We would like to share a good news from Dr. Hao Sun today. He won the ACS Petroleum Research Fund award. Congratulations, Hao! Here is a quote from his award letter. “We are pleased to inform you that your research proposal, PRF# 66137-UNI7, entitled "Transformation of Non-Depolymerizable Poly(oxanorbornene)s to Depolymerizable Polyolefins via Ring-Opening of Backbone Cyclic Ethers", was recommended for funding by the Committee on the Petroleum Research Fund for $55,000.00. “ Hao has a plan to engage 5-6 UG or MS students in his research project. This will be helpful for us on attracting or retaining good students in the chemistry programs. This project will also enhance the department’s strength on sustainability education and research. We would take this chance to thank every of us for all the innovative teaching and research activities on educating or training our students. By our collective efforts, we are providing reputable high-quality educational services to students and the community.

Graduate students and undergraduate seniors from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering toured American Green Fuels on October 28th, 2022. American Green Fuels operates out of New Haven, CT, and is the largest biodiesel producer in New England, producing an astounding 80 gallons of biodiesel a minute. Students donned hard hats and safety glasses for a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour. They had an opportunity to observe operations in the control room, where over a dozen monitors are continually checking and refreshing measured parameters. Students also toured production areas, which was a unique opportunity to see how chemical operations scale up for industrial use. Students even had a chance to chat with a recent UNH graduate about their position at American Green Fuels. Event coordinator, Dr. Virginie King, expressed excitement about the potential for future research collaboration with the company and encourages interested chemistry and engineering students to consider applying for available summer internships.

The NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSGC) has awarded Madison Liguori a NASA CTSGC Undergraduate Research Grant. The $6,000 grant is for one year and will help Madison continue her work on a project entitled “Thinning Mediated Bacterial Penetration During Space Travel” that she started in January 2022. Madison is a high achieving senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at UNH. Dr. Huan Gu, her PI, speaks highly of her recalling how creative and productive she is, “always willing to spend time on understanding the ‘why’ behind each step written in a protocol.”

"The Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering at the University of New Haven hosted a research open forum on December 13, 2022 at the University of New Haven. NASA CTSGC is a co-sponsor for this workshop by the informational education grant. The event featured six faculty speakers: Profs. Dequan Xiao, Qiu Chong, Nathan Seifert, Hao Sun, Nagasree Garapati, Shue Wang and four posters by faculty and students. In total, 16 students, 7 faculty attended in-person and 19 students, 2 faculty attended virtually.

Recently, a group of sixteen students currently enrolled in chemistry and chemical engineering programs at the University of New Haven took a field trip to Boehringer-Ingelheim, a renowned pharmaceutical company in the United States. During the visit, they had the opportunity to tour Boehringer-Ingelheim's technology and chromatography labs, as well as its pilot plant. The students gained a first-hand understanding of cutting-edge chemistry techniques such as flow chemistry and Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) as well as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Overall, the field trip proved to be a truly enlightening experience, providing the students with valuable insights into the pharmaceutical industry and the importance of innovative chemistry techniques in drug development and production. As a result of the trip, several students have applied for internships and employment opportunities at the company.

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering at the University of New Haven hosted a research open forum on December 13, 2022 at the University of New Haven. NASA CTSGC is a co-sponsor for this workshop by the informational education grant. The event featured six faculty speakers: Profs. Dequan Xiao, Qiu Chong, Nathan Seifert, Hao Sun, Nagasree Garapati, Shue Wang and four posters by faculty and students. In total, 16 students, 7 faculty attended in-person and 19 students, 2 faculty attended virtually.

Graduate students and undergraduate seniors from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering took a field trip to Oakridge Dairy farm and Allnex on Novemeber 3rd 2023. Oakridge Dairy farm is the largest dairy farm in Connecticut and has a methane digester which converts manure into natural gas. Students had opportunity to learn not only about the methane digester but also other sustainable practices and day-to-day operations involved in a dairy farm. Later in the afternoon students visited Allnex, where they had opportunity to tour production area, control room, quality control lab. Students were able to relate the material taught in class at the industry scale and interacted with the employees including our own alumni Trinh Ngo. Event is coordinated by Drs. Nagasree Garapati and Huan Gu, who are excited about the future collaboration with Allnex and encourages interested students to apply for internships and employment opportunites at the company.

May 23, 2024 - A groundbreaking collaboration between the University and Brightspec, a pioneering spectroscopy company, has provided students and faculty with the opportunity to beta test a cutting-edge microwave spectrometer not yet available on the market. This initiative offers a glimpse into the future of physical chemistry and showcases the university's role in advancing scientific instrumentation. Led by Dr. Nathan Seifert, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, the project involved hands-on experiments with the microwave spectrometer, which allows for the analysis of chemicals in gas phases using microwave radiation. This innovative tool is noted for its ease of use and potential for both academic and commercial applications, making it a significant advancement in the field. Dominick Panzino, a recent graduate with a master's in chemistry, played a crucial role in these experiments. His work, initially focused on the forensic analysis of fragrances to detect counterfeits, adapted seamlessly into testing this new technology, which could profoundly impact quality assurance and safety in various industries. The testing phase attracted enthusiastic participation from students like Sean Allen, who found the experience transformative. This new spectrometer, praised for its robustness and educational value, promises to redefine the approach to teaching and research in physical chemistry. Brightspec's collaboration with the University not only underscores the importance of academic contributions to technological innovation but also prepares the next generation of scientists for future challenges in applied sciences. The spectrometer is expected to reach the market later this year, marking a significant milestone in molecular rotational resonance spectroscopy.