Student Awards

Honoring our 2026 department awardees

Susan Glairon — Fri, 01 May 2026 16:57:12 +0000

Honoring our 2026 department awardees Susan Glairon Fri, 05/01/2026 - 10:57

Susan Glairon

Ten undergraduate students won 11 awards from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Please click on their names to read more about our students' accomplishments.

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Driven to win: CU ��ý�� qualifies again for national Chem-E-Car competition

Susan Glairon — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:47:24 +0000

Driven to win: CU ��ý�� qualifies again for national Chem-E-Car competition Susan Glairon Wed, 04/29/2026 - 11:47

Susan Glairon

Izzy Culver starts her team's zinc battery car, the Stinkinator, at the Rocky Mountain regional competition held in Salt Lake City, Utah from April 10-11.

James Hempfling, Mizuki Green, Alex Tibbits and Izzy Culver hold their First-Place Poster Presentation and Second-Place Performance awards for their car, Stinkinator, which is powered by a zinc–alkaline battery system.

A little car named "Stinkinator" placed second in the Chem-E-Car car performance competition, qualifying CU ��ý�� for the national American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Chem-E-Car competition next fall.

This marks the second consecutive year that CU ��ý�� has advanced to the nationals, which will take place in November in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

This year, CU ��ý�� sent two teams to the Rocky Mountain regional competition held in Salt Lake City, Utah from April 10-11. Teams are composed of students representing chemical and biological engineering, mechanical engineering and various other engineering disciplines.

“Qualifying for the national competition again is both exciting and intimidating,” said Captain Mizuki Green, a sophomore in chemical engineering whose car, Stinkinator, qualified for the national competition. “We are proud to continue CU ��ý��’s legacy in this event and recognize the high standard set by previous senior teams. At the same time, we’re eager for the opportunity to learn, grow and build new connections within the chemical engineering community.”

The competition's goal is to design a shoebox-sized car powered by chemical reactions— such as a battery or an internal combustion engine — that stops at a specified distance using a time-dependent chemical reaction. The target distance is revealed just before the competition, and the team whose car stops closest to that distance wins.

Stinkinator placed second in the car performance competition and took first place in the poster presentation. The second-place win for car performance secured CU ��ý�� a spot at the national AIChE competition.

The second car, a pressure car named “Pushin' P,” took second place in the poster presentation and fourth in car distance.

“We have never done this before, so it was difficult figuring out how to build an operating pressure car in general,” said Captain Katya Jassem, a junior in chemical engineering. Unlike the first team, the second team was made up entirely of chemical and biological engineering students.

Ethan Blair, Katya Jansem and Sergio Morales with their second-place Poster Presentation award, for their car, Pushin' P. Pushin' P is powered by an acid–base reaction between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide gas. The buildup of gas creates pressure, which powers a pneumatic motor to drive the car

Stinkinator is powered by a zinc–alkaline battery system using pure zinc anodes and a potassium hydroxide electrolyte separator. The cathode is a copper–manganese dioxide paste with activated carbon, which serves as the primary energy source. To stop the car, aqueous hydrochloric acid is released into a sodium thiosulfate solution, triggering a reaction that produces solid sulfur—hence the name, Stinkinator.

Pushin’ P uses an acid–base reaction between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide gas. The buildup of gas creates pressure, which powered a pneumatic motor to drive the car. After the reaction, the gas was directed through steel tubing from the reaction chamber to the motor, where it turned the system and propelled the car.

To control when the car stopped, the team used a calibration curve relating system pressure to travel distance, allowing them to calculate the correct reactant amounts in advance.

Throughout the year, CU ��ý�� students designed, built and tested their car ideas in the chemical engineering undergraduate teaching lab, supported by Assistant Teaching Professor Ehsan Keyvani.

"These competitions involve an intensive, year-long process of iteration and refinement to master their craft.” Keyvani said.

The first semester is typically focused on brainstorming and initial engineering/testing. Once the second semester begins, activity ramps up. The first half is dedicated to testing, solidifying the car design and preparing the required competition documentation. In the second half of the spring semester, the team meets multiple times per week for extended sessions to ensure everything is competition-ready.

CU ��ý��'s Chem-E-Car club is supported by funding from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and has received Engineering Excellence Fund support in the past. Students interested in joining CU ��ý��'s Chem-E-Club can send an email to chemecar@colorado.edu. The club can also be followed on Instagram at @boulderchemecar.

A little car named "Stinkinator" placed second in the Chem-E-Car car performance competition, paving the way for CU ��ý�� to compete in the national competition next fall. The competition's goal is to design a shoebox-sized car powered by chemical reactions— such as a battery or an internal combustion engine — that stops at a specified distance using a time-dependent chemical reaction.

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Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees

Susan Glairon — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:44:16 +0000

Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees Susan Glairon Tue, 04/14/2026 - 14:44

Thirteen chemical and biological engineering undergraduate students won 18 awards from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Please click on their names to read more about our students' accomplishments.

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Kate Seymour

Susan Glairon — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:23:36 +0000

Kate Seymour Susan Glairon Fri, 04/10/2026 - 09:23

Double Major

Chemical Engineering (BS) and Chemistry (BA)

CEAS Award

Research Award

Future Plans

Pursuing a Materials Science and Engineering PhD at the ��ý��

Why were you were selected for this award?

In the Bowman Research Group, I develop computer models that predict how light-activated plastics, called photopolymers, form and harden during manufacturing. My work addresses a critical gap in existing models, a chemical reaction unique to a major class of these materials, that has long forced researchers to rely on costly trial and error. By filling this gap, my models will enable scientists to design better photopolymers from the outset, rather than relying on guesswork.

Photopolymers are widely used in everyday applications from dental fillings and crowns, to 3D-printed medical devices, contact lenses and protective coatings. Improving predictive modeling can lead to more durable dental restorations (reducing repeat procedures, especially valuable for communities with limited access to dental care), while accelerating the development of customized medical implants and reducing material waste in manufacturing. Ultimately, my work helps researchers and engineers design these essential materials more efficiently, lowering costs and bringing new healthcare technologies to patients sooner.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Finishing a dual degree in chemical engineering and chemistry while staying genuinely connected to the people around me. The GPA matters to me, but what I am most proud of is that I did not disappear into the work. I stayed present with my classmates. I kept showing up for the people in my life. I found my faith. I tried to honor the professors and coworkers who invested in me through my hard work and commitment. I stayed curious about things beyond my engineering and chemistry coursework.

At times, it would have been easier to avoid the harder, messier parts of being a person: relationships, faith, vulnerability, and showing up for others when it was inconvenient. I did not always get it right, but I learned more from trying to hold both things together than I ever could have from the coursework alone. Looking back, I did not have to sacrifice the things that made me feel human to succeed academically, and that is what I am most proud of.

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

Growing up, Saturday mornings meant watching College GameDay with my parents and cheering for our respective programs. So getting swept up in that experience at my own alma mater during Coach Prime's first season was pure joy. I traveled to Fort Worth for the opener and waved a giant CU flag on Big Noon Kickoff as Colorado shocked Texas Christian University. The following week, I was back at Folsom Field for the Nebraska game, where I won best sign on Big Noon. Then came the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and College GameDay's first visit to ��ý�� since 1996, where I got a photo with Desmond Howard, a former professional football player and current sports analyst. It's a fall I'll never forget.

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Say "yes" to the opportunity you feel underqualified for. Email the professor whose research sounds intimidating. Apply for the internship you assume you won't get. Volunteer for the project that pushes you outside your comfort zone. Most of the meaningful opportunities I've had at CU started with me deciding to try. The worst thing that happens is someone says "no," which is exactly where you started. The people who seem to have it all figured out aren't more qualified than you; they just took the first step and asked.

Meet more of our awardees

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Jessica Connell

Susan Glairon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:32:18 +0000

Jessica Connell Susan Glairon Wed, 04/08/2026 - 14:32

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

CEAS Awards

Academic Engagement Award
Culture Impact Award
Research Award

Post-graduation plans

Research at the Institute of Future Fuels at the DLR (German Aerospace Center) in Cologne, Germany

Why were you selected for these awards?

