Spring 2011 - Department of Chemical Engineering - Texas A&M ...

SPRING 2011
STUDENT EDITION
Going Global
Texas A&M’s chemical engineering study abroad program expands to China.

Michael V. Pishko
Department Head and
Charles D. Holland ‘53 Professor
Note from the Department Head
Of the many achievements that continue to take place within the walls of this
department, the cultivation of a rigorous but rewarding educational experience for
our students is one accomplishment of which our faculty remains particularly proud.
It’s this unique academic environment – one that melds intense learning with
personal growth opportunities for our undergraduates – that defines chemical
engineering education at Texas A&M University.
Fostering such an experience requires devoted faculty members, and this
department is fortunate to have such individuals. Not only are they outstanding
researchers within their respective fields, they are outstanding teachers – teachers
who leverage their extraordinary knowledge and abilities to educate the next
generation of chemical engineers.
Of course, it also helps to have incredibly talented and ambitious students
who are eager to learn, and we’ve got those too. Whether they are participating in
study abroad programs, conducting community service projects or assisting with
research, the students within this department consistently accept new challenges
and rise to meet the lofty educational standards set for them. What’s more, they
don’t stop once they graduate; they go on to become significant leaders in the
chemical engineering field.
With those things in mind, we’ve decided to take a more active role in
highlighting some of our student-related endeavors. Beginning with this issue, our
department will devote each spring edition of its magazine to our students and our
student-related activities. I believe this new format serves as a nice complement to
our research-intensive fall edition by shining the spotlight on some well-deserving
individuals and programs. I hope you enjoy our stories.
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CONTENTS
Summer of Science
Through the department’s “Research
Experience for Undergraduates” program,
students are learning the ins and outs of
research and deciding if graduate school
is the right move for them.
Prospecting in Aggieland
A university-wide open house gives
prospective college students the opportunity
to learn about chemical engineering and
its impact on the world.
East of Aggieland
The department’s study abroad program in
China challenges students academically while
bolstering their cultural awareness.
Around the Department
Chemical engineering students and faculty
members excel.
Former Student Spotlight
Charlie Shaver, a 1980 chemical engineering
graduate and CEO/ president of TPC Group,
Inc., knows that the people in his company are
as valuable as the products they produce.
Department at a Glance
Total Faculty 32
Professors 14
Associate Professors 5
Assistant Professors 8
Non-tenured/ Non-tenure Track 5
Endowed Chair Holders 3
Endowed Professorship Holders 10
U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Rankings Among Public Institutions
11th Undergraduate
17th Graduate
Research Areas
Biomedical and Biomolecular
Complex Fluids
Computational Chemical Engineering
Environmental
Materials
Microelectronics
Microfluidics
Modeling and Simulation
Nanotechnology
Process Safety
Process Systems Engineering
Reaction Engineering
Thermodynamics
Thoughts on a story or suggestions for a future issue?
Please direct all comments to Ryan A. Garcia, communications coordinator for the
Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University.
PHONE: 979.845.9237
EMAIL: ryan.garcia99@tamu.edu
MAIL: Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering
Texas A&M University
3122 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3122
THE ARTIE MCFERRIN DEPARTMENT OF
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE, Issue 6,
Spring Edition, April 2011
17
Friends of Chemical Engineering at
Texas A&M
Support of the Artie McFerrin Department of
Chemical Engineering throughout the last year
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The Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program is
exposing students to a world-class research environment, enabling
them to advance important research findings, and helping them
to determine if graduate school is right for them.
Without having first experienced the research environment
within Texas A&M University’s Artie McFerrin Department of
Chemical Engineering, Matthew Rehmann likely would not
be pursuing a chemical
engineering doctorate
through which he aims
to learn more about the
interface between bone
and ligament in knee
reconstructions.
“I didn’t want to do a
Ph.D. program until I had
gone through the Texas A&M undergraduate research program; I
can honestly say that just the experience and how much I enjoyed
it is what made me want to go to a Ph.D. program afterwards,”
says Rehmann, who participated in the department’s Research
Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program as a visiting
undergraduate from the University of Pennsylvania.
Rehmann, a New Jersey native, is now a first-year student in
the chemical engineering graduate program at the University of
Delaware, but it’s his time at Texas A&M, under the tutelage of
Assistant Professor Katy Kao, that he says opened his mind to the
possibilities of furthering his education.
“It was excellent. I can honestly say that I have never had that
kind of experience – before Texas A&M,” Rehmann says. “To the
extent that you can as an undergraduate in a 10-week period, I
really felt as if I was commanding my own project.”
“I didn’t want to do a Ph.D. program until I had gone
through the Texas A&M undergraduate research
program; I can honestly say that just the experience
and how much I enjoyed it is what made me want to
go to a Ph.D. program afterwards.”
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the
department’s REU program offers undergraduate students
from other universities the opportunity to participate in
ongoing research with faculty members during a 10-week
period in the summer.
Through the program, students gain valuable hands-on
experience while learning about research under way at Texas
A&M and how it is benefitting society. They also learn more about
research-related careers and how to create effective graduate school
applications.
To participate in the
program, a student must have at
least a 3.3 grade point average
and have rising junior or senior
status with at least 60 semester
hours (or equivalent quarter
hours) completed toward his
or her degree. In addition,
a student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is
majoring in chemical engineering or a related discipline such as
biology, chemistry, math, physics or another engineering field.
Each participant is awarded a stipend of $5,000 for
participation in the 10-week program. Other benefits include
housing, meal and travel allowances; 1.0 credit hour of
undergraduate course credit; and full access to university
recreational facilities.
