News Archives
News 2005

December 2005

The department's website now includes a link to a Job Resource Center powered by AfterCollege. AfterCollege is a free online job board that customizes job listings to individual academic departments and student groups. The site is updated constantly and may serve as a valuable tool to those of you nearing graduation and seeking employment.

To access the link from our website, click the News & Events button on the top tool bar. Then click Jobs for Chemical Engineers. This will take you to a listing of job resource links, which includes the link to AfterCollege's Job Resource Center.

November 2005

Jerry Spivey recently received a small grant-in the amount of $45,000-from the Department of Energy to continue work on the development of metal foams as catalyst supports for fuel processors. This project continues work he began earlier with colleagues George Roberts (North Carolina State University) and Jim Goodwin (Clemson University) on these same materials. Prof. Spivey is also working with Prof. Elizabeth Podlaha-Murphy and chemical engineering undergraduates Ryan Fontenot and Omkar Namjoshi to develop new electrochemical deposition methods to synthesize specific formulations.

The following three Chemical Engineering Ph.D. students have won the Coates Travel Award recently:

Young-Pyo Jeon and Jiao Yang, who are both graduate research assistants for Martin Hjortsø, presented papers at the 2005 AIChE Annual Meeting held in Cincinnati, Ohio in November 2005. Jeon’s dissertation research is in the area of distribution dynamics of complex systems and Yang’s is in the area of kinetics of polymer crystallization.

Lisa Brenskelle, a M.S. student working with Martin Hjortsø, presented the following paper at the recent AIChE conference in Cincinnati, Ohio: "Cluster-kinetics of pressure-induced glass formation."

Wenli Zhang, a graduate research assistant for Karsten Thompson, presented two papers at the 2005 AIChE Annual Meeting. The oral presentations were titled as follows: “Multiscale modeling of melt infiltration in random fibrous materials” and “Analysis of local and global structure during densification of non-spherical particulate materials.”

October 2005

In the October 31, 2005 issue of Chemical and Engineering News, our department is ranked #23 in “Schools Spending Most on Chemical Engineering R&D” for 2003. We moved up 15 places from our 38th ranking in 2002.

Graduate student Alonso Lozano-Morales received a student travel grant by the Electrochemical Society to attend the 208th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society (ECS), October 2005. His talk was entitled, "Metal Matrix Nanocomposites as Thin Films and Microstructures from Basic Electrolytes," and the co-authors were Jill Fitzgerald, a former undergraduate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at LSU, and E.J. Podlaha-Murphy, advisor.

The following two Chemical Engineering Ph.D. students have won the Coates Travel Award recently:

Yutong Li and Rohit Mishra, who are both graduate research assistants for Elizabeth Podlaha-Murphy, presented at the 208th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society held in Los Angeles, California in October 2005. Li’s oral presentation was entitled, “Electrodeposition of Co/Cu Multilayered Thin Films and Micro-posts.” Mishra’s poster presentation was entitled, “Fabrication of Rare Earth-Transition metal Alloy Nanowires and Nanotubes.”

Chemical Engineering Department faculty (Professors Valsaraj and Thibodeaux) along with faculty from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at LSU were involved with the sampling and analysis of New Orleans floodwaters immediately after Hurricane Katrina. This is the first peer-reviewed article on the composition of the floodwaters that indicated that it was not a "toxic soup" as many had feared. The paper was published in the premier journal Environmental Science and Technology published by the American Chemical society. A link to the journal is available:

J. H. Pardue, W. M. Moe, D. McInnis, L. J. Thibodeaux, K. T. Valsaraj, E. Maciasz, I. van Heerden, N. Korevec, and Q. Z. Yuan, "Chemical and Microbiological Parameters in New Orleans Floodwater Following Hurricane Katrina", Environ. Sci. Technol.; 2005

September 2005

Kalliat Valsaraj will be hosting Chancellor’s Distinguished Lectureship Series (CDLS) seminar speaker, Dr. A. R. Ravishankara. The seminar will be held on November 4, 2005 beginning at 3:00 pm in the Rotunda Auditorium of the Energy, Coast and Environment Building, with a reception immediately following the seminar.

