Auburn University Department of Chemical Engineering

06/02/2026

Congratulations to our very own, Dr. Symone Alexander on being honored in Business Alabama's Women in Tech 2026 list!

Researchers from Auburn University are being recognized on Business Alabama’s Women in Tech 2026 list for groundbreaking work in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, water quality and human-centered technology. These leaders are pushing innovation forward while mentoring the next generation of engineers.

Congratulations to engineering honorees Symone Alexander, Casey Eaton, Kelly Griggs, Suhasini Gururaja, Neha Potnis, and Missie Smith for shaping the future of engineering in Alabama and beyond. 💙🧡

https://wire.auburn.edu/content/research/2026/05/291205-women-in-tech-2026.php

06/02/2026

Celebrating excellence in the Howard Lab! 🐅

Dr. Michael Howard’s research group is advancing the science of soft materials, studying everything from polymers and gels to nanocrystal self-assembly, protein aggregation, and advanced materials design.

This past semester, members of the Howard Lab have earned an impressive list of accomplishments:
• Jinny Cha published in The Journal of Chemical Physics and received the 100+ Women Strong Departmental Annual Graduate Award.
• Mohammadreza Fakhraei published in The Journal of Chemical Physics.
• Benjamin Forson earned recognition through the Frank Sturm Memorial Fellowship, Graduate Student Council Outstanding Graduate Senator Award, and a GERS Honorable Mention.
• Griffin Overton received an Undergraduate Research Fellowship to study nanocrystal stability in ionic liquids.
• Levi Petix’s co-first-author publication was featured on the cover of Molecular Systems Design & Engineering.
• Dr. Michael Howard received a Daniel F. Breeden Endowed Grant to develop innovative resources for teaching chemical engineering mathematics.

From groundbreaking publications and competitive awards to impactful research and educational innovation, these achievements showcase the talent, dedication, and collaborative spirit that define Auburn Chemical Engineering.

Congratulations to the entire Howard Lab on an outstanding semester of success!

06/01/2026

We loved hosting the Pulp & Paper Workshop at Auburn Chemical Engineering last week in collaboration with the Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering! We're grateful to help bring industry and students together for a hands-on experience.

05/29/2026

Dr. Matthew Garnett, a double Auburn Chemical Engineering graduate (’20, Ph.D. ’25), teaches across Auburn’s First-Year Engineering Experience—guiding students from their very first introduction to engineering through foundational courses like thermodynamics. Driven by a passion for teaching, he enjoys seeing students grasp core concepts for the first time and helping them build the problem‑solving skills they’ll use throughout their careers. Dr. Garnett's approach focuses not just on what students learn, but how they think—encouraging curiosity, questions, and instilling the mindset to never stop learning.

“My favorite part about working at Auburn is getting to interact with the wonderful students, faculty, and staff. Auburn has state-of-the-art facilities that make instruction and research fun. I enjoy giving back to the university that has given me so much,” Dr. Garnett said.

Outside the classroom, you’ll find him officiating football or collecting rare books and memorabilia 📚
We’re proud to have Dr. Garnett shaping the next generation of engineers at Auburn Chemical Engineering!

05/27/2026

Not your typical engineering class… ☕️

In the Coffee Lab, students experiment with roasting beans, grind size, temperature, and brew methods—but it’s about more than coffee. It’s about learning how small changes impact a system, thinking critically, and designing solutions.
The semester ends with a competition judged by local coffee shop owners, where students put their ideas to the test.
Because chemical engineering isn’t just theory—it’s understanding the world around you (and sometimes, making a really good cup of coffee).

05/26/2026

Jessica Larsen, Ph.D. ’17, turned her curiosity into breakthrough research—developing nanoparticles designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver life-changing treatments for rare childhood diseases like GM1 gangliosidosis. Her work at Auburn, under Drs. Mark Byrne and Douglas Martin at the Scott-Ritchey Research Center, allowed her to explore the biomedical side of chemical engineering (and yes, even involved a sheep breeding colony 🐑).

After graduating, she took that momentum to Clemson University, where she’s now an endowed associate professor leading research funded by the NSF and NIH. Today, she’s not only advancing therapies that could transform patient outcomes—she’s also mentoring the next generation of engineers to do the same.

This is what a chemical engineering degree can do: take big ideas beyond the lab, push scientific boundaries, and make a real difference in people’s lives.

War Eagle, Dr. Larsen! We’re proud to see where your Auburn Chem E degree has taken you. 🎉

05/22/2026

Record enrollment. Real industry impact. Students in demand.
Our pulp and paper program continues to grow—welcoming 100 undergraduates from more than 400 applicants and expanding its graduate program—because the results speak for themselves: students leave ready to lead.
Through strong partnerships with 46 industry companies, students gain hands-on experience, internships, and direct pathways to careers. Employers notice—actively recruiting Auburn graduates for roles where they can make an immediate impact.
With more than $50 million in research driving real solutions already used in mills, this work goes beyond the classroom—advancing sustainability and strengthening a global industry.
It’s a program where students, alumni, and industry stay connected—building something that continues long after graduation. 💙🧡

05/18/2026

Kwaghtaver Desongu is uncovering how metabolic disease fuels more aggressive colorectal cancer—building engineered 3D tumor models to answer questions that could change patient outcomes.
His work is helping scientists understand why patients with conditions like obesity and insulin resistance often experience worse cancer progression—not just that it happens, but how it happens at the cellular level. By isolating signals from insulin-resistant fat cells, he’s identifying the pathways that make tumors grow faster, move more and become more invasive.
Kwaghtaver's work opens the door to more targeted therapies, better risk prediction and more personalized treatment strategies for patients facing colorectal cancer.
His work is already earning national recognition:
🔶 Merck Next Gen Leaders in Chemistry Award
🔶 Society for Biomaterials STAR Award
🔶 AU Involve Student Leader of the Year
But it doesn’t stop in the lab—he’s mentoring students, leading NOBCChE and creating opportunities for others along the way. We're proud to have you on our team, Kwaghtaver!

05/15/2026

Dr. Elizabeth Lipke and Auburn Chemical Engineering research are making an impact beyond the lab. 🧬🐅

Dr. Lipke, Uthlaut Endowed Professor, and former Auburn graduate researcher Dr. Yuan Tian co-founded VivoSphere, an Auburn Engineering-based startup that has advanced to the Alabama Launchpad Cycle 1 2026 Life Sciences Division finals.

Together, they are developing a tissue-engineered 3D tumor modeling platform designed to improve how cancer drugs are tested before reaching clinical trials.
What started as research in the Lipke Lab has grown into technology with the potential to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies better predict how tumors behave in the human body, identify ineffective drug candidates earlier and move promising treatments forward faster.

“By creating models that more accurately reflect the tumor environment, we can help move the most promising treatments forward faster and more efficiently,” Lipke said.

We're excited to see Auburn research continue growing into real-world solutions with the potential to make a difference for patients and the future of cancer treatment. 🧡💙

05/14/2026

Big congrats to Brenna McAlister, a freshman in chemical engineering, on receiving the Valero 2026 Freshman Engineering Summit and Scholarship!

The award includes a four-day experience at Valero’s headquarters in San Antonio, hands-on industry exposure and a $1,500 scholarship. From getting involved with Society of Women Engineers and Engineers Without Borders to representing Auburn Engineering on a national stage, Brenna is making the most of her first year on the Plains. We can’t wait to see what she does next. 🧡💙

https://eng.auburn.edu/news/2026/04/chem-valero-summit-award.html