Natalie Crowner Earns National Recognition for Trine University at AIChE Conference, Earns STEM Symposium Awards

Trine University's McKetta Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering students showcased their skills and excellence at the 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) National Student Conference, earning national awards and honors while competing against top programs from across the country.

The conference was held Oct. 25-28 in San Diego, California.

Chem-E-Car competition

In the Chem-E-Car competition, teams build a car that starts and stops using chemical reactions. The shoebox-sized car that stops closest to a designated distance, which is not revealed until the day of the competition, is declared the winner.

Trine's team placed 18th out of 51 teams in the highly competitive international competition. The team's car, powered by zinc and copper chloride electrochemical batteries and stopped by a light sensor blocking "sulfur clock" reaction, stopped just 3.2 meters from the goal distance of 26.6 meters.

Team members included Natalie Crowner (senior, captain), of Saline, Michigan, Madison Ruen (senior) of Antwerp, Ohio, Dean Campbell (senior) of Batesville, Indiana, Noah Glassman (junior) of Greenwood, Indiana, and Ethan Davis (sophomore) of Fairborn, Ohio.

"It can be quite intimidating to compete against teams from prestigious U.S. schools and teams that represent entire countries, and it feels amazing to stack up in the top half of that field," noted Crowner.

Crowner Wins Awards at STEM Symposium

Natalie Crowner, a chemical engineering major from Saline, Michigan, earned Honorable Mention, REU, for "Forming Adsorptive Microparticles to Enable Continuous Solute Removal Processes."

Trine University students have been honored for projects presented at the university's eighth annual STEM Research and Design Symposium, held Thursday, Dec. 5, on the concourse of the MTI Center.

Crowner was honored twice.

Honorable Mