Langer Graduate Student Symposium showcases depth, breadth of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at Yale

Student research presentations were voted on by faculty and students with the award for Best Presentation going to Mitchell Rogers, a fourth year PhD candidate advised by Drew Gentner who studies the impacts of evolving emissions, climate and atmospheric chemistry on air quality. The awards also included a recognition for "Best Italian Ice in Chemical & Environmental Engineering," now a monthly tradition in the department, which this year went to the Kim Lab for their outstanding culinary abilities. 

The concept of this student-organized research symposium was initially inspired by Dr. Robert M. Langer (B.S. ‘45, Ph.D. ‘52) and former department Chair, Professor John Walz, with the first one taking place in 2003. Dr. Robert Langer was the Vice President and Treasurer of The Badger Company Inc., a leading global engineering firm eventually acquired by Raytheon. His thoughtful donation to Yale established the Robert M. Langer Fund for Chemical & Environmental Engineering, which provides funds for graduate fellowship assistance, faculty research, and visiting professors and lecturers.   

Learn more about the talks and speaker bios in the Symposium Booklet

Lucien Dieter

Aerosol-based Exposure to Hospital Sink Drain Opportunistic Pathogens

Lucien Dieter is a 4th year PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering in Professor Jordan Peccia's Lab. He earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in Environmental Resource Management Engineering from Arizona State University, where he investigated biofilm monitoring in redox environments. As a student researcher with the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Lucien also explored the biological impacts of pharmaceutical compounds and the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the built environment. Before his PhD, he served as a physical scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His research applies molecular biotechnology to assess and improve risks to human health in the built environment.

Kimia Sinaeian

Reaction Coordinates for Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation: Refinement Strategies & Interfacial Pre-ordering

Kimia is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in the Chemical Engineering track of Yale’s CEE department. Her research in Professor Amir Haji-Akbari's Group focuses on the molecular mechanisms of ice nucleation and growth in atmospheric and biological environments, with a particular emphasis on designing and characterizing antifreeze proteins and peptide mimics. Outside the lab, Kimia enjoys learning new languages, gardening, cooking, and playing board games with friends and family.

Mitchell Rogers

Observational Constraints Uncover the Pervasive Contributions of Biomass Burning to Organic Particulate Matter

Mitchell Rogers is a 4th year PhD candidate in Professor Drew Gentner's Lab who studies the impacts of evolving emissions, climate, and atmospheric chemistry on air quality. He grew up in Irvine, CA and received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles before attending Yale. Outside of the lab, Mitchell enjoys playing percussion, time outdoors, board games, and a empting to cook new things.

Kelby Anderson

Plasma-Coupled Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis using Nitrogen and Water

Kelby Anderson graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 2022 and with a M.Eng. in environmental engineering in 2023. She is now a PhD candidate in Lea Winter's lab, studying nitrogen reduction to ammonia. In her free time, she likes to run, go to crossfit classes, and spend time with friends.

Conrad Kocoj

Ultrafast Plasmon Dynamics of Low-loss Sodium Metasurfaces

Conrad Kocoj is a 5th-year PhD student in Chemical & Environmental Engineering whose research on dynamic light–ma tter interactions in materials for energy conversion and optoelectronics. He uses ultrafast spectroscopy to probe nonequilibrium carrier and lattice dynamics, aiming to uncover mechanisms that can guide the design of next-generation energy materials. Conrad is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and recently published his work in ACS Nano. He is passionate about leveraging fundamental photophysical insights to advance sustainable technologies and address global energy challenges. He is co-advised by Prof. Peijun Guo and Prof. Eric Altman. 

Lauren Mazurowski

Engineering a Cobalt-Selective Membrane via Bulky Ligand Coordination

Lauren is a 5th-year PhD Candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Elimelech laboratory. Her research spans from the fundamental scale, developing highly ion-selective membranes for transition metal recovery, to the macro-scale, where she explores the large-scale feasibility and technical challenges of cobalt recovery from industrial and natural waters. During her PhD, Lauren also completed an internship at Apple, focusing on applying green chemistry principles for sustainable product design, and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. Prior to joining Yale, she earned a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, while gaining industry experience in water rights, environmental consulting, and municipal design. As a passionate science communicator, Lauren placed 1st nationally at the NSF Engineering Research Center Perfect Pitch Competition. She enjoys sharing this enthusiasm with students, serving as a mentor for the STARS program at Yale, a K-12 educator at the Yale Peabody Museum, and a judge for the Connecticut State Science Fair. Outside the lab, you can often find Lauren walking her sweet dog, Lady, in East Rock Park, her favorite place in New Haven.

Zhongren Jiao

Rigid Microporous Polymer Nanofilms for Precise Hydrocarbon Separation

Zhongren Jiao is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale  University, co-advised by Prof. Mingjiang Zhong and Prof. Menachem Elimelech. His research focuses on the synthesis of polymeric membranes for advanced separation applications. Zhongren has developed a series of microporous polymer nanofilms that enable precise crude oil separation, providing an energy-efficient membrane-based alternative to conventional thermal distillation. His work advances the discovery of novel membrane materials for petroleum refining and contributes broadly to both polymer science and chemical engineering. Outside the lab, Zhongren enjoys cooking and playing badminton.