CO

Current position: Chief, Engineering Resources Branch, U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH

Heba Morgan (M.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2023)

Thesis: Generalization of Parametric Effects of Reactor Operations and Feedstock Properties on the Yields and Compositions of Bio-oils Produced from Pine Pyrolysis

After graduation: Pancopia, Hampton, VA

Harsha vardhan Gogulapati (M.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2017)

Thesis: Thermal Decomposition of Chitin Over Solid Acid Catalysts

After graduation: Midwest Medical Isotopes, Oklahoma City, OK

Current position: Specialist Pharmaceutical Analyst at RD2Rx, LLC, Overland Park, KS

Wilbur Zuo (M.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2016)

Thesis: Production of Linear Alkylbenzenes via Diel-Alder Cycloaddition between Biomass-Derived Furan and Linear Olefins over Solid Acid Catalysts

After graduation: APorous Inc., Tyngsborough, MA

Current position: Senior Principal Application Engineer at Enovix, Fremont, CA

Prerak Shah (M.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2015)

Thesis: Quantitative Determination of Species Production from Two-Zone Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin and Carbon Preform Pyrolysis Reactions

After graduation: Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors, Louisville, KY

Current position: Principal Process Engineer at Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN

Commonwealth Honor Student

Protitee Paromita (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2024)

Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Student Service (2024)

Thesis: Semi-empirical Model for the Delamination of Multi-layered Plastic Films

After graduation: M.S. Program in Chemical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA

Arick Forsyth (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2019)

Howard H. Reynolds Award (2019)

Thesis: A Study of the Synergistic Effects of Chitin and Plastics Copyrolysis

After graduation: DPS Engineering, Framingham, MA

Current position: Program Manager at Vor Biopharma, Acton, MA

Senior Undergraduate Researchers

Matthew Wright (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2024)

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Research Award (2024)

After graduation: M.S. Program in Chemical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA

Nathaniel George (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2023)

After graduation: Doctor of Pharmacy Program at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Worcester, MA

Toren Burton (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2022)

Chemical Engineering Department Award – Biological Option (2022)

After graduation: Superior Controls, Seabrook, NH

Current position: Project Engineer, E Tech Group, Seabrook, NH

Montayo Cardoza (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2022)

After graduation: Wunderlich-Malec Engineering, Inc., Wilmington, MA

Current position: SCADA Engineer, Nexamp, Lawrence, MA

Colleen Ahern (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2020)

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Research Award (2020)

After graduation: Ph.D. Program in Chemical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

Ethan Bossange (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2020)

Howard H. Reynolds Award (2020)

After graduation: M.S. Program in Chemical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA

Current position: Process Development Scientist, Resilience, Boston, MA

Nicholas Tenaglia (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2020)

Chemical Engineering Scholarship Award (2020)

After graduation: New England Controls and Instrumentation, Mansfield, MA

Current position: Manufacturing Automation Engineer, Waters, Taunton, MA

Solomon Gobaw (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2016)

After graduation: Sekisui Voltek, Lawrence, MA

Current position: Process Engineer, Pfizer, Andover, MA

James Phan (B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Class of 2015)

After graduation: DSM Coating Resins, Wilmington, MA

Current position: Senior Manager, Ultragenyx, Bedford, MA

Undergraduate Honor Students and
Immersive Scholars

Joshua Schorn (Summer 2024)

Sara Kofahi (Summer 2024)

Abigail Lynch (Fall 2023, Spring 2024)

Aidan Hamilton (Fall 2023, Spring 2024)

Michele Pham (Summer 2023)

Aidan Silvia (Summer 2023)

Melvin Orn (Summer and Fall 2022)

Protitee Paromita (Spring and Fall 2022)

Abraham Mudoola (Spring and Fall 2022)

Anthony Quartarone (Fall 2019, Spring 2020)

Patrick Bertini (Fall 2019, Spring 2020)

Conall Persechino (Summer 2019)

David Barry (Summer 2018)

Nicholas Tenaglia (Fall 2017, Spring 2018)

Armand Noel (Summer 2017)

Irena Manukian (Summer 2016)

Zenon Nieduzak (Summer 2016)