2014-2015 ChBE Undergraduate Awards

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) undergraduates were among the award recipients at the 2014-2015 A. James Clark School of Engineering's Honors and Awards Ceremony, held April 14. The event honors students from all departments who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance, research, and contributions to their departments or fields.

This year, the awards and their recipients were:

David Arthur Berman Memorial Award
Presented to the student majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with the highest cumulative scholastic average at the end of the first semester of his or her junior year, and who has been elected to Tau Beta Pi.

Awarded to Beth Sheil.

Senior Beth Sheil is a member of the University Honors Program and the RISE Leadership Academy. She is the treasurer for Tau Beta Pi, where she mentors prospective members. She also volunteers as a tutor for OXE, the chemical engineering honors society. She has tutored Thermodynamics II, Statistics and Experiment Design, and Heat and Mass Transfer. She is a teaching fellow for Thermodynamics II, and she previously served as a fellow for Statistics and Experiment Design.

Chairman's Award
Presented for excellence in academics, outstanding service to the department, or outstanding leadership in the department.

Awarded to Amanda Merlock.

Junior Amanda Merlock is President of the University of Maryland’s student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). She served as Conference Chair for the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Regional AIChE Student Conference. This annual conference, which serves 35 regional universities, was held at the University of Maryland on April 10-11. Amanda is also Vice-President of the Chem-E Car team and represented her department in the Alumni Cup.

Outstanding Senior Award
Presented to a graduating senior for scholarship, leadership, and service to the department.

Awarded to Isaac Zaydens.

Senior Isaac Zaydens is the Director of Corporate Relations for the University of Maryland’s student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). He is a member of the Chem-E Car team, University Honors Program, Engineering Honors Program, RISE Program, and the Chemical Engineering Honors Society. Zaydens is currently an undergraduate teaching fellow for the Chemical and Biomolecular Separation Processes course (CHBE 426). He is also conducting and assisting in research on eco-friendly and solid-state batteries under Associate Professor Chunsheng Wang and ChBE graduate student Fudong Han. He has a 3.96 GPA.

Outstanding Junior Award
Presented to a department junior for academic excellence.
and
A. James Clark School of Engineering Women in Engineering Service Award
Presented to the engineering student who has contributed most to furthering the advancement of women in engineering.

Awarded to Emily Fraik.

Junior Emily Fraik is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society as well as the OXE Chemical Engineering Honor Society. She is a member of the first cohort of the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s RISE Leadership Academy, and she is pursuing a research track this year under Professor Eric Wachsman at the University of Maryland Energy Research Center. Emily is also a Clark School Ambassador, chair of the Women in Engineering Student Advisory Board, and a student athlete on the varsity volleyball team. She has a 4.0 GPA.

Outstanding Student Service Award
Presented to a graduating senior for outstanding service to the department.

Awarded to Amanda Filie.

Junior Amanda Filie is a member of the RISE, University, and QUEST Honors programs. She is the president of UMD’s chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon, the National Chemical Engineering Honors Society, which provides professional development opportunities and tutoring services for chemical engineering students. Amanda researches catalysts for biomass conversion. She looks forward to applying her coursework and research experience to create sustainable and energy-efficient chemical processes. She also enjoys participating in UMD’s competitive ballroom dance team.

Congratulations to all of these exceptional students!

Published April 20, 2015