Six undergraduate students showcased their research at the 2025 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Student Conference in Boston Nov. 1-3.
Through a travel grant from Texas A&M University’s Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, undergraduate students Amber Tran, Wynn Miholits, Kait Dillon, Andrew Iovine, Ayush Khan and Jackson Belobrajdic expanded their knowledge and network with academic and industry professionals.
“We are proud of these students who represent Texas A&M and showcase their exceptional undergraduate research accomplishments in our department,” said Dr. Micah Green, associate department head.
Each student's experience at the annual meeting was unique and tailored to their individual interests. Despite a variety of perspectives, all students displayed their work to a wider audience and received valuable feedback.
"It was an incredible experience that allowed me to present my research to professionals alongside my peers," Dillon said. "I had not attended a large conference before, so being able to participate and see how it was organized was significant."
It also provided Dillon an opportunity to solidify her understanding of her work in analyzing the use of a unique protein purification called inverse transition cycling.
Tran's takeaway echoed this sentiment. She received feedback that pinpointed her use of lab protocols focused on computational modeling of biomolecular systems, specifically in proteins that are associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
“Attending this conference showed me that there's so much more to learn in my field,” Tran said. "It was good to hear some background information on what I am doing. It was also a great way to build my presentation and interpersonal skills.”
Similarly, Miholits benefited from the instrumental feedback he received for his work on the aqueous energy storage properties of titanium carbonitride MXene.
We are proud of these students who represent Texas A&M and showcase their exceptional undergraduate research accomplishments in our department.
"Research isn’t complete until it’s communicated, and multiple attendees offered thoughtful suggestions for improvement,” Miholits said. “Their advice helped me see specific visual choices, such as emphasizing key ideas through more compelling graphics or sequencing sections more deliberately and making the purpose of my work easier to grasp.”
Iovine’s research is focused on using catalysts to valorize CO2. The conference provided a great environment for establishing connections, bringing him one step closer to pursuing his Ph.D.
“This experience greatly helped with my Ph.D. applications by providing information that is not easily accessible, such as which professors are taking in students,” Iovine said. “It also allowed me to connect with graduate students and professors.”
Belobrajdic gained comfortability in presenting his work on therapeutic development, allowing him to establish further insights.
“It challenged me to understand the theoretical details of our work thoroughly enough to explain it to an audience with diverse familiarities with biology,” Belobrajdic said. “My experience at the AIChE Annual Meeting has developed my confidence and skills in scientific communication.”
Presenting allowed Khan to step outside of the classroom and see the broader landscape of chemical and materials engineering. His work focuses on developing an improved nanopesticide formulation.
“The experience influenced the way I see my future in engineering. I was motivated to see genuine interest in the problem I’m working on solving,” Khan said. “The conference broadened my understanding of the fields I can enter and introduced me to research areas I had never considered before.”