CATALYST
2025 Edition
A surface and colloid science legacy
Professor John C. Berg’s unique surface and colloids lab makes the University of Washington’s chemical engineering education stand out.
Elizabeth Nance appointed Chemical Engineering chair
ChemE professor Elizabeth Nance has been appointed chair of the department, starting September 1.
A stable, scalable treatment for newborn brain injury
ChemE graduate student Nuo Xu (Ph.D. '25) has formulated shelf-stable therapeutics that have shown success treating brain injuries in newborn piglets, a promising step toward future clinical trials to treat brain injuries in human infants.
Student-led capstone wins innovation prize
Team JanuTech won third place in the 2025 Environmental Innovation Challenge for their quick-charging drone batteries.
Two ChemE alumni cite John Berg as inspiration for their continued support
Mary Armstrong and Jill Seebergh reflect on how Professor John Berg and their overall ChemE experiences inspired them to give back to the department.
Meet our new faculty
The UW Department of Chemical Engineering has welcomed Nada Naser, Catherine M. and Scott C. Roberts Faculty Fellow.
Society for Biomaterials award
Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professor Cole Deforest received the 2025 Mid-Career Award from the Society for Biomaterials.
Sam Jenekhe wins 2025 de Gennes Prize
The Royal Society of Chemistry has awarded the 2025 de Gennes Prize to Samson Jenekhe, professor of chemistry and chemical engineering and Frank and Julie Jungers Endowed Chair of Engineering.
Programmable proteins use logic to improve targeted drug delivery
By adding smart tail structures to therapeutic proteins, researchers in the Deforest Lab demonstrated that the proteins could be “programmed” to act based on the presence of specific environmental cues.
Elizabeth Nance named Blavatnik Awards finalist
Elizabeth Nance, Department Chair and Jagjeet & Janice Bindra Endowed Career Development Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, is a finalist for the 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.
Multiple honors bolster ChemE student’s ALS research
ChemE undergraduate student Sofia Dahlgren has received multiple awards recognizing her innovative research success in developing nano-based therapies for neurological disease treatment.
2025 BMES Award
Buddy Ratner, professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering, has received the Athanasiou Medal of Excellence in Translational Bioengineering Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Ratner earns NIH tech transfer grant to improve dialysis for patients
Buddy Ratner earns a $1.6 million grant that will support a new method of recycling dialysate that is 500 times more efficient than current approaches.
2025 Undergraduate Research Awards
The Washington Clean Energy Testbeds announced the 2024-25 Undergraduate Research Award recipients. Three of the four awardees are ChemE students.
Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence
ChemE undergraduate student Annabella Li is awarded the 2025 Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence.
2025 Renewable Energy Scholarships
Two ChemE students have been awarded scholarships from the Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation for their commitment to innovative clean energy research
2025 Early Career Impact Award
Chemical engineer Katie Weigandt (ChemE Ph.D. '12) is working to change and expand the way scientists study materials using neutron measurement techniques.
2025 Moulton Distinguished Alumnus
Andy Walker (B.S. ‘96) is recognized for his experience and achievements in leadership and accomplishments in the biotherapeutics industry.
