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CISTAR Researchers Co-Author Nature Paper on Advancing Emission Control Catalysts
We are excited to share that our collaborative research paper, “Transforming ceria into 2D clusters enhances catalytic activity,” has been published in Nature. This work, conducted in partnership with researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Washington State University (WSU), BASF, and University of New Mexico (UNM), presents a major advancement in the design of high-performance emission control catalysts. The study explores how ceria nanoparticles supported on alumina transform under reaction conditions at high temperatures (750–1000 °C) into atomically dispersed ceria and two-dimensional ceria rafts. These newly formed structures exhibit exceptional oxygen mobility, resulting in significantly enhanced reactivity in both the NO + CO reaction and CO oxidation. Using a support of 0.1 wt% Rh / 8 wt% ceria on alumina, the research team demonstrated outstanding catalytic performance, paving the way for more effective and thermally stable emission control technologies. Read the full article in Nature: https://rdcu.be/eg4OP
Ted Kim Awarded the Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Teaching Award
Ted Kim, a CISTAR Graduate Fellow, has been awarded the prestigious Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Teaching Award by Purdue University's College of Engineering. This recognition is a testament to Ted's exceptional contributions to teaching and his dedication to mentoring students in the Chemical Engineering department. Congratulations, Ted, on this well-deserved honor! We are incredibly proud to have you as a part of the CISTAR team and look forward to seeing all the amazing things you will continue to accomplish.
David Bernal Invited to Second Connections to Sustain Science in Latin America Symposium
David Bernal, assistant professor of chemical engineering and co-director of COOPS, has been invited to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Second Connections to Sustain Science in Latin America symposium, set for March 11–13, 2025, in Lima, Peru. This marks his third international NASEM event invitation, following his previous involvement in the 9th Arab-American Frontier Symposium and the 1st Connections to Sustain Science in Latin America Symposium. The symposium will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration in areas such as water resilience, infectious diseases, AI, sustainable energy infrastructure, and biodiversity. Bernal will present his research on Quantum Computing for Engineering as part of his SECQUOIA group, contributing to discussions on critical global challenges. His participation underscores his dedication to advancing science and fostering impactful global collaborations.
Professor Can Li Receives NSF CAREER Award to develop optimization-inspired neural networks
Professor Can Li, Co-Director of the Purdue Center for Operations and Optimization in Process Systems (COOPS) and Assistant Professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, has received a prestigious NSF CAREER Award to support his groundbreaking research at the intersection of process systems engineering and machine learning. The $500,000 award will fund his project, Novel Neural Network Architectures Inspired by Optimization Algorithms, over the next five years.
Dr. Joan Brennecke and Dr. Benny D. Freeman Awarded the 2025 Hill Prize in Engineering
CISTAR professors at The University of Texas at Austin received Lyda Hill Philanthropies 2025 Hill Prize in Engineering. This award recognizes groundbreaking, high-risk, high-reward research with significant potential for real-world impact.
Fabio Ribeiro, W. Nicholas and Elizabeth H. Delgass Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, to Serve as Ambassador in Chemical Sciences in France
Fabio Ribeiro, W. Nicholas and Elizabeth H. Delgass Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been selected to serve as an Ambassador in Chemical Sciences in France. This prestigious ambassadorship, established in 2019 by the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), provides distinguished foreign researchers with the opportunity to visit leading French laboratories in their field. In this role, Ribeiro will deliver lectures across France, sharing his insights on sustainable energy, heterogeneous catalysis, and their crucial roles in advancing a sustainable, equitable, and efficient energy transition.
CISTAR Announces 2024 Outstanding Mentor Awards
At the heart of CISTAR’s success is the willingness to mentor others. To demonstrate how we at CISTAR value mentoring, each year we have a Mentor Award Committee decide upon awards based upon the quality and quantity of nominations by the previous years’ mentees.
