Hey there! I’m Mayra González Ramirez, proudly born and raised in Mexico with a B.S. from Instituto Tecnologico de Aguascalientes and a Master’s degree from Instituto Tecnologico de Celaya. Currently, in my third year as a PhD student working with Grigorios Panagakos and Larry Biegler, my academic journey is a thrilling exploration focused on the topology optimization of carbon capture systems. Beyond academia, I’m an avid reader, writer, and cook, and you’ll also find me dancing or enjoying the outdoors.

Contact: mayragug@andrew.cmu.edu

Hello, I’m Norman, and I’m a second-year PhD student working with Professor Carl Laird on separation and extraction optimization. I graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University after moving from Vietnam. I enjoy riding and maintaining my bike, learning piano, and working out in the morning.

Contact: nttran@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi everyone! My name is Khantey Lim, and I am proudly from Cambodia! I completed a combined BS/MS program in Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University. I then worked for about a year as a process engineer before coming to CMU. I am a 1st-year PhD student working with Professor Gabe Gomes and Stefan Bernhard! My happy places include watching movies, doing random karaoke, playing sports, and doing community service!

Contact: khanteyl@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi, I’m Emerson Uhlig. I studied chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and I am now a second year PhD student studying transport processes at fluid-fluid interfaces with Professor Khair’s group. In my spare time I enjoy playing and listening to music, watching movies, cooking, rock climbing, hiking, playing pickup sports, spending time with my friends, and planning the next ChEGSA shindig.

Contact: euhlig@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi, I am Natalie Burton! I studied chemistry and mathematics at Scripps College and am now a first-year PhD student in Professor Neil Donahue’s group. I love reading, listening to music, trying out new vegetarian recipes, and going on walks.

Contact: nburton2@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi, I’m Warren Callen! I’m currently a first year PhD student working on drug delivery in Prof. Whitehead’s lab. I grew up in Massachusetts, and studied chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic institute. In my free time I like to exercise, listen to music, and play the guitar.

Contact: wcallen@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi my name is Hannah Gedde! I grew up Oregon and studied chemical engineering at Oregon State University. I am currently a first-year PhD student working with Professor Niepa. Outside of the lab, I enjoy listening to music, being outdoors, swimming, and trying food around Pittsburgh.

Contact: hgedde@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi, my name is Dhruv and I am currently a first year PhD student advised by Dr. Derin Sevenler and Dr. Kathryn Whitehead. I am originally from Mumbai, India but I did my undergrad in ChemE at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In my free time, I like to listening to music, hanging out with friends and trying out new restaurants around the Pittsburgh Area.

Contact: dchotali@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi, I’m Robert! I’m from Singapore, where I took my Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University. I’m currently a first year PhD student in Prof. Torres’ group. In my free time I read and play games. Occasionally, I’d play volleyball too!

Contact: rmaligon@andrew.cmu.edu

I am a PhD student co-advised by professors John Kitchin and Andrew Gellman. My research focus is computational material discovery.

Contact: kabdelma@andrew.cmu.edu

Hello, I’m Samantha, and I am a 2nd year PhD student in Professor Whitehead’s group studying mRNA delivery systems. I graduated with a B.S. in chemical engineering from UC Berkeley, and I am originally from California as well. I love being outdoors and exploring nature as well as kickboxing, yoga, and music!

Contact: sjyang@andrew.cmu.edu

I’m Charlotte, and I’m a first-year student in the Schneider Lab working on improving nanoparticle characterization for biotech applications. I’m originally from Atlanta, did my undergrad at Princeton University, and before coming to CMU I worked for three years in process development for gene therapy formulations in Boston. Outside of classes and research, I’ve picked up going to the weight room as my most recent hobby, but I also appreciate finding new restaurants, baking sweets with my roommate, and trying my hand at running tabletop role-playing games.

Contact: ctausche@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi everyone! My name is Megan Walsh and I am a fourth-year student working with Dr. Carl Laird and Dr. Chrysanthos Gounaris. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2021 with a B.S in chemical engineering and then moved out to Pittsburgh from Connecticut to start at CMU this past fall. Outside of school, I love to do yoga, find new hiking locations, and bake new recipes.

Contact: mew2@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi everyone! I’m Sauda and I originally come from Uganda. I graduated from Oregon State University with an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. I’m a second-year PhD student working with Prof. Ana Torres on designing sustainable processes. My hobbies include reading scientific books, art, watching Spanish telenovelas and listening to music.

Contact: snamiiro@andrew.cmu.edu

Hello! I’m Jason, a third-year PhD student working with Chrysanthos Gounaris on optimization under uncertainty of critical mineral recovery processes. I graduated with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, along with a minor in Computing and Intelligence. Outside of work, I enjoy piano, reading, and learning to cook.

Contact: jasonyao@andrew.cmu.edu

Hi everyone! My name is Daniel Pert and I am a second-year student working with Dr. Ana Torres on modeling and optimization of circular economy networks. I grew up in Tennessee and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023 with a B.S.E. in chemical engineering with a minor in computer science and concentration in materials science. I like reading, playing tennis, running, and cooking.

Contact: dpert@andrew.cmu.edu