“The REU grant is essentially a teaching grant; it’s not really a
research grant – it does have a research component but it’s really
a training grant for undergraduate students,” explains Associate
Professor Juergen Hahn, who is the co-principle investigator for
the REU program along with Associate Professor Daniel Shantz.
A previous successful REU program in the department was
coordinated by Professor Perla Balbuena.
REU Student Matthew Rehmann
“We genuinely want to look at students who do not have prior
research experience because the point of this program is to expose
them to research,” Hahn adds. “It’s not about getting the best
researchers for the faculty. We want to teach these students things
such as research methodologies; self-discipline because this is a
little longer than just the next homework set; teamwork and team
integration; and how to appropriately and effectively report results.”
Once students are accepted into the program, they are
assigned to a faculty member. This faculty member conceives the
research project and oversees the participating student during
his or her time at Texas A&M. Of course, that means a successful
REU program hinges on having faculty members who are willing
to take time out of their demanding teaching and research
schedules to train relatively inexperienced students. For the Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, producing such
faculty volunteers is not an issue, Hahn says.
“The people here care; they really do,” Hahn says. “Most of
my colleagues from other schools who I have talked to about
this program have trouble finding the minimum number of
faculty volunteers. In our case, we actually had more than
enough. That’s a good sign.”
In addition to conducting research in the laboratory, students
make short progress presentations to their peers during program
meetings, attend presentation skills workshops, make formal
poster presentations of their research experiences at the end
of the program, and submit written final reports describing
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the results of their research. At the conclusion of the program,
students present their results at a series of sessions.
Some students even go on to present their results at national
and international conferences as well as publish them in
scientific journals. That was the case for Rehmann, whose work
on engineering butanol-resistant E. coli was published in the
scientific journal “Biotechnology Letters,” along with Kao’s
graduate student James Winkler.
“Matt laid the foundations for an on-going project in my lab on
generating novel organisms with industrially relevant properties,
and he was able to produce publishable results, which is very
rare for an undergraduate student working alone for less than 10
weeks,” Kao notes.
In another instance,
Balbuena recalls
running into one
of her former REU
students at a national
meeting of the report results.”
American Institute of
Chemical Engineers.
The student, she said, had since received his doctorate from
the University of Minnesota and is now an executive in a
major food company.
“I introduced him into the world of molecular modeling, and
we published a paper together on the interactions of water with
a polymer used in fuel cells,” Balbuena said. “He was fascinated,
and his enthusiasm engaged other group members. For him, his
REU work was decisive in choosing graduate school.”
Key to the experience, Hahn notes, is the fact that the students
have the opportunity to play an important role in advancing
research as opposed to simply being assigned “grunt” work.
That’s a point of emphasis with Balbuena, who understands the
importance of exposing undergraduates to research in a way that
allows them to grow.
“It’s not useful to the student if the student’s task is to
exclusively collect data in a routine way,” Balbuena says.
“However, it could be very helpful if the student in part collects
data points and in part analyzes the data, while he or she is
inserted and interacts with the research group, which includes the
faculty adviser, graduate students, other undergraduate students
and post-doctoral associates. This allows the undergraduate to
more effectively visualize and add ideas to the whole picture,
impacting the research group as a whole.”
With the intent of equipping these students with a broader,
diverse perspective, the REU program fosters interactions
between its participants and other chemical engineering student
researchers from Texas A&M and abroad.
Running parallel to the REU program, the Undergraduate
Summer Research Grants (USRG) program enables select Texas
A&M students to participate in a research experience. In addition,
summer exchange programs with Tsinghua University in China,
Universidad Industrial
de Santander, and
Universidad de los Andes
in Colombia provide
foreign undergraduates
with parallel research
opportunities.
The result, Hahn notes,
is a diverse mixture of
nearly 20 undergraduate students from various backgrounds, all
converging on Texas A&M with the purpose of learning about
research. In the process, they also learn about each other while
discovering together what makes Texas A&M the special place
that it is.
Above all, they get to experience a world-class research
environment and determine if a graduate education is right for them.
“What I really want them to take away from this program
is a much better idea of what research is really about, and that
includes both the preparation needed in order to do it and how
to actually conduct the research as well as how to convey findings
to others afterwards,” Hahn says.
“If somebody wants to come back to attend graduate school
afterwards because of this experience, then that is even better,
but I’m happy if they just gain a better understanding of what
research and graduate school is about and can then decide if that
is something that they want to pursue. Hopefully they will take
away an experience that they simply could not get where they
currently are at.”
“We want to teach these students things such as research
methodologies; self-discipline because this is a little
longer than just the next homework set; teamwork and
team integration; and how to appropriately and effectively
Associate Professor Juergen Hahn
For more information on the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates program,
visit www.che.tamu.edu and click on “REU,” or contact Juergen Hahn, associate professor and REU coordinator, via email: hahn@tamu.edu
PROSPEC ING IN AGGIELAND
Thanks to Professor Mark Holtzapple and a Texas A&M
open-house event known as “Aggieland Saturday,” prospective
students got a glimpse into the impact chemical engineering
can make on issues of global importance.
For the prospective chemical engineering students touring the
campus this past February as part of an annual open-house event,
the message from Professor Mark Holtzapple was clear:
Some of the most critical issues facing the world’s everburgeoning
population are being addressed by chemical
engineers – across the globe and at Texas A&M University.
From energy and environmental issues to overcoming disease
and thwarting terrorism,
chemical engineers play a
larger role than ever, said
Holtzapple, addressing
the group, which largely
consisted of high school
students and their parents
as well as transfer students.
The group converged
on campus for “Aggieland
Saturday,” a universitywide
open house created
to help prospective
students and their families
learn about the opportunities
available at Texas A&M. Dr. Mark Holtzapple
Through the program, the
university opened its doors to an estimated 10,000 prospective
students, including those with aims at pursuing a chemical
engineering education.