Culture Impact
I’ve been a member of oSTEM for four years and board member for three of those years. oSTEM, an LGBTQ+ STEM student organization, played an integral role in my time at CU. I was able to find community, gain professional experience, and leave a lasting impact on campus. As a board member, I helped take oSTEM to our first three National Conferences, displayed an AIDS memorial in the Pride Office, started our Alumni Network, and established ongoing connections with LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups in industry. oSTEM represents a deeply personal and important cause to me, and I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to give back to the community that has supported me through some of my hardest times and darkest moments.

Research
I’ve participated in research with three different groups in my time at CU. I started by working in the Nabity group in Aerospace Engineering, working on ways to improve carbon dioxide capture and filtering for life support systems (such as on the International Space Station).

From there, I then joined the Weimer lab, working on utilizing concentrated sunlight to produce sustainable fuels. This work functions by taking water, heating it up to 1500C, and then flowing over an active material. This material has special properties that allows it to separate the oxygen out of water, leaving hydrogen which can then be captured. This hydrogen can then be combined with carbon monoxide to make syngas, a precursor to hydrocarbon fuels, or ammonia, which is used in fertilizer production necessary to feed over half the world’s population. While this work is not a perfect solution, it provides a step toward a more sustainable energy future and can be used with current energy infrastructure, making implementation much more feasible.

Lastly, I joined the Shields lab this year to complete my senior thesis. In this lab, I’ve worked on improving quantitative biodistribution measures to aid in cancer treatment research. One of the major challenges with cancer treatments is targeting, or getting the treatment to the desired part of the body. One way to study where treatments end up is a biodistribution study, or looking at the treatment concentration in different organs in the body. However, this process is typically labor intensive and destructive. My work has been developing quantitative calibrations of fluorescent images so that researchers can determine treatment concentration in each organ without destroying it. This will help determine which treatments have the highest targeting ability and thus should be studied more.

Academic Engagement
I have been a chemical engineering course assistant for the past year and a half. I have helped with Fluid Mechanics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Kinetics and Reactor Design, and was the head course assistant for a Mass Transfer bridge course. Though I love the concepts and challenging problems, my favorite part of being a CA has been my interactions with students. I love watching my students understand a concept for the first time or do really well on an exam they were worried about. I also love being able to provide support and advice about classes, professors, research, internships or even just to listen when someone has a bad day. Chemical engineering is difficult, and I want to make sure that the other students in the program have the community and support they need to do well.

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

My favorite memory from my time at CU has been hanging out with my friends on the front patio area of the biotech building. Whenever we need a break from being engineers, we all sit in the sun and nap, chat, play volleyball, stretch, do handstands and generally just enjoy a moment to ourselves. Chemical engineering is difficult, and as much as I love the hard work, I also cherish the moments of calm and community.

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Ask for help. So many people at CU are in your corner and will support you if you ask. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family, friends, professors, mentors, and peers, and I'm incredibly grateful for their support and advice throughout my time at CU.

Meet more of our awardees

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ChBE senior earns national and campus Student Employee of the Year honors

Susan Glairon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:16:18 +0000

ChBE senior earns national and campus Student Employee of the Year honors Susan Glairon Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:16

McCarty was selected as the leadership category winner at the national and campus levels. She was recognized for her leadership as a course assistant and lead course assistant for multiple core engineering courses, as well as for her professionalism and academic excellence.

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Arianna McCarty

Susan Glairon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:19:34 +0000

Arianna McCarty Susan Glairon Wed, 04/08/2026 - 05:19

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

CEAS Awards

Outstanding Undergraduate of the College
Academic Engagement Award
Research Award

Future Plans

Earn a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in biological sciences from the Wellcome Sanger Institute at the University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar

Why were you selected for these awards?

Academic Engagement Award
Teaching and learning have always been inseparable for me at CU. Across seven course assistant (CA) roles, I've had an exceptional opportunity to deepen my understanding of content, and more importantly deepen my connection with the academic community in the CHBE department. Beyond my CA roles, I've pursued extensive graduate coursework, classes across many disciplines, and even had the chance to conduct independent studies on Japanese haiku and French existentialism with Dr. Anja Lange! CU has given me the space to pursue my curiosities, and I've never stopped taking it up on that offer.

