Thanks to generous donations from alumni, corporations and friends, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering awards scholarships annually to qualified undergraduates who are majoring in chemical engineering. Congratulations to this year’s winners!
Scholarships are granted according to the wishes of gift donors, including financial need- or merit-based scholarships and/or ethnicity, gender, year in college, or other selection criteria. Faculty are asked to nominate their highly productive and successful students. Chemical engineering students who demonstrate leadership skills or who devote extra time to studying chemical engineering also are asked to nominate themselves for a departmental scholarship. The Awards & Scholarship Committee reviews applications and selects recipients. Recipients are recognized, along with winners of the Undergraduate Research Symposium, at the annual ceremony in April.
John Martin Ankenbauer Memorial Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Ashley May
The late John M. Ankenbauer grew up in Berkeley, Illinois. A first generation college student, he attended Illinois from 1977 to 1981. After graduating magna cum laude with a chemical engineering degree, he joined Mobil. John credited the university’s rigorous undergraduate chemical engineering program for preparing him to meet the challenges of the oil and gas industry. Illinois instilled within him a belief that a top level education, scholarly research and ethical application of science enable young adults to assume the responsibility of creating a better society. Mr. Ankenbauer died in 1984 and this scholarship was established by John’s brother, Gilbert Ankenbauer, and Gilbert’s wife, Jenny Ankenbauer, to honor John’s memory.
Franklin A. Boyle Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Brandon Rodgers
This scholarship was established in 1999 by Stuart and Beverly Ann Boyle. Stuart received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1955. After graduating, he joined Standard Oil.
Chemical Engineering Alumni Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients: Benjamin Pedretti, Timothy Chen
The Alumni Scholarship is a departmental award made possible thanks to the financial support of our generous donors. This year, the Alumni Scholarship was awarded to two students for meritorious academic achievement.
2015-2016 Recipient: Nicholas Connolly
The Donald E. Eisele Scholarship is named after Mr. Eisele, who received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Illinois in 1971. It’s sponsored by the Zeta of Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry society.
Robert S. Frye Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Dongkwan Lee
Born in 1910 on a farm near Laura, Illinois, Robert Frye attended a one-room school house before moving on to Peoria Central High School, Bradley University and eventually the University of Illinois. He graduated with his chemical engineering degree from Illinois in 1933 and went to work for Abbott Laboratories. He was involved in chemical development and production development, including the manufacturing process for penicillin in the early 1940s. After 34 years with Abbott, he went to work for G.D. Searle & Co. In 1970 he and his son John Frye, who had a background in printing, bought and ran a printing business in Clinton, Mich.
2015-2016 Recipient: Dawna Peterson
Clarence “Larry” Gerhold was an inventor with an engaging personality and infectious sense of humor who had a profound impact on the petroleum refining and petrochemical industries. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1928 and 1929, studying under Professor Donald B. Keyes, who taught him a great deal about petroleum technology and other topics. After graduating from Illinois, Mr. Gerhold joined UOP, or Universal Oil Products. He would spend his entire career there developing solutions to problems. During World War II, he applied his knowledge of production of super high octane gasoline to large-scale production of aviation gasoline. Over the years he was involved in thermal cracking and reforming, olefin polymerization, alkylation, paraffin isomerization, and much more.
2015-2016 Recipient: Vitaliy Dushnov
After graduating from Rockhurst College with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Joe Glas came to Illinois where he worked on his Ph.D. under the legendary James Westwater. After earning his doctoral degree in 1965, Dr. Glas joined DuPont, where he rose through the ranks to become director, vice president, and general manager of DuPont’s Fluorochemicals Division. He later became vice president and general manager of DuPont Fluoroproducts, and in 1998 he was named Vice President and General Manager of DuPont’s Biotechnology Division. Dr. Glas led the development of environmentally friendly refrigerants, reducing threat of chlorofluorocarbons to the ozone layer. He advocated for a global approach to the problem of ozone depletion based on science and was a spokesman for industry working with government and public. Ever loyal to his alma mater, Dr. Glas chaired the department’s resource development committee in the early 1990s and has served on its external advisory committee. He also is a former convocation speaker.
Chester W. Hannum Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients: Alex Baciu, Ethan Dukovic, Joshua Jones, Amanda Pritchard
Established in 1990, this scholarship honors the memory of the late Chester W. Hannum, who earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Illinois in 1929.
Edmund D. and Sara J. Heerdt Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients:Lauren Schmitt, Noah Wood
Raised in Arthur, Illinois, Ed Heerdt earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Illinois in 1965. He went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1969. A 30-year employee of Shell Oil, he retired in 1998. Born in Green Bay, Wis., Sara Heerdt is a graduate of Marquette University’s School of Dental Hygiene. The two met in Minneapolis while Ed was in graduate school. The Heerdts have two children and live in Bloomington. Dr. Heerdt is a former judge for the Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Earp Jennings Chemical Engineering Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Aza Walker
Born and raised in Arkansas, the late Earp Jennings Jr. was known for his always-searching scientific mind, his infectious laugh and devotion to his late wife Ruth. After attending the University of Arkansas, he transferred to the University of Illinois and earned his chemical engineering degree in 1938. After Illinois, he obtained a master’s degree in chemical engineering from MIT. From there he began a long, successful career with Hercules, a chemical company headquartered in Wilmington, Del. Mr. Jennings held a number of positions with Hercules, including chief chemical engineer, plant manager and executive positions in the Wilmington headquarters. Mr. Jennings was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and a longtime board member of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority. Mr. Jennings credited his education for his successful career and was an ardent supporter of his alma maters.
John W. Latchum, Jr. Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Kenan Al-Bardan
Established in 1988, this scholarship is named after John W. Latchum, Jr., a 1939 graduate in chemical engineering from Illinois. The late Mr. Latchum worked for Phillips Petroleum and was an innovator and inventor with numerous patent registrations to his name.
Arthur F. and Harriett Neville Limper Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Brandon Rodgers
Established in 2011, the Limper Scholarship is named after Arthur and Harriet Limper. Both graduated from Illinois in 1944. The late Harriet “Mimi” Neville Limper was a technical writer at Ethyl Corp. and Arthur was a researcher there. Both were both proud of the university’s emphasis on strong academics.
Dr. Ray A. Mentzer Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: David Ugweje
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1974, Dr. Ray Mentzer went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from Purdue. He enjoyed a 28-plus year career with ExxonMobil, working around the world and in a variety of areas, including oil and gas facility design and operation, research, financial management, safety, health & environment, and public affairs. His last position with Exxon was as a Global Safety, Health, Environment and Security manager. In recent years, Dr. Mentzer has been a senior lecturer in the Texas A&M Department of Chemical Engineering. He continues to be engaged with process safety research projects, downhole drilling safety, risk management and more. Beverly Mentzer, who received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from LSU, retired from ExxonMobil after working 33 years in both domestic and international engineering and managerial positions. She’s managed field operations, projects, pipelines, business development, natural gas, production facilities engineering and subsurface technical support.
Elwood Edward Nelson Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients: Pacharapol Charoensuk, Matthew Miller
This scholarship honors the memory of the late Elwood E. Nelson, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1939 and a master’s degree in chemistry in 1940. Mr. Nelson worked for Gulf Oil and subsequently, Chevron. His wife, Elizabeth, also graduated from Illinois. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1935 and a master’s degree in history in 1938.
Omega Chi Epsilon Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Shayta Roy
The Omega Chi Epsilon Scholarship is a departmental award given to a student for meritorious academic achievement and contributions to the Omega Chi Epsilon (OXE) student organization. The award is supported by donations from students and alumni. The group dates back to 1931, when a group of chemical engineering students decided to recognize juniors and seniors who displayed academic excellence and leadership in their profession. The name, Omega Chi Epsilon, is based upon the organization’s motto: Ode Chrototos Eggegramai which means, “In this society, professionalism is engraved in our minds.”
Edward I. Onstott Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients: Sasha Ebrahimi, Anthony Tapia
Edward Onstott earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1944 and went on to receive his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemistry at Illinois. It was at the university where he met his future wife, Mary. Edward joined the research staff at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1950 as a chemist and retired in 1984. He was a consultant for the lab until his death in 1995. Dr. Onstott was recognized for his work in separation and preparation of rare earth metals in the 1950s. His later research focused on the thermochemical properties of rare earth compounds. He was affiliated with the American Institute of Chemists, the American Chemical Society and was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Raymond M. Pasteris Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Francisco Canales Gonzalez
A native of Joliet, Mr. Pasteris received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1975. After graduation he married Barbara and became a process engineer with Mobil in Joliet. At Mobil he became interested in applying cogeneration technologies to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of steam and power generation at the refinery. Mr. Pasteris later became a senior engineer with Mobil in Princeton, New Jersey where he worked to develop cogeneration projects for oil refining facilities worldwide. In 1986, he joined Catalyst Energy Corporation and was responsible for managing four power plants, including two biomass renewable energy plants and one hydroelectric power plant. He later served as Vice President of Engineering and Development for Catalyst Thermal Corporation. Mr. Pasteris was responsible for engineering, project development, contract negotiations, energy audits, capital budgets and risk management. In 1993, he established Pasteris Energy to provide advisory services to energy producers, consumers and regulators worldwide. He has been involved in the development of solar cells and other renewable energy projects.
Worth Huff Rodebush Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Rebecca Boehning
This scholarship was established as a memorial in 1959 by friends of University of Illinois Professor Worth Rodebush, a physical chemist. He gained an international reputation for his research on the use of infrared absorption methods for studying molecular structures, especially those involving hydrogen. Dr. Rodebush was honored by a number of organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society.
Thomas R. and Yolanda S. Stein Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients: Jae Kwan Song, Jake Gold
Born in Joliet, Thomas Stein earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois in 1964. He went on to earn his doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1968. In Minnesota Thomas met his future wife, Yolanda Shirley Stein. Born in Panama, Yolanda earned a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Minnesota in 1968. In 1968, Dr. Stein joined Mobil, where he held technical and managerial positions in research, engineering, and planning. When he retired in 2002, Dr. Stein was general manager of Products Research & Technology of the ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. Ms. Stein worked as a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University.
R. J. Van Mynen Chemical Engineering Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipients: Lingqing Yan, Weikun Zhu
Established in 1997, this scholarship is named after 1960 chemical engineering graduate Ronald Van Mynen and his wife Janet. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Illinois, Mr. Van Mynen joined the Union Carbide Corp., where he rose through the ranks to become a vice president.
Bruno H. Wojcik Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Omotola Okesanjo
Established in 1986, this scholarship honors the memory of the late Bruno Wojcik, a member of the University of Illinois Class of 1930. He received his bachelor’s in chemistry and went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.
Industry-supported Scholarships
ExxonMobil Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Xuxia Chen
ExxonMobil is an international oil and gas company that uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. Many Illinois chemical engineering graduates have gone on to become leaders at ExxonMobil, including Dennis Houston and Ray Mentzer.
Phillips 66 Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Jordan Blake Banks
Phillips 66 is an energy manufacturing and logistics company headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Clorox Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Alejandro Urbina Leon De La Barra
Clorox is an international manufacturing company whose products include bleach and cleaning products, water filtration products, and many others.
Shell Scholarship
2015-2016 Recipient: Seo Woo Choi
Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies in more than 70 countries and territories and more than 90,000 employees worldwide, including many Illinois graduates, such as Thomas Baron, Steve Miller, and Ed Heerdt. The company uses advanced technologies and innovative approaches to help build a sustainable energy future.
Formerly Universal Oil Products, UOP is now a subsidiary of Honeywell, a global technology and manufacturing company. UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies unit, which develops advanced materials, process technologies and automation solutions.
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