Dr. Ravishankara is a senior scientist and chief of the Atmospheric Chemical Kinetics Program at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). His research is aimed at understanding the chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere as it is today and as it may be in the future. The results of his research help elucidate how man’s activities affect our air and provide information on how to preserve our environment. Current research interests include climate change (greenhouse effects), and regional air quality, and stratospheric ozone changes. Dr. Ravishankara has won numerous awards and accolades. Most recently he received the 2005 ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science & Technology.

Due to Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent aftereffects the storm poses in the BR area as well as the deeply affected areas, we have decided to postpone the Alumni Reunion (scheduled for October 8, 2005). We hope to see many of you on Saturday, April 1, 2006, for the 3rd Annual Chemical Engineering Alumni Reunion.

August 2005

An artcle on Dr. Pike's Rocket Propellant Research appeared in the LSU Highlights. Dr. Pike is working to develop an environmentally friendly, or “green,” rocket propellant.
read more ...

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of our faculty, Jose A. Romagnoli as a Gordon A. and Mary Cain Endowed Chair & Professor. Prof. Romagnoli is a world-renowned expert in process control and is a recipient of the Centenary Medal of Australia, which is awarded by the Prime Minister for contributions to the field of Chemical Engineering.

Prof. Romagnoli will join LSU on August 8, 2005, following more than 10 years at the University of Sydney in Australia, where he most recently held the position of Chair & Professor of Process Systems Engineering and head of the Chemical Engineering Department (2001-02).

He is the author of the book, “Data processing and reconciliation for chemical process operation,” and has published more than 200 papers in scientific and professional journals. His research areas of interest encompass all aspects of process systems engineering, with a special focus on: advanced linear and nonlinear process control; advanced modeling architectures for complex processes; data processing and reconciliation; design and synthesis with economic-environmental-operability considerations; intelligent process monitoring; and artificial intelligence.

He received his B.S. from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina in 1973 and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1980, both in chemical engineering.

The Department is pleased to announce the hiring of James E. Henry as an assistant professor. Prof. Henry comes to LSU from Texas A&M University, just having received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering this year. He received both his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Arkansas. His main area of research concerns biochemical engineering.

Prof. Henry is very excited and anxious to begin teaching in the fall as well as start-up his research projects. The department is delighted to have him as a new member of our faculty and know that he will be a valuable addition to the department.

May 2005

The Gordon A. & Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering will benefit from a generous gift from one of its most successful alumni. Mr. Earnest “Dare” Campbell and wife Janie donated $75,000 in May to the LSU Foundation, establishing a charitable remainder annuity trust dedicated to chemical engineering.

Earnest Campbell graduated from LSU with a degree in chemical engineering in 1949 after serving in the Army Air Corps in WWII. He went on to work at Dow Chemical Company, from which he is now retired. Earnest and Janie Campbell are both natives of Louisiana. The two lived in Baton Rouge for many years and now reside in Destin, Florida.

Jerry Spivey is working at the US Dept. of Energy's National Energy Technology Lab this summer to develop sulfur-resistant reforming catalysts for use in fuel cells. Also working on this project at the DOE site in Morgantown, WV is graduate student Daniel Haynes.

Professor Valsaraj received two recent grants:

(1) A grant from the US Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the effects of sediment resuspension during dredging of contaminated sediments and resulting air emission estimates.

(2) A Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) from the National Science Foundation for investigating the use of photonic crystals for air pollution control.

In addition he also received word on the continuing support of his grant from NSF to study the behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon vapors at the air-water interface of fog and ice. This brings the total support for this research to $551,400.

LSU’s 256th Commencement ceremony was held today. This year our department graduated 43 bachelor’s (4 with latin honors), 5 master’s, and 3 Ph.D. One of our M.S. and one of our Ph.D. graduated with a perfect 4.0 gpa. As is our tradition, the department hosted a reception for all graduates and their guests in the chemical engineering building. Pictures from today’s event can be found in our Photo Gallery.

Prof. Karsten Thompson is a recipient of a Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award for 2005. This award was created by TAF to recognize the most outstanding educators on LSU’s campus. Prof. Thompson is one of the most popular faculty members in our department and is very deserving of this prestigious award. We wholeheartedly congratulate him!

Jennifer Armstrong, a chemical engineering senior, is one of the winners of the 2005 Southwest Chemical Association Scholarship. The scholarship amount is $5,000 and will be presented to Jennifer at a presentation dinner to be held in Houston, Texas on August 18. Congratulations to Jennifer!!

Brandon Iglesias, a chemical engineering senior, won 2nd place in the 2005 Sunbelt Student Entrepreneur Awards. Brandon developed and runs his own Web site, FamilyXL.com, which provides a way for families to stay in close contact even when separated by vast distances. The Louisiana Business and Technology Center has assisted Brandon by housing his business and assisting with marketing his product.

Ronald Cambre to give $1.25 Million for new Chemical Engineering facility.
More details >>

April 2005

We would like to congratulate Aimin Xu, a 2004 Ph.D. graduate, as he has been awarded the 2004 AIChE Baton Rouge Best Dissertation Award. Xu's major professor was Ralph Pike and his dissertation was, "Chemical Production Complex Optimization, Pollution Reduction and Sustainable Development."

Congratulations to Elmer B. Ledesma and Lisa Brenskelle who were married on Saturday, April 16. Ledesma is a postdoctoral associate working with Professor Mary J. Wornat and Brenskelle is a Ph.D. student under the direction of Professor Benjamin McCoy. The wedding took place at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior on Jones Creek Road in Baton Rouge at 10:30 a.m. We wish them the best of luck.

Congratulations are also in order for Jennifer McClaine and her husband, who welcomed their second child on April 10, 2005. His name is Benjamin David. He weighed 8 lb.s, 1 oz. at birth. Both mother and child are doing well.

Congratulations to Alan Bussard! A Ph.D. student under the direction of Kerry Dooley, Bussard has been awarded a Donald W. Clayton Fellowship award by the College of Engineering.

Congratulations to Craig Plaisance, who is a M.S. student of Kerry Dooley. He won “best graduate student presentation” at CAMD day, which was held recently.

Professor Elizabeth Podlaha-Murphy will serve as co-PI for three recently awarded grants from the Louisiana Board of Regents. The largest award is in the amount of $260,000 and is shared with her husband, Michael Murphy of LSU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The project is titled, “Downhole Microsystems for the Oil Industry” and is to develop microsensosrs using electrodeposted materials and is in collaboration with Schlumberger. The other two grants are: “Enhancement of Mammalian Cell Culture Facilties at LSU-BR,” PI: Ramachandra Devireddy (Mechanical Engineering), co-PIs: Michael Murphy, Steven Soper (Chemistry), and Elizabeth Podlaha, State of Louisiana Board of Regents/Enhancement Program, 2005-06, $90,000; and, “Material Science and Engineering Symposium at Louisiana State University and Tulane,” PI: John F. DiTusa (Physics & Astronomy), co-PIs: Elizabeth Podlaha, Ilya Vekhter (Physics & Astronomy), Yufeng Lu, and Zhiqiang Mao, State of Louisiana Board of Regents/Enhancement Program, 2005-07, $57,000.

Professor Armando Corripio, who served as a Leadership Giver for the 2004 LSU campaign of the Capital Area United Way, was placed in a drawing and subsequently won a LSU Baseball Team Poster (autographed, matted, and framed). We congratulate Corripio on his win and for his continuing efforts with the United Way.

Jerry Spivey has recently been awarded a $225k contract through the DOE's State Technology Advancement Collaborative program to study catalysts for the Fischer Tropsch process. The project will make use of LSU's CAMD facility, and Amitava Roy at CAMD will be a Co-PI. LSU is a subcontractor to Clemson University on the project, which has a total cost of $1.3 million. The project team includes the Louisiana and South Carolina State Energy Offices, RTI, Sud Chemie, and Rentech.

Along with Kevin Kelly from LSU's ME Dept, Jerry has also recently been awarded a $182k project from the Board of Regents to study catalytic heat exchangers for fuel processing. He has also just begun a project with DOE's National Energy Technology Lab in Morgantown, WV to study reforming of military fuels.

Congratulations to Alonso Lozano, a Ph.D. student researching under Elizabeth Podlaha, as he has just been awarded a Sigma-Xi Grants in Aid award by the LSU Chapter of Sigma-Xi for his proposal, Electrodeposited nanocomposites as thin films and high aspect ration microstructures for MEMS. All of this year’s winners will be honored at the annual Spring Banquet, which will be held on April 13, 2005, in the LSU Union’s Magnolia Room.

January 2005

The Department is proud to announce that Danny Reible , Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his development of widely used methods of managing contaminated sediments. Election to the NAE is the highest professional distinction bestowed to an engineer in the United States.

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