News, Events & CEMS Seminars
CEMS Logo on wall in Amundson Hall

Department Events

Sep 8 Tue 1:25pm

Matt Tirrell seminar

Sep 15 Tue 1:25pm

Thad Levine seminar (Aris Series)

Sep 22 Tue 1:25pm

John Brady seminar (Amundson Lecture)

Sep 29 Tue 1:25pm

Lorrie Cranor seminar (Aris Series)

Oct 6 Tue 1:25pm

Phil Busman & Juliana Manrique seminar (Aris Series)

Oct 21 Wed 8:00pm

CEMS Graduate Programs Virtual Information Session (Evening)

Oct 22 Thu 7:30am

CEMS Graduate Programs Virtual Information Session (Morning)

Oct 29 Thu 1:25pm

Jim Nondorf seminar (Aris Series)

Nov 5 Thu 1:25pm

Paige Novak seminar

Fall 2026 CEMS Seminar Schedule

ARIS LECTURE SERIES    

Tuesday, Sep. 15: Thad Levine, Special Advisor to Baseball Operations at Milwaukee Brewers

Tuesday, Sep. 29: Lorrie Cranor, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Computer Science and Engineering & Public Policy

Tuesday, Oct. 6: Phil Busman (Partner at Nelson Mullins) and Juliana Manrique (Jury Consultant at Verdict Insight Partners)

Thursday, Oct. 22: Nav Singh, Founder at Build Mode

Thursday, Oct. 29: Jim Nondorf, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Advancement and Dean of College Admissions and Financial Aid at University of Chicago

Tuesday, Dec. 8: Michael Osterholm, Regents Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences at University of Minnesota

 

DEPARTMENT SEMINARS

Tuesday, Sep. 8: Matt Tirrell, Professor Emeritus at University of Chicago and University of Minnesota

Tuesday, Sep. 22: John Brady, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Caltech (Amundson Lecture)

Tuesday, Oct. 13: Lars Grabow, Professor of Chemistry at University of Houston (Piercy Lecture)

Thursday, Nov. 5: Paige Novak, Department Head and Professor of  Environmental Engineering at University of Minnesota

CEMS Named Seminar Series and Lectures

The Aris Lecture Series

The late Regents Professor Rutherford Aris was a luminary in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. The Aris Lecture Series occurs approximately every 5 years and focuses on the common bond between science and the arts. 

The Fredrickson Lecture

The Fredrickson Lecture was established in 2001 to honor the late Professor Arnold (Arnie) Fredrickson upon his retirement and foster broader intellectual interaction between undergraduate and graduate students. The Fredrickson lecture includes both a departmental seminar and an undergraduate lecture in the biomolecular engineering course.

The Amundson Lecture 

The annual Amundson Lecture features a guest speaker that embodies the tenets of Professor Neal R. Amundson in scholarship and innovation in the fields of chemical engineering and materials science. Amundson, department head from 1949-1974, was a visionary leader who pioneered the application of mathematics in chemical engineering.

The Singh Entrepreneurship Lecture

The Singh Entrepreneurship Lecture was established in 2025 by a generous donation from Navjot and Nithya Singh. Its purpose is to increase awareness of entrepreneurship in the disciplines of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. This lecture serves as a venue for scientists and engineers to tell the story of how they translated their research from the lab to a successful company, and tends to be a combination of science, business and storytelling versus a more traditional seminar.

Department News

Satish Kumar stands in front of a brick wall.

Satish Kumar awarded the 2026 John A. Tallmadge Award for Contributions to Coating Technology

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/31/2026) — Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Satish Kumar, has been selected to receive the 2026 John A. Tallmadge Award for Contributions to Coating Technology, which is jointly sponsored by the International Society of Coating Science and Technology (ISCST) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Leighton and student in the lab.

Minnesota iron ore could be key to sustainable and lower-cost semiconductor

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/31/2026) — For the first time, researchers led by CEMS’ Chris Leighton, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, have demonstrated that the low-purity iron ore prevalent in Minnesota can be used to create semiconductor-quality iron sulfide, also known as “fool’s gold” or pyrite.

Chris and Kathleen wearing maroon.

How the Macoskos are endowing excellence

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/10/2026) — When Associate Professor Vivian Ferry takes on a challenging new research problem, the support from the Chris Macosko Endowed Professorship makes the critical difference.

Sooho Choo wears glasses and a gray sweater.

Sooho Choo awarded the 2026 Russell & Sigurd Varian Award from AVS

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/10/2026) — Congratulations to Sooho Choo, a fifth year materials science graduate student in Bharat Jalan’s group on being awarded the 2026 Russell & Sigurd Varian Award from AVS.

The cover of JOM Magazine Aug 2026

CEMS Bladesmithing Team featured in JOM: The Magazine

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/06/2026) — The CEMS Bladesmithing Team was recently featured in the August 2026 issue of JOM: The Magazine. Their Venetian rapier-inspired sword, The Strimména, which earned first place at the 2026 TMS Bladesmithing Contest, is showcased on the magazine's cover and highlighted in the feature article, "Resourceful, Artisanal, and Historically Accurate: The 2026 Bladesmithing Contest."

Connie wearing her glasses.

In Memoriam: Clover "Connie" Constance Galt

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/31/2026) — It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Clover "Connie" Constance Galt, a cherished member of the CEMS community. Connie was an administrator in the department for three decades, where she supported both faculty, students, and staff. 

Douglas wearing a suit.

CEMS alumnus Douglas Lauffenburger named Institute Professor at MIT

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/28/2026) — Congratulations to CEMS alumnus and former member of the CEMS Executive Advisory Board, Professor Douglas Lauffenburger, who has been named an Institute Professor at MIT, the university’s highest faculty honor.

Kaylie in front of a gray background.

Kaylie Richard wins 2026 ASEE Multidisciplinary Division Best Paper Award

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/23/2026) — Congratulations to chemical engineering graduate student Kaylie Richard on receiving the Best Paper Award in the Multidisciplinary Division at the 2026 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference. Richard received the award for her paper, "Clear Writing Promotes Clear Thinking:

Bharat Jalan wearing a tan suit.

Bharat Jalan appointed to the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/06/2026) — Bharat Jalan, Professor and Shell Chair in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, has been appointed to the Board of Reviewing Editors for Science, one of the world’s leading peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Graduate student Kathryn Medrow (left) and postdoctoral researcher Jinsol Yook

C&EN highlights CEMS research on improving compostable plastics

Posted

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/01/2026) — A new feature in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) highlights research from CEMS Professor Chris Ellison and University of Minnesota chemistry professor Marc Hillmyer that could make one of the world's most widely used biodegradable plastics more suitable for home composting.