Research Award
In the Burdick Biomaterials and Biofabrication Laboratory, I engineer heart tissues with specific regions of scarring to model what happens to the heart following a heart attack. Using biomaterials and 3D bioprinting techniques, we fabricate these tissues to closely mimic the architecture of a damaged heart and subsequently investigate how specific proteins might be targeted to reverse scarring. I have also contributed to research in the Clark Lab at CU Anschutz, where I investigate how our respiratory microbiome (the collection of bacteria naturally present in our airway) interacts with and protects against pathogens, with implications for how we understand and treat respiratory infections.

Outstanding Undergraduate of the College Award
My undergraduate experience has been defined by a commitment to research, teaching and community at CU ��ý��. Serving as a course assistant (CA) for seven courses has been one of the greatest gifts of my time here; it immersed me in the heart of the ChBE community in a way nothing else could have. Spanning three laboratories and four published papers, my research has ranged from respiratory microbiology to cardiac tissue engineering, allowing me to chase curiosities that only seem to deepen the further I go. Beyond the lab, working as an EMT, volunteering with Engineers Without Borders, and holding roles with the Boettcher Foundation and Goldwater Scholar Council have each been ways I've tried to pour into the communities that have given so much to me.

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

I don't have one favorite memory, and I think that's the point. The memories I'll carry with me are the gnocchi nights with friends, the spontaneous lab dance parties and the conversations that went way longer than they were supposed to. Those in-between moments are where the real magic lives.

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

My best piece of advice for other students is to ask for help. There are so many people here at CU who are in your corner and will support you if you just ask. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family, friends, professors, mentors and peers, and I'm incredibly grateful for their support and advice throughout my time at CU.

Meet more of our awardees

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Becca Rhodes

Susan Glairon — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:59:43 +0000

Becca Rhodes Susan Glairon Tue, 04/07/2026 - 16:59

Major

Chemical Engineering

CEAS Award

Perseverance Award

Why do you think you were selected for this award?

I have used my life experience to help others with their own strife, and I have let my experiences be a motivating force, rather than a defeat.

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

Singing at the national conference National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) with the University Choir in November 2025. I will cherish those memories forever!

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Struggle looks different for everyone. Be slow to judge, and wary of assuming someone is okay based on their outward achievements. In the same vein, it is okay to ask for help, and the relationships you form from shared vulnerability and support will be far more meaningful and long-lasting. You are not as isolated as you feel. You deserve kindness and support, both from others and from yourself.

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Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU ��ý�� history

Susan Glairon — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:18:22 +0000

Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU ��ý�� history Susan Glairon Fri, 01/30/2026 - 10:18

Chemical and biological engineering senior Arianna McCarty has earned the prestigious Churchill Scholarship, becoming just the fourth student in university history to receive the honor. The award will support a year of master’s study at the University of Cambridge, recognizing her exceptional research achievements and academic excellence.

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Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards

Susan Glairon — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:28:07 +0000

Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards Susan Glairon Mon, 12/01/2025 - 03:28

Susan Glairon

Ethan Coleman presents his research at the 2024 AIChE annual student conference, held in San Diego.

When Ethan Coleman attends winter graduation, he’ll receive not one, but two CU Engineering degrees. He’ll also take home three of the College of Engineering and Applied Science fall undergraduate awards.

Coleman, who is double majoring in Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) and Applied Mathematics, suspected he might receive the Research Award. But what he didn’t guess was that he’d also be recognized with the Academic Engagement Award as well as the honor he’s most proud of—Outstanding Undergraduate of the College.

“It feels more holistic,” Coleman said of his third award. “I’m being recognized for more than just good grades and research.”

Those recognitions reflect his work as a teaching assistant for six classes; his strong academic performance—including three graduate-level classes—and his research, where he served as first author on two papers stemming from his undergraduate thesis. It also reflects his time spent as a ChBE student ambassador as well as participating in the Global Engineering Residential Academic Program.

Mountains calling

Coleman spent his high school years in San Antonio, Texas. After visiting Colorado a few times, he decided on CU ��ý��, drawn by his love of hiking.