Fabio H. Ribeiro Highlights his Research with CNRS Chimie
Fabio H. Ribeiro, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, presented a series of lectures in several CNRS laboratories as Ambassador of Chemical Sciences in France. His research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis applied to bio-based chemicals, green processes, and the synthesis of carbon-neutral fuels. He highlights the key role of catalysis in creating more efficient and sustainable energy systems.
Linda Broadbelt Selected to Deliver Prestigious Danckwerts Lecture
CISTAR's Deputy Co-Director, Linda Broadbelt, delivered the Danckwerts Lecture titled, “The Confluence of Kinetic Modeling and Data Science: Reaction Pathway Analysis of the Conversion of Macromolecules” at the 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting in San Diego in October. This recognition was established in 1985 to honor Prof. Peter V. Danckwerts as a leading scholar in the field of chemical engineering and for his contributions as an Executive Editor of Chemical Engineering Science.
Sustainea and Primient to collaborate on $400 million U.S. Bio-MEG facility in Lafayette
Purdue University’s College of Engineering, particularly through the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) and Leading Energy-Transition Advances and Pathways to Sustainability (LEAPS) programs, is driving the transformation of Indiana and Lafayette into a leading hub for sustainable chemical and fuel production.
CISTAR Professors Receive National and Division AIChE Awards
CISTAR Director Professor Fabio Ribeiro and Professor Rakesh Agrawal have been honored with prestigious American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) national and division awards for their groundbreaking contributions to the field.
Congratulations to our 2024 CISTAR Biannual Meeting Poster and Poster Pitch Winners!
At each biannual meeting, CISTAR Fellows take part in the Poster Pitch competition, where they have 90 seconds to present their research to industry professionals and faculty members, inviting them to explore their work further during the subsequent poster session. The winner of the competition will represent CISTAR at the next NSF ERC Biennial meeting, competing against other ERC students for a $5,000 grand prize.
CISTAR professors, Agrawal and Gounder, awarded grant to advance the production of sustainable aviation fuel
Purdue University’s Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) has forged a pivotal partnership with Susteon, a technology company known for its integration of industry, government, and academic research to develop innovative decarbonization technologies. This collaboration, led by Susteon with professors Rakesh Agrawal and Rajamani Gounder as partners, was awarded a $5.5 million total award from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) under its GREENWELLS initiative, aimed at advancing the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Susteon, Inc. Joins CISTAR Industrial Consortium
CISTAR is excited to announce Susteon Inc., a startup focused on developing and deploying decarbonization technologies, has joined CISTAR’s industrial consortium. Susteon’s cutting-edge technologies in carbon capture, utilization, and hydrogen production align with CISTAR's mission to develop sustainable solutions for a low-carbon future.
CISTAR Researchers Jeff Miller and Tobin Marks named in Clarivate’s 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers
According to Clarivate, the list recognizes “influential researchers at universities, research institutes, and commercial organizations around the world who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research.”
Professor Can Li awarded scientific prize and research contract with Air Liquide
Congratulations Can Li, assistant professor with Purdue University Chemical Engineering and CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center researcher who was awarded the Air Liquide Scientific Challenge Prize! He has been awarded a three-year grant to develop his breakthrough idea into market-ready technologies which is the core mission of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center. Can was hired through one of four faculty positions made available to CISTAR as part of Purdue’s commitment to our National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded ERC. Can’s future collaborations with Air Liquide, one of CISTAR’s founding industrial consortium members, will no doubt transform the approach to sustainability in the industrial sector.
Congratulations to our 2023 Poster Pitch and Poster Winners!
CISTAR Congratulates the following students for their outstanding poster pitch and posters at the 2023 CISTAR Biannual Meeting.
CISTAR Technical Highlights
CISTAR's technical accomplishments from over the years.
CISTAR Publications for 2023
View CISTAR publications published in 2023.
Industry News - Summer 2023
Welcome New CISTAR Industry Member, Precision Combustion, Inc. Texas and New Mexico (Permian) lead US Natural Gas, NGL and Crude Oil Production Growth
Research Updates
Updates from Thrust 1 and Thrust 2
Congratulations to our 2023 Summer Program Participants!
CISTAR’s summer programs are wrapping up after another successful session. Thank you to the graduate student mentors, faculty mentors, site liaisons, and everyone who welcomed these students and teachers to CISTAR!
2023 Biannual Meeting at the University of Texas at Austin
CISTAR is busy planning the details of the 2023 CISTAR Biannual Meeting, September 28-29, 2023 at the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas. The meeting will be held at the Commons Conference Center located in the Pickle Research Campus in Austin.
CISTAR News Summer 2023: Message from the Director
Dear CISTAR Community, We are more than halfway through Year 6 of our center. CISTAR continues to be an exemplary example of an NSF Engineering Research Center as marked by our progress in research, education, innovation, and diversity, and culture of inclusion over the years. I am confident our 2023 Biannual meeting at the University of Texas at Austin will be another opportunity for our team to collaborate on ways to continue this success. I would like to congratulate CISTAR’s outgoing Engineering Workforce Development Director Allison Godwin on her new appointment as Associate Professor at Cornell University.
CISTAR Visit to C2C Partners in Brazil
Members of the CISTAR Leadership team traveled to Brazil as part of the Center-to-Center grant - a joint partnership with the Center for Innovation on New Energies (CINE) and the Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI). The team visited the Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro (UFRJ), the University of São Paulo, RCGI, CINE, International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), Sirius at Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), and The Federal University of ABC (UFABC).
U.S.-Brazil roundtable brings together DOE, Purdue and Brazilian universities to highlight ongoing collaborations
By: Della K Pacheco
David W.C. MacMillan, 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry meets with CISTAR Faculty
Renowned Princeton University professor and entrepreneur David W.C. MacMillan, who shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work on catalysis, joined Purdue University President Mung Chiang for a conversation at the first Presidential Lecture Series event of 2023 last Monday and met with CISTAR Purdue Chemical Engineering faculty.
Benny Freeman Elected to National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering has elected Benny Freeman, a professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, to the academy for 2023.
Happy First-Generation College Graduate Day!
Celebrating the People in CISTAR over the years who are First-Generation College Graduates.
Center-to-Center (C2C) Updates and the Growing Intercultural Global Energy Leaders (GIGEL) program
CISTAR's Alexander Dowling and the University of São Paulo professors give seminars at each other's universities as part of the C2C grant. The first session of the summer graduate certificate program, Growing Intercultural Global Energy Leaders (GIGEL) was created by CISTAR’s ASI director, Dr. Driscoll, to address the goals outlined in the C2C grant. Dr. Driscoll summarizes the successes of the program in the following article.
REM Alum on Track to Earn Dual Undergraduate Degrees in Engineering, Chemistry from PVAMU, Xavier
Kayla Freeman, CISTAR's Research Experience & Mentoring Program Alum and a senior in Prairie View A&M University’s Chemical Engineering Program, came to “The Hill” as part two of a unique program at Xavier University of Louisiana. Upon graduation in May of 2023, Freeman will earn dual undergraduate degrees in chemistry from Xavier and engineering from PVAMU.
Industry & Innovation Update
U.S. NGL and Ethylene Industry Continues to Expand By: Bruce Cook, CISTAR, Research and Industry Advisor
CISTAR Featured Undergraduate Fellows
In this newsletter, we are featuring a few of our CISTAR Undergraduate Fellows and their achievements. If you would like to have a graduate or undergraduate student featured on our website and in the next newsletter, please e-mail Brittany Bright at bright9@purdue.edu.
EWD Update: 2022 CISTAR Summer Programs
The CISTAR labs were full of visiting researchers this summer as all of our educational programs resumed in-person activities! Faculty and graduate mentors worked with undergraduates for the REU and REM programs at Purdue, the RET program continued for its third year at the University of Texas at Austin. Each of the CISTAR campuses hosted two high school students as part of the Young Scholars program. In all, 32 individuals gained research experience with CISTAR.
Are you following CISTAR?
If you didn't know, CISTAR is on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have a moment, please visit our pages, follow our accounts and share our content when possible to attract new followers.
2022 CISTAR Biannual Meeting at the University of Notre Dame
The 2022 CISTAR Biannual meeting took place October 17-19, 2022 at the University of Notre Dame. This was the first fully in-person, center-wide meeting in the last two years with industry members, CISTAR Fellows, faculty, and staff from all five partner universities.
2022 CISTAR Year 5 NSF Renewal Site Visit Recap
CISTAR welcomed team members from the center's partner institutions, the Industrial Advisory Board chairs, and the National Science Foundation Site Visit Team (NSF SVT) to Purdue University on June 3-4, 2022 for the center’s first partial, in-person meeting in over two years.
CISTAR Welcomes New Faculty Member, Can Li
Prof. Can Li joined Purdue University and CISTAR as an Assistant Professor in June 2022.
CISTAR Welcomes Two New Industry Members, Evonik and Corteva
CISTAR announced that Evonik and Corteva are now CISTAR Industry Members.
CISTAR Congratulates Ricem Diaz Arroyo and Sopuru A. Ezenwa on CISTAR Fellowships
Congratulations to our 2021-2022 CISTAR Fellowship Winners, Ricem Diaz Arroyo and Sopuruchukwu (Sopuru) A. Ezenwa. CISTAR awards two fellowships annually – both of which are funded by Purdue Chemical Engineering alumni: Dick Reitz and Bill Murray.
CISTAR Congrats: Linsey Seitz
CISTAR Congrats Linsey Seitz, Northwestern University and CISTAR team member on her prestigious NSF Early Career Award!
Mental Health and Well Being Session at CISTAR’s Annual Meeting
By Dr. Denise M. Driscoll
CISTAR First-Generation College Students
As part of the 3rd National First-generation College Celebration, we listed CISTAR faculty, staff, and graduate fellows who were first-generation college students.
CISTAR Welcomes Two New Industry Members
CISTAR announced that Dow and Braskem are now CISTAR Industry Members.
Abhaya Datye and UNM Research Team Develops Improved Catalyst Technology
Abhaya Datye, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UNM and CISTAR International Programs Director along with his research team publish new findings in Nature Catalyst.
Announcing CISTAR's 2021 Biannual Meeting Perfect Pitch Winners
CISTAR's 2021 Biannual Meeting took place virtually October 13-15, 2021
CISTAR's Researchers Publish Findings for a New, More Economical Process for Converting Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) to Liquid Fuel
Researchers at the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) have created a new, more economical process for converting natural gas liquid (NGL) to liquid fuel.
Tobin Marks Named Among Global ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ for 2021
Tobin Marks, CISTAR Thrust 3 Lead, is named among global 'Highly Cited Researchers' for 2021
Tobin Marks Elected to American Philosophical Society
Tobin Marks, CISTAR Thrust 3 Lead, is elected to the American Philosophical Society.
Welcome Dr. Ruilan Guo to join Polymer as Editor
Dr. Ruilan Guo will join Polymer as new Editor since August 1st, 2021.
William F. Schneider awarded Notre Dame’s James A. Burns, C.S.C., Award for outstanding mentorship of doctoral students
William F. Schneider is the recipient of the James A. Burns, C.S.C., Graduate School Award. The award showcases the outstanding mentorship of Notre Dame’s very best doctoral advisers.
CISTAR Congrats: Jeff Brinker elected to the National Academy of Sciences
CISTAR congratulates Jeff Brinker, Distinguished and Regent’s Professor, Emeritus at the University of New Mexico, as he has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
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