While on campus, participants met current students, toured
residence halls and visited libraries and computer labs – all in an
attempt to gain a better understanding about what Texas A&M
has to offer. They also had the opportunity to learn more about
Texas A&M’s academic colleges and the majors they offer. In
addition, a variety of group sessions provided information about
admissions, financial aid, student services, student organizations,
and student traditions.
Sponsored by The Association of Former Students, the event,
which was free to attend, featured interactive demonstrations,
campus tours, and several other activities that enabled
participants to focus on their particular areas of interest.
Those students with chemical engineering interests visited the Jack
E. Brown Engineering Building – home of chemical engineering at
Texas A&M – and soon found themselves immersed in a discussion
about the world’s energy supplies with Holtzapple, professor in the
Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering.
And for those students, there may not have been a more
appropriate person with whom to have that discussion. Few people
are as well-versed on energy issues as Holtzapple, who has devoted
more than 30 years of his career to issues of energy sustainability.
Through his research, he’s now on the cusp of offering a
solution to one of society’s biggest energy-related issues – helping
to alleviate the nation’s dependence on foreign oil by developing a
process that, quite simply,
turns trash into gas.
More specifically,
the process produces
renewable gasoline from
biomass — any feedstock
including, trees, grass,
manure, sewage sludge,
garbage, agricultural
residues, and energy crops.
Detailing that process,
Holtzapple impressed
upon the group the need
for innovative ideas
grounded in an understanding of the geopolitical framework
that is shaping their lives.
For instance, Holtzapple noted, the United States spends an
astonishing $400 billion a year importing foreign oil. It doesn’t
have to be that way, he said, using his own work as an illustration
of how chemical engineering can make a positive impact.
Further illustrating that point, Holtzapple also reviewed his
work with the city of Laredo, Texas – work that has resulted in a
fully functioning desalination pilot plant. Utilizing Holtzapple’s
method to more efficiently desalinate water, the new pilot plant
will provide data to help design next-generation desalination
plants that can potentially help the city of Laredo, which is
near the limit of water it can draw from the Rio Grande River to
support its 200,000 citizens.
Overall, it was an excursion into the realm of chemical
engineering that was as much about impact as it was innovation,
as much about solutions as it was science – not a bad starting
point for many of these potential chemical engineers.
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Originally Peiyang University, Tianjin University was established
in 1895 as the first educational institution of higher learning
in China. Only 30 minutes from Beijing, the university is
located in Tianjin, China’s sixth-largest municipality, boasting a
population of more than 11 million. The municipality itself is
an important industrial base, featuring a variety of major
industries including petrochemical, textiles, automotive,
mechanical and metalworking.
The expanding multinational nature of the chemical
industry is exactly why Senior Lecturer John Baldwin believes
the Tianjin study abroad program is critical in the development
of well-rounded engineers. Baldwin, who taught a senior-level
plant design course last year as part of the program, says the
international exposure offered by the course is simulating an
experience many of his soon-to-be graduates will likely encounter.
“The days of a design project being completed all in one
The Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering study
abroad program heads East for a cultural experience in China that is
both demanding and rewarding for its student engineers.
Participating in their department’s study abroad program in
China, students in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical
Engineering expected to
find themselves immersed
in a foreign culture, rich
in tradition and rapidly
growing in economic
significance to the world
around it. What they
didn’t expect was to find
themselves so far removed
from their own personal
comfort zones – and all the
better for it.
“I think a trip like this took
us away from that self-contained
mindset we Americans can tend to
have,” said Michael Trevathan, a
master’s student who participated
in the program last year as a
senior. “It took us out of our
comfort zone, and it made us
focus on other people. It opened
our eyes to the ways of the world
in a way different from just seeing
something on television or picking
up a National Geographic. This was
about actually experiencing something that was new, and more
and greater than ourselves.”
Through the faculty-led study abroad program in Tianjin,
China, Trevathan, along with 15 other students from the
department, received instruction in two highly intensive
three-hour, senior-level courses while partnering with about
35 Chinese students from Tianjin University’s School
of Chemical Engineering – the largest chemical
engineering program in China, with more than 1,800
students and 300 faculty members.
“Tianjin is essentially the Houston of China,” says Michael
Pishko, department Head and Charles D. Holland ’53 Professor
at Texas A&M. “The area is home to the energy and petrochemical
industry in China, so Tianjin University has a very strong
relationship with both the Chinese and the multinational
companies that operate in the Tianjin area, and it features one of
the strongest chemical engineering departments in all of China.
“Given this, our study abroad program – in addition to
being a cultural experience – is very specific and important
to our chemical engineering students,” Pishko adds. “In fact,
many of our former students are actually working in the Beijing
and Tianjin areas because of the importance of the Chinese
manufacturing base to the operations of their companies.”
location are by and large gone,” Baldwin says. “Back in the day,
a design would maybe combine the United States, England and
Japan; that was standard in the company I worked for, but now
there’s India, China and the Middle East in addition to those
traditional locations. This is the reality many of these students are
going to face the rest of their lives when they graduate and enter the
professional world. With a program like this, our students get to hit
the ground running when they graduate. They have been there and
done that, and they are better professionals for having done so.”
Senior chemical engineering student Michelle Klumpyan
participated in the program at the conclusion of her junior year and
says the experience not only helped her gain interviews with potential
employers but also discover a personal strength by thrusting her
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into an environment unlike any she had ever encountered.
“I lived in the same town my whole life growing up,”
Klumpyan says. “I was not a mover; I was not interested in going
international. That was never something I wanted to do in my
career; I didn’t think I would like it. So this trip took me out
of my comfort zone, but because of that I think I will be more
willing to expand my horizons and my career.
“I think for these companies to see someone taking the steps
to go over there to experience a foreign culture and willing to be
at a new place half way around the world made them feel like
they would be getting an employee who would be willing to do
the same for them.”
In its third iteration this spring, the department’s study abroad
program is continuing to provide students with the opportunity
to receive instruction in challenging courses – this year’s offerings
are process safety engineering and bioreactors and bioprocessing
– along with access to unique cultural excursions to places such
as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and
Tiananmen Square.
It’s a unique and demanding combination of intensive study
and cultural immersion that keeps students tremendously active
– roughly six hours per day involved in classroom activities, not
to mention additional hours of study time necessary to absorb
large amounts of information in a short amount of time.
“It’s intensive, but that’s a sacrifice you take for the experience,”
Trevathan says. “It teaches you that for many things in life, you
won’t have that much time to prepare. Things are going to come at
you fast in time periods that you won’t always like.”
Regents Professor M. Sam Mannan, who instructed a process safety
course last year as part of the program, reaffirms Trevathan’s take.
“This study abroad program – and I would recommend it to
anyone who was interested – challenges students to be structured
and organized enough to where they are able to deal with things
at a fast pace,” Mannan says. “They learn to understand that life is
sometimes very fast and requires you to adapt to it. They are on a
strict schedule that is necessary to succeed.”
Mannan also points to the grouping of the students – typically
two or three Chinese students per American student – as an
immensely beneficial learning tool to Texas A&M students with
regard to both the class content itself and the differing cultural
aspects obviously present.
“In the case of our American students another interesting
challenge for them is that they sometimes find themselves
explaining to the Chinese students who don’t understand English
all that well exactly what it is the professor wants and some of the
key concepts addressed in the lectures,” Mannan explains. “That in
itself is a great way for them to learn, and they love being partnered
with the Chinese students. It is a great experience for them to teach
their peers, and second, through this continuous immersion they
learn so much about the culture in such a short time.”
That bonding, familial aspect helps balance the rigorous
coursework, and it’s one that the students who were part of the
experience will likely never forget.
“The Chinese students were some of the smartest people I
have ever certainly met in my life, Klumpyan says. “They were
also some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. They
took us out for lunch one day and paid for everything. They were
really interested in talking with us and getting to know us as well
as trying out their English on us.”
Trevathan couldn’t agree more.
“They were so polite and gracious and helpful,” he says. “They
wanted to learn everything about us. I don’t think one person
ever got mad; they were very patient with us even though we
could not communicate very well. Overall, the Chinese students
in the program were amazing. Every student should do this.”
For more information on the Tianjin study abroad program,
including video, visit www.che.tamu.edu and click on “Study
Abroad: China.”
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Around the Department
Department Recognizes Fall 2010 Outstanding Graduates
Select students from the Artie McFerrin Department of
Chemical Engineering have been recognized as distinguished
members of their Fall 2010 graduating class.
At a reception honoring the department’s spring graduates,
Mark Ori was named recipient of the department’s “Outstanding
Graduating Senior Award.”
Also honored at the graduate reception were three student
recipients of the “Chemical Engineering Excellence Award.” Those
students are Danielle Baker, Connor Ramsey and Chris Ruggles.
Addressing the students and their families in attendance,
Associate Professor and Associate Head for Undergraduate
Programs Daniel Shantz lauded the students’ achievements.
“You’ve excelled in an extremely challenging subject in an
extremely challenging environment,” he said. “We wish you the
very best in your future endeavors.”
In addition, safety certificates from the Mary Kay O’Connor
Process Safety Center were presented to several qualifying
students and winners of the department’s Fall 2010 Plant Design
Laird Named Student Organization New Adviser of the Year
Carl Laird, assistant professor in the Artie McFerrin Department
of Chemical Engineering, has been named the Registered Student
Organization New Adviser of the Year for 2010 by Texas A&M
University’s Department of Student Activities.
Laird has since 2008 served as adviser to the Texas A&M
chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon, the National Honor Society for
Chemical Engineering.
In a letter nominating him for the award, Laird was
lauded for providing “the perfect balance between advising
and allowing the officers to create, develop and run the
Woods Receives Outstanding Senior Engineer Award
Sarah Woods, a senior in the Artie McFerrin Department
of Chemical Engineering, has been named one of six student
recipients of the 2010 Craig C. Brown Outstanding Senior
Engineer Award.
The award is considered the most prestigious honor
bestowed on a graduating senior in the university’s Dwight
Look College of Engineering and is presented to a student who
Page 10
Competition also were recognized by the Celanese Corp., the
competition’s sponsor for the fall semester.
Chris Ruggles (right) receives the Chemical Engineering Excellence Award from Associate
Professor Daniel Shantz.
organization on their own – a true skill and an exceptional
accomplishment to achieve.”
Omega Chi Epsilon promotes high scholarship, encourages
original investigation in chemical engineering and recognizes
the valuable traits of character, integrity and leadership. It
serves both undergraduate and graduate students and fosters
meaningful student-faculty dialogue. This organization
aims to bring motivated students together both socially and
professionally to promote student-faculty interaction as well as
philanthropic endeavors.
demonstrates scholastic achievement, leadership skills and a
strong moral character. Recipients must have a 3.5 minimum
overall GPR, participate in numerous university organizations
and posses such qualities as loyalty, honor, duty and integrity.
Woods is a chemical engineering major from Birmingham,
Ala. She has the distinction of starting on the Aggie Women’s
Swim Team as a walk-on, advancing to NCAA All-American,
scoring consistently in the top eight at Big 12 Conference
championships and qualifying for USA Olympic trials.
Woods has mentored, instructed, tutored and coached in
academic as well as athletic settings. Whether representing Texas
A&M at American Institute of Chemical Engineers regionals or
NCAA swimming championships, she is described by her peers
and instructors as a natural leader who encourages her team,
steers others in the right direction and manages the workload to
keep projects ahead of schedule. In addition to having completed
four years of athletic eligibility, Woods has served as a facilities
engineer intern with ExxonMobil Development Company.
In addition to Woods, seniors Anand Ganapathy, Michael
Celanese Corp. Recognizes Students for Plant Designs
Three groups of students from the Artie McFerrin Department
of Chemical Engineering have been recognized by the Celanese
Corp. for their designs of an acetate processing plant.
John Baumhardt, Hector Lopez Carretero, Humberto Reyna,
Andrew Shuff and Daryl Whitlow are members of the team
awarded first place by Celanese for its original design of a
processing plant that
operates per Celanese’s
specifications and
which was undertaken
as part of an intense
senior-level capstone
chemical engineering
course taught by
John Baldwin,
senior lecturer in the
department.
The team of
Andrew Heider,
Alexander Mercer,
Srikanth Parthasarathy
and John Sorrells
was awarded second
place, and the team
composed of Samuel
Dunnagan, Jonathan Whitlow, John Baumhardt and Andrew Shuff of Celanese.
Fowler, Connor
Ramsey and Regina Sasoni received third-place honors.
The plant design competition, said Baldwin, requires students to
conceptualize the comprehensive organization of a process plant.
It’s a task, he said, that his soon-to-be graduates are almost certain to
encounter in some form as they enter their professional careers.
Hackemack, Yehia Mohamed Omar, Joel Turtle and Kathryn
West received the annual award. Each of the seniors received
an engraved medallion and a $5,000 educational grant. Their
names appear on a plaque in the Zachry Engineering Center.
Formerly known as the Engineering Faculty Senior Award,
the award was renamed in 1996 to honor Craig C. Brown for
his vision to expand and enhance the recognition program
through a permanent endowment. Brown is a 1975 civil
engineering graduate and past recipient of the award. He is
currently president, owner and chief operating officer of Bray
International Inc. and president and chairman of the board of
the Craig C. Brown Foundation.
Students were tasked with the design of a new acetate esters
unit for a plant located in Singapore, Baldwin noted. The facility
had to produce both ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate, he said.
These products are currently produced via a campaign schedule
that produces one of the products for a period of time followed
by producing the other product using the same equipment.
Each of the
winning teams
received a
monetary prize
from Celanese,
sponsor of the
plant design
competition, and
the first-place team
was recognized
with a plaque
commemorating
its achievement.
Celanese
Corporation,
which is based
in Dallas
and employs
approximately
8,900 employees
worldwide,
is a global leader in the chemicals industry. The company
manufactures acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl
acetate monomer and polyacetal products. Celanese also is a
world leader in the production of high-performance engineered
polymers used in consumer and industrial products.
The first-place plant-design team (from left): Alfonso Torres of Celanese, Hector Lopez Carretero, Humberto Reyna, Daryl
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Jeong Honored for Excellence in Teaching
Hae-Kwon Jeong, assistant professor in the Artie McFerrin
Department of Chemical Engineering, has been recently
honored for his teaching efforts by the Celanese Corp. as well
as through a student-selected honors program of The Texas
A&M University System.
As recipient of the Celanese Excellence in Teaching Award, Jeong
was recognized for his dedication and outstanding contributions to
the education and professional development of chemical engineering
students at Texas A&M. He was presented the award in conjunction
with the announcement of the winners of this semester’s student
plant design competition, sponsored by Celanese Corp.
Jeong also was named recipient of the Teaching Excellence
Award, issued as part of a voluntary, student-selected honors
program of The Texas A&M University System.
The winners represent the top 20 percent of participating
Students Present Community Service Projects
Allen Academy and the Children’s Museum of the Brazos
Valley are among a group of organizations benefitting from a
student-led effort at Texas A&M in which aspiring engineers
tackle projects aimed at improving their community.
The effort, known as “EPICS,” which stands for Engineering
Projects in Community Service,
has resulted in six communitybased
initiatives. Through the
program, teams of undergraduate
students earn academic credit
with multiyear, multidisciplinary
projects that solve engineering
and technology-based problems
for community service and
education organizations.
The course, which is open
to all engineering students, is
instructed by Lale Yurttas of the
Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering.
The projects include partnerships with the Children’s Museum
of the Brazos Valley, Allen Academy, Habitat for Humanity,
Texas A&M Transportation Services, the Colonias Program and
sustainability initiatives at Texas A&M.
A partnership between EPICS and the Children’s Museum of
the Brazos Valley is helping to generate interest among children
in math, science and engineering through the creation of new
faculty members from all 11 campuses of the Texas A&M System.
Awards are based on rankings from evaluations created and
administered by students, with weighting for factors such as class
size, and all faculty members are eligible.
The Teaching Excellence Awards were initiated by Chancellor
Michael D. McKinney in 2008 to honor and financially reward
the system’s top teachers as selected by students. All faculty
members who teach at least a three-hour course are eligible.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Jeong conducts
research focusing on the development of novel methodologies
to design, modify, deposit and microfabricate nanostructured
materials and to build them into hierarchical structures and
complex forms for wide ranges of applications including
separation membranes, selective catalysts, adsorbents as well as
microsystems, fuel cells, bio-separation and microphotonics.
educational and interactive child-safe exhibits.
