On April 16, 2025, over 300 undergraduate students shared their research and achievements through oral presentations, poster presentations, artistic exhibits, performances, films, interactive games, and more in the University Center.

Congratulations to all CBEE students who participated in the event!

Oral Presentations

Evalynn Ellison | Ultrasound-Responsive Phospholipid-Coated Microbubbles for Controlled Drug Delivery Across Mucosa | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Canan Dagdeviren

Poster Presentations

Shashane Anderson | Formal Verification of Thermodynamic Models With Lean 4 | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Tyler Josephson

Alvin Bett | Detecting PFAS in Baltimore Harbor Using Novel Passive Samplers | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Lee Blaney

Jacob Craft | Measuring the Selectivity Coefficients of 19 PFAS With Four Anion-Exchange Membranes | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Lee Blaney

Joshua Dayie | Engineering CRBN for Improved Assay and Structural Enablement Using DeNovo Protein Scaffolds | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Nicole LaRonde

Trevor Gibson | Hybrid Anion-Exchange Resins Improve the Uptake and Selectivity for (Ultra)Short-Chain PFAS in Drinking Water | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Lee Blaney

Elias Gilotte | Uncovering The Relationship Between Oxygen Availability and Energy Sources in Cell-free Protein Synthesis | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Govind Rao

Alexander Haibel | GraphARC: An AI Benchmark for Chemical Reasoning | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Tyler Josephson

Sydney Hofstetter | Sucrose Density Gradient Centrifugation Versus Anion Exchange for Exosome Sample Purification | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Jorge Almodovar

Jasmine Ives | Polychlorinated Biphenyl Monitoring in Maryland Fish | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Upal Ghosh

Tonderai Kodzwa | Effect Of Temperature On Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Ozgur Capraz

Peter Lombardo | Percent Viability Screens To Confirm Integral Cell Wall Signaling Kinases In Aspergillus Nidulans | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Mark Marten

Terra Miley | Optimization Of Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Bioreactors With the Use of a Fluorescent Magnesium Biosensor | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Govind Rao

Meredith Morse | Characterizing The Aspergillus Nidulans Kinase Deletion Library | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Mark Marten

Tithi Prajapati | Noninvasive Wearable Device For Transcutaneous CO2 Based Early Detection Of Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Venkatesh Srinivasan

Matthew Quintanilla | Characterization Of Transmembrane Transporters Linked To Cell Wall Stress Response | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Mark Marten

Jessica Slaughter | Suite Of Bioinformatic-Analysis Apps For Better Understanding Dynamic Omics Data | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Mark Marten

Maaike Swaters | Measuring Ion-exchange Membrane Properties That Control Nutrient Recovery By Donnan Dialysis | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Lee Blaney

Greeshma Tarimala | Using Gene Editing And Fluorescent Microscopy To Characterize The PrkA Kinase In Aspergillus Nidulans | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Mark Marten

Julia Van Der Marel | Monitoring Of NADH Concentrations In Cell-Free Systems | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Govind Rao

Benjamin Welling | Fabrications Of An Autonomous Chemically Powered Vehicle: (AIChE Chem-E Car) | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Neha Raikar

Zorah Williams | Utilizing Manganese-Oxide As An Electrode Material For Aqueous Zn-ion Batteries. | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Ozgur Capraz

Ariel Wilson-Gray | Production Of Extracellular Vesicles From Mammalian Cells Modulated By A Biomimetic Surface | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | Jorge Almodovar

Congratulations to Bret Marckx!

His paper is highlighted as "ACS Editor's Choice", meaning that in the entire ACS database, his paper was selected to be highlighted on the day it was published.

Authors: 

Bret A. Marckx, Hunter Maclennan, and Ömer Özgür Capraz

Title:

Probing Electrochemical Strain Generation in Vanadium Oxide Cathodes during Cycling of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries via Imaging Technique

Abstract:

Aqueous batteries have received a great deal of attention for grid-scale energy storage applications but suffer from low-capacity retention and utilization. A lack of understanding of chemomechanical instabilities and charge storage mechanisms in cathodes limits the development of advanced aqueous batteries. To shed light on these instabilities, operando techniques are necessary to probe the complex interplay between electrochemistry and mechanics during cycling. Here, we report an operando technique to probe electrochemical strains in cathodes in aqueous electrolytes during battery cycling via optical imaging and digital image correlation. Operando mechanical measurements indicate that the cathode undergoes positive strain generation during discharge and negative generation during charge. Strain derivatives reveal a close correlation between electrochemical and mechanical behaviors, highlighting the connection between electrochemistry and mechanics. This operando imaging technique is broadly applicable and paves the way for a deeper understanding of deformation mechanisms in aqueous, multivalent ion battery materials.