He majored in chemical and biological engineering because he enjoyed math and chemistry. Interested in numerics, Coleman also added an applied math double major with ChBE.

“I enjoy taking classes, doing research and teaching,” Coleman said. “Sometimes it becomes overwhelming, but for the most part, I don't mind the work. I definitely wouldn't have gone as far as I have if I did.”

Coleman completed his double major in nine semesters, with help from the AP credits in calculus and chemistry he earned in high school. He’s not sure how he fit everything in, including his passion for hiking.

“I don't really have a system,” Coleman said. “I'm a night owl. I'll do something fun in the afternoon, and then knock out some homework at night.”

And when Coleman wasn’t studying, he could often be found on one of Colorado's trails. Two years ago Coleman hiked all 486 miles of the Colorado Trail in a month. He and a companion aimed for 20 miles a day, but on some days they pushed to 30 to make up for weather delays. Every week or so, they hitchhiked into town to pick up a resupply box they’d mailed themselves and to sleep in a real bed.

Coleman and a companion hiked the entire 486 miles of the Colorado trail in August 2024.

Road to research

As a junior, Coleman took a graduate-level transport class taught by Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta while carrying a 19-credit courseload—well above the typical 15 credits.

“That class was fun, but it was also hard,” Coleman said. “Having a professor who was supportive throughout was awesome. I ended up joining his lab because I really appreciated him as an instructor.”

Gupta's feelings were mutual.

“The recognitions are all very well-deserved for Ethan,” Gupta said. “He took two courses with me, including a graduate-level course where he was among the highest scorers, even as a junior.”

Over the course of his time at CU ��ý��, Coleman was a learning assistant for six classes, including multivarious calculus and other teaching positions in applied math and ChBE.

Coleman has worked in Gupta’s Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow and Electrokinetics (LIFE) for two years. For the first few months he worked under a postdoctoral researcher, but then asked to head his own projects.

“Ankur was totally supportive,” Coleman said. “I wasn’t totally ready, with only three months of research experience, but Ankur said ‘If you get stuck, let me know.’ He did it in a way that was very conducive to me learning. He was very intentional about helping me grow into a good researcher.”

Coleman’s favorite research project is one he came up with himself: using microparticles that react to chemical gradients to move bacteria inside biofilms—clusters of bacteria joined by sticky polymers that are hard to remove. His goal: to discover a way to clean biofilms from porous materials.

“Ethan has been very creative and productive, on par with a graduate student,” Gupta added. “I am very excited for him and eager to follow his career, and wish him the very best.”

Looking ahead

Coleman plans to continue working in the LIFE lab for a few months after graduation. He’s applying to graduate schools to pursue a PhD in chemical and biological engineering and plans to become a professor. He’s specifically looking for labs that perform the type of biological research he currently pursues.

The recognitions reflect Coleman's work as a teaching assistant for six classes; his strong academic performance—including three graduate-level classes— and his research, where he served as first author on two papers stemming from his undergraduate thesis. It also reflects his time spent as a ChBE student ambassador.

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Student Awards

Honoring our 2026 department awardees

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Driven to win: CU ������ý���� qualifies again for national Chem-E-Car competition

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Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees

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Kate Seymour

Double Major

CEAS Award

Future Plans

Why were you were selected for this award?

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

What is your favorite CU ������ý���� memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

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Jessica Connell

Major

CEAS Awards

Post-graduation plans

Why were you selected for these awards?

What is your favorite CU ������ý���� memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

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ChBE senior earns national and campus Student Employee of the Year honors

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Arianna McCarty

Major

CEAS Awards

Future Plans

Why were you selected for these awards?

What is your favorite CU ������ý���� memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

Related News

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Becca Rhodes

Major

CEAS Award

Why do you think you were selected for this award?

What is your favorite CU ������ý���� memory?

What is your best piece of advice for other students?

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Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU ������ý���� history

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Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards

Mountains calling

Road to research

Looking ahead

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Driven to win: CU ��ý�� qualifies again for national Chem-E-Car competition

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

What is your favorite CU ��ý�� memory?

Arianna McCarty awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in CU ��ý�� history