Allen Academy is receiving a helping hand from student engineers
who are assisting in enhancing the school’s online presence by
helping it to more effectively convey important information to
students, parents, teachers and other interested audiences.
At Texas A&M, the EPICS course is
open to all engineering students. Students
participating in the EPICS program
earn academic credit with multiyear,
multidisciplinary projects that solve
engineering and technology-based
problems for community service and
education organizations.
Other projects include a student team
working closely with Habitat for Humanity
(HFH) as part of a project aimed at
designing independent green homes for
the organization’s clients. This semester, an
EPICS team has worked to develop a green building rating system
for the Bryan/ College Station HFH affiliate while also exploring
the potential use of solar power within the homes.
EPICS also has partnered with Texas A&M Transportation
Services to examine how solar panels and solar energy can
help create more sustainable parking on campus. Related
efforts include the use of solar trees to generate energy and
provide shade to outdoor lots around campus. The team is also
investigating smarter lighting solutions in campus garages and
at outdoor lots.
A partnership between EPICS and the Colonias program at Texas
A&M is helping to supply clean water to the 2,000 communities
along the Rio Grande River by improving the durability and
portability of a press for the clay water filters in use in that region.
Another team of students is assisting Texas A&M’s
sustainability officer by examining the potential implementation
Six Faculty Members Honored with NSF Award for Research and Teaching
Six faculty members in the Artie McFerrin Department of
Chemical Engineering each have been recently awarded with the
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, sponsored
by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Assistant professors Mariah Hahn, Arul Jayaraman, Katy
Kao, Carl Laird, Jodie Lutkenhaus and Associate Professor
Benjamin Wilhite have each been honored with the prestigious
award, which was established to support junior faculty within
the context of their overall career development, combining in
a single program the support of research and teaching of the
highest quality and in the broadest sense.
Through the award program, the NSF emphasizes the
importance on the early development of academic careers
dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the
excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching and
enthusiastic learning.
Examples of educational activities supported through the
CAREER Award include development of undergraduate courses
and teaching modules, undergraduate research experiences, and
research experiences for high school students and teachers.
“This is one of the most prestigious awards bestowed upon
young faculty members, and it is a testament to their dedication
to the integration of teaching and research,” said Michael Pishko,
of “xeriscape landscaping,” which if employed on campus, could
significantly reduce water costs by using native plants to the
region. The group also designed enhanced bike racks that offer
added security and ease of use while conserving space.
The EPICS program recently received a $5,000 grant from
The Association of Former Students, aimed at helping it build
on the initial success it has demonstrated during its short time
at Texas A&M.
Charles D. Holland ’53 Professor and Department Head.
“The recipients of these awards frequently have a lasting positive
impact on the undergraduate programs in their departments.”
Chemical Engineering Student Athlete Breaks Texas A&M 800-meter School Record
Michael Preble (left)
Dr. Mariah Hahn Dr. Arul Jayaraman Dr. Katy Kao
Dr. Carl Laird Dr. Jodie Lutkenhaus Dr. Benjamin Wilhite
Chemical engineering undergraduate student Michael Preble earned an automatic berth
into the NCAA Indoor Championships this March with a record-breaking performance in
the 800 meters event during a qualifier meet at Iowa State University.
In the 800, Preble crushed his previous best mark of 1:50.14, running a 1:47.27 time to
break the Texas A&M school record and finish first in the race.
“It felt really good to finally run this fast in the 800,” noted Preble, who had set
personal best times in the 500 meters (1:02.15) and 600 yards (1:08.50) this indoor
season. “We’ve been working hard in practice with Coach Francique and trusting in what
he’s been telling us. For it to finally all come together is the greatest feeling.”
Page 12 Page 13

FORMER STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Valuable Products, Valuing People
As chief executive officer and president of the Houston-based,
public company TPC Group, Inc. (TPCG), Charlie Shaver oversees
a company that produces a variety of differentiated olefin products
and has become North America’s largest producer of butadiene, a
chemical used in manufacturing rubber and nylon.
Meshing a savvy
international business
perspective with the
technical knowledge
he acquired as a
chemical engineering
graduate of Texas A&M
University, Shaver and
his management team
are working to ensure
the publicly traded
company, which boasts
more than $2 billion
in revenues, remains a
robust industry leader
focused on long term
growth.
And while that means
effectively providing the
highly specialized lines
of chemical products
produced by TPC to
major chemical and
petroleum-based
companies worldwide, Shaver is quick to point out it also means
valuing people – not just customers, but also employees and
many other of the company’s stakeholders. With that in mind,
the progressive CEO and avid supporter of Texas A&M remains
dedicated to the people around him, the environment and the next
generation of chemical engineers.
In addition to establishing scholarships within the university’s
Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, hiring
graduates from all disciplines in the university, and supporting
summer student interns for TPC, Shaver serves on the advisory
council of Texas A&M’s Dwight Look College of Engineering, and
Charlie Shaver and his wife Sharon, both Class of 1980
he and his wife, Sharon (both class of ‘80), are active in Aggie
Alumni Clubs in the Houston area.
With an operating history of more than 68 years, the TPC
Group has manufacturing facilities in the industrial corridor
adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel, Port Neches and Baytown,
Texas and operates a product
terminal in Lake Charles,
Louisiana with products sales
across the globe.
What chemical products are
produced by TPC Group?
TPC Group specializes
in the fractionation and
polymerization of C3 and C4
hydrocarbons. Specifically,
we procure mixed C3 and
C4 chemical raw materials
from major petrochemical
producers in the world such
as Exxon, ChevronPhillips,
Dow, and others and
“fractionate,” or separate,
them into the products that
we sell in the marketplace.
Among those products are
butadiene, butene-1, butene-2
and isobutylene. In addition,
we make a wide range of
polyisobutylenes and propylene-based polymers. These products
go into a variety of end markets that range from rubber to fuel and
lube additives to surfactants to gasoline blendstocks.
We are the largest producer in North America – and one of
the largest producers in the world – of butadiene. Butadiene is
a base building-block for rubber and nylon. In rubber markets,
our customers are global tire and rubber companies such as
Goodyear, Firestone, Bridgestone and Lanxess. Our butadiene
is also used to make nylon for production of materials such
as lycra and spandex, fibers used globally in the fast-growing
stretch and memory fabric markets.
Describe your responsibilities as CEO and president of TPC Group.
As a public company CEO there is a very diverse set of
stakeholders that I serve, especially in the petrochemical industry.
Our stakeholders include not only our board, shareholders,
and employees, but our local communities, state and federal
government agencies, and customers. First to mind is always
our shareholders, the investors in the company, but don’t forget
that there are all of these other groups who are also invested
in the company success. Really a day in the life of a CEO is all
about making sure that we operate our enterprise to address
the needs of all our stakeholders. Half of the job on any given
day is running the business, dealing with the operations of the
company – customers, suppliers, ensuring that that business
is performing on the plan that it is supposed to. Our customer
needs are always changing and we have to be right there with
them. The other half of the job revolves around advancing the
company in the eyes of our shareholders and other external
stakeholders. Those stakeholders may be members of the
community. They might be local officials at the Houston city
level – where we are based – or at the state/federal level.
As CEO, what areas have you emphasized in moving TPC
Group forward since you joined the company in 2004?
TPC has worked hard to become best in class not only
in meeting our customer’s expectations but in how we meet
those needs. TPC had always been a good, reliable company
but needed to improve its work processes, specifically in how
we advance and take care of our employees and in the area
of safety, environmental and health performance. When you
look today at our safety performance, our environmental
performance, the way we maintain our plants, the way we
develop and train our people – in the six years I have been here
we’ve come from the middle of the pack, by any of these metrics,
to the top quartile in our industry.
In the past several years, we’ve been pleased to receive
recognition by both local and industry enterprises, along with
certain environmental groups as well. For example, we are seen as
a leader in proactively agreeing to reduce emissions and not just
wait for regulation. We’ve participated in the pioneering of very
advanced air monitoring technology that allows a company to be
able to look at its fence line and know - down to a part-per-billion
level – what kinds of chemicals are in the environment. This
technology is now being used across many different industries for
improvement and proactive prevention of air pollution.
In my observation, companies that run the best from an
operating discipline standpoint normally excel in many areas. We
have really worked to drive all aspects of our operating discipline
programs and it has paid off not just in productivity and
profitability but in our ability to grow the business faster.
How do you get the most out of those around you, from a
personnel perspective?
At TPC, with regards to our employees, we recognize that a
safe workplace is not only mandatory but is also beneficial to
everyone. As a result everything starts with that focus. When
people come to work and they feel safe and enjoy good working
conditions it will show in the operations of the company. From
a compensation standpoint we work hard to make sure that
our pay and benefits are aligned with the industry, both from
benchmarking ourselves in the chemical industry and also
looking at other industries in the Houston and Beaumont area.
“There is no arguing that with the
right focus - on your people and
organization - it pays off across all
aspects of the company... I recognize
that if my people are better trained
and they feel better about their work
and work environment, then the
company stands to gain.”
We pay very well, and we also have good health benefits. We want
to be able to do this for our people, and we feel like in economic
upturns and downturns that our folks really value this stability.
Just as important as the first two points, we have become very
specific in making sure everyone understands our company
objectives and their own roles and responsibilities – and that
they are compensated accordingly. We do a lot of training with
our supervisors on how to manage people, solicit feedback
on how they are doing, and work with our employees on how
to effectively manage their careers. Our overall performance
management is an ongoing process and not just a once-a-year sit
down with a manager.
What drives your emphasis on people?
It is not uncommon to hear the phrase “Our people are our
most important assets,” and I find it hard to disagree with what
is such an obvious point. There is no arguing that, with the
right focus on your people and organization, it pays off across
all aspects of the company. With employees who are trained
Page 14 Page 15

and attentive to the work place, knowledgeable and vested in
the company, and properly rewarded it can lead to fewer issues,
better running plants and better ideas. We also find the majority
of improvement ideas for our company come from our employees
and not consultants or other experts. I have to admit there is a
somewhat selfish motive in it. As a CEO, I recognize that if my
people are better trained and they feel better about their work and
work environment, then the company stands to gain.
One key metric we look at is annual turnover of employees.
Our industry runs about 15 percent on average, and when I
joined TPC we were at about 20 percent. This past year we
averaged right at five percent, which we are very pleased with and
that’s what we would hope for, given normal retirements and
attrition.
So finding the right employees and keeping them happy
makes good business sense, right?
Absolutely. Not only from the points made in my previous
statement but also from an economic sense. Over the working
lifetime of an employee, our company makes a multimillion
dollar investment in that person. Assuming that person
will contribute, with proper goals and objectives, it is a very
important investment for both sides. Given the scrutiny a capital
investment attracts in the management of our company it only
makes sense to put that same level of energy into the business of
managing our employees and overall workforce.
Having been in this field for more than 30 years, how have
you seen the market and industry change?
One of the most challenging but also rewarding areas of
change has been the speed at which competition is changing
and the speed at which the consumer has been educated. Both
our suppliers and our customers see real-time global market
information 24/7. For example, in the past we would fly to Asia
to sit down and talk with our customers about what was going
on around the world in our products and markets. Now, in
almost all cases, they already know what you know due to the
diversity of information, transparency of the markets, and the
speed at which the information is assimilated and transferred.
For example, we know today the spot price of butadiene
in China that traded overnight and how supply decisions
are being made today based on that pricing. So do all our
customers, competitors and our suppliers around the globe.
Decisions are now being made daily that used to be monthly
or quarterly adjustments. In an asset-intensive business like
ours this calls for completely different business models from
even just a few years ago.
Page 16
When I came into the petrochemical field in 1980, right
out of Texas A&M, North America was really the leader in the
global chemical industry. Not just in technology but people,
assets, and market share. The U.S. is now about 25 percent of
the industry with companies, technology, people and assets
all competing daily for the same global consumer. Going
forward this means we really have to understand every single
player in our field, what their motivations are, their cost
position, regulatory climate, and incentives are in order to
effectively compete.
We have to look at how, as individuals and as a company,
we will respond to and gear up for a real-time information age
where everyone in our supply chains knows as much as we do
– up, down or sideways. The good news is that it can be very
invigorating and create opportunities. For example, recently
one of our suppliers had a big issue. We knew about it within
30 minutes, and in less than an hour we had communicated it
to all of our customers. We got real kudos for being able to give
our customers all of that information as quickly as we did. They
were able to make appropriate plans, and fortunately this was a
non-event for them. This requires our employees to think 24/7,
365 days a year on how to manage our business. It drives many
companies to work in closer partnerships than in the past.
Why are you such an avid supporter of chemical engineering
education and Texas A&M University?
My education at Texas A&M has proven to be a cornerstone
for me both personally and professionally. Chemical
engineering has grown to be such a broad field – from the
advancing biomedical field to process industry applications.
One of the major pluses is that it is such a diverse engineering
discipline. While I am biased, the field really prepares you for
a broad, practical understanding of chemistry, math, physics,
and mechanical engineering – all to understand how the
real world works. I don’t know of any other discipline in the
college that is able to offer a student this breadth in the same
amount of study. When I look at the overall success that many
of our chemical engineering graduates achieve, I am convinced
we are on the right track with how we are challenging our
current students.
Having had the opportunity throughout my career to stay
close to the school in many capacities, I am continually amazed
at how hard the faculty and administration work to continue
to advance the university and the education that we offer at all
levels. Given the challenges of the world ahead, I am confident
we will continue to have graduates from all walks of our
university who are the problem solvers.
THANK YOU.
The Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering thanks all of its supporters, including those
friends of the department who contributed gifts in 2010.
The Air Products Foundation
Mr. Graham W. Bacon
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Bailey
Bechtel Group Foundation
Ms. Cassie Hamlin
BP Corporation North America Inc.
Chevron
Communities Foundation of Texas Inc.
Compliance Strategies and Solutions Inc.
ConocoPhillips
Mr. and Mrs. Paul F. Deisler Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Rudy T. Dismuke
The Dow Chemical Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Leonel D. Durbin
Enterprise Products Partners LP
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas E. Gallopoulos
The Gas Processors Association of Houston
Mr. Juergen and Mrs. Mariah Hahn
Ms. Kathryn Hanneman
Mr. Frederick J. Hartensteiner
Mr. and Mrs. Jack R. Hopper
Ms. Suzanne Huebinger
The Lubrizol Foundation
Marathon Oil Company
Mr. and Mrs. James F. Mathis
Mr. Ray A. Mentzer
Mr. Brock D. Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Ray B. Nesbitt
Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Niklasch
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Michael O’Connor
Ms. Sheila R. Payne
Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University – Limitless Possibilities.
Possibility. The very word, when spoken in the language of ingenuity and responsibility, is enough to inspire hope for a better
tomorrow. Here at the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, we recognize that our faculty and students have the talent
and potential to transform possibilities into realities and in doing so help make the world safer, cleaner, healthier and more efficient.
With this in mind, we’re committed to offering an educational environment ripe with possibilities and opportunities for our students.
In the lab we’re pioneering new advances in important areas such as energy, health and the environment. In the classroom we’re
consistently providing a world-class engineering education to our students that we believe will serve as a foundation for success
throughout their lives.
It’s an environment where an outstanding faculty engages in vital research while also inculcating the future leaders of our society
with both the knowledge and values that define a Texas A&M University education. But cultivating such an environment demands
resources. In short, we need your help.
Indeed, many of our research and educational endeavors would not be possible without help from our former students and friends
of the department. This support, when expressed in the form of undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, enables young
Aggie engineers to pursue their educational goals and ultimately become leaders in industry, academia and government. When
channeled in the direction of faculty development and research, these contributions help us recruit and retain the best possible
teachers and scholars, ensuring that many generations of students receive an outstanding education.
However you choose to direct your gift, you can remain confident that your generosity will help us maintain
excellence in chemical engineering at Texas A&M. This year, make a donation for chemical engineering
through the Texas A&M Foundation. The Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering is
committed to serving our state, nation and world, and with your support, the possibilities are truly limitless.
Contact Andrew Acker, Chemical Engineering Development, Texas A&M Foundation
979.458.4493, 979.324.2953 or a-acker@tamu.edu or visit www.giving.tamu.edu.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael V. Pishko
SABIC Americas Inc.
Mr. Michael E. Sawyer
Mr. Charles W. Shaver III
Shell Oil Company Foundation
Mr. Brandon T. Stone
Mr. David C. Swienton
Mr. and Mrs. Norman J. Tetlow
Total Petrochemicals
TPC Group
Mrs. Donna Tromblee
URS Energy and Construction Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Walzel
Wells Fargo Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel H. Zivney
Mr. Robert E. Zumwalt

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