full article:https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/cbmi.5c00003 

Available Ph.D. Position in Electrochemical Materials for Summer / Fall 2025 

Özgür Çapraz, Ph.D.
Performance of materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems

Department Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/ozgur-capraz/

Lab website: amee.umbc.edu

Available Ph.D. Position in Electrochemical Materials

Job Description:

Overview: We are looking for a motivated student who can start in Fall 2025 semester in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical and  Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland - Baltimore County (UMBC). Ph.D. student will investigate chemo-mechanical nstabilities in electrochemical materials for environmental remedy and energy storage, in collabration with Dr. Teng from Worcester Polytechnic University. Detailed project descriptions and planning will be undertaken directly with the successful candidate. Students with Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry or Physics background are encouraged to apply.

Our Offer: The student will develop exceptional skills and expertise in the areas of electrochemistry, defect chemistry, mechanics of materials, and material fabrication during his/her studies.

The student will learn operando techniques to monitor stress /strain evolution in the electrodes. The selected candidate will present their work at international conferences such as AlCHE and ECS.

About Our Group: Advanced Materials & Electrochemistry for Energy (AMEE) Research Group is established by Prof. Ozgür Çapraz and is recently relocated to Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering in the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The group has been funded by various agencies such as NSF, DOE, NASA, Air Force, and BSF. Students in our group has published in high impact factor journals such as Advanced Energy Materials, Nano Letters and J. Power Sources. The group alumni are currently working as either scientists in Universities, National Laboratories or engineers in battery companies. For more information about the group, please visit, https://amee.umbc.edu/.

About the University: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a top-ranked university with an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. The university is located in the suburb of vibrant Baltimore city. The location offers direct access to wonderful outdoor activities (beaches, mountains, forest and state parks), museums in DC - Baltimore area and international airports. Also, it is close to
government agencies and industrial companies.

How to Apply: Interested candidates are encouraged to send their CV, transcript and a short cover letter to amee@umbc.edu with the title of “Application to PhD position in AMEE Lab”. Please follow the application guideline as described in the department website (see below).

Application details:

Deadline for Ph.D. programs: January 7
Application fee waivers: available by emailing cbeegrad@umbc.edu
Contacting an potential advisor: Students interested in applying are welcome to reach out directly to the faculty members whose research aligns with your specific research interests. Applicants are not required to secure an advisor prior to applying to the program for Fall admission. Applicants should identify which faculty they would like to work with in your 'Statement of academic goals and research interests'

More details on Application process: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/graduate-application/

Chemical Biochemical and Environmental Engineering (CBEE)

Fall 2025 PhD Funding Opportunities

Jorge Almodovar, Ph.D.
Engineering polymeric biomaterials for cell manufacturing, tissue repair, and drug delivery
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/jorge-almodovar/

Özgür Çapraz, Ph.D.
Performance of materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/ozgur-capraz/

Corine Jackman Burden, Ph.D.
Bioinformatics, synthetic biology, microfluidics, vaginal microbiome, infectious disease
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/corine-jackman-burden/

Christopher Hennigan, Ph.D.
Aerosol science, health effects, climate change, atmospheric chemistry
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/christopher-hennigan/

Claire Welty, Ph.D. 
Coupled groundwater/surface water modeling of urban systems. 
Website: https://urbanhydrology.umbc.edu/

Upal Ghosh, Ph.D.
Pollutant fate and bioavailability in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/upal-ghosh/

Lee Blaney, Ph.D.
Occurrence, fate/treatment, and transport of contaminants of emerging concern
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/lee-blaney/

Tyler Josephson, Ph.D.
Develop AI and LLM tools and use molecular simulations to understand chemistry in the environment
Website: https://cbee.umbc.edu/faculty/tyler-josephson/

Application details:

Deadline for Ph.D. programs: January 7
Application fee waivers: available by emailing cbeegrad@umbc.edu
Contacting an potential advisor: Students interested in applying are welcome to reach out directly to the faculty members whose research aligns with your specific research interests. Applicants are not required to secure an advisor prior to applying to the program for Fall admission. Applicants should identify which faculty they would like to work with in your 'Statement of academic goals and research interests'

More details on Application process: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/graduate-application/

PhD Stipend

$39K+
($39,900/year for 2025–2026; plus tuition remission and health insurance for full-time PhD students)

Learn more about CBEE's graduate progams:  https://cbee.umbc.edu/grad

Authors: 

Title: 

Dr. Ömer Özgür Çapraz, Associate Professor, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, published a groundbreaking study in Electrochimica Acta titled "Probing interfacial stress on Au cathode in DMSO electrolyte during electrochemical polarization in aprotic Li-O2 batteries" with collaborators from Oklahoma State University, Bar-Ilan University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The full article is available from ScienceDirect at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2024.144522

Abstract:

The practical performance of Li-O2 batteries suffers from interfacial instabilities associated with the reaction intermediates. These instabilities on the cathode-electrolyte interface dictate the direction of the oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER/ORR) in Li-O2 batteries. Despite intensive research on chemical instabilities in the reaction intermediates, there is limited work on understanding the importance of stress on the interfacial dynamics. To address this gap, in-situ curvature measurements were conducted to probe interfacial stress generation during electrochemical polarization on Au cathode in DMSO electrolytes. Charge accumulation induces tensile stress, whereas compressive stress generation is associated with the adsorbate-induced stress and mismatch strain between reaction intermediates and the Au surface. Abrupt stress relaxation on the onset of discharge presents evidence for a contribution of electrostriction stress. Adsorption of redox mediator nitrate ions induces compressive stress before ORR. Unique findings demonstrate the impact of interfacial stress on the OER/ORR in Li-O2 batteries.

Excerpt from UMBC News:

From solar energy harvesting to advanced batteries: Cohort of new engineering faculty bolster UMBC’s commitment to Earth-friendly research

By: Catherine Meyers | Published: May 10, 2024 

This April 22, as the campus community celebrated Earth Day, the feel of spring’s natural reawakening was in the air. Birds chirped from newly leafed trees and students strolled in the bright sunshine. But the pleasant day belied a concerning trend: In Maryland and beyond, the balance of Earth’s life-supporting systems is shifting, driven in large part by the heat-trapping greenhouse gasses we humans send into the atmosphere. The Earth is getting hotter; weather patterns are changing; and ecosystems are under stress. 

“Climate change is pressing us to adopt a more Earth-friendly lifestyle, to develop renewable energy,” says Dr. Özgür Çapraz, an associate professor in the department of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering at UMBC, who studies advanced battery technologies. Çapraz, who joined UMBC in fall 2023 from a faculty position at Oklahoma State University, was one of three recent faculty hires in the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) who all specialize in different aspects of sustainability and renewable energy-related research. 

The three hires were part of a COEIT effort to build off recognized strength in the environmental domain, while expanding expertise in important areas such as energy, says Lee Blaney, a professor in the department of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering who chaired the search.

Read full article

PHOTO CREDIT: From left to right, Özgür Çapraz, Rajasekhar Anguluri, and Alok Ghanekar. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

We are now accepting applications for the third cohort of the BEMORE REU program at UMBC. 

Application Deadline:

For best consideration, please submit your applications by March 1, 2024.

The BEMORE REU program prepares students to address knowledge gaps, develop new technologies, and bring unique perspectives to complex problems in biochemical and environmental engineering and science.

Students that join the BEMORE REU Site will gain the interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and training to address a variety of grand challenges.

Research Topics: 

•  water pollution & treatment
• sustainable plastic replacements
• smart polymers
• urban air quality
• novel biomaterials
• sustainable batteries and more. 

Additional details are available at https://bemore.umbc.edu/

Program details:

• June 3, 2024 to August 9, 2024
• $6000 stipend, travel allowance, and free on-campus housing
• Access to state-of-the-art laboratories
• Work with a diverse team of faculty and other students
• Learn about current issues in biochemical and environmental engineering and science
• Enjoy field trips, group activities, and our awards banquet

Eligibility:

• All majors are welcome to apply
• Current student at a two- or four-year college or university
• US citizen or permanent resident

APPLY NOW

Questions can be sent to  bemorereu@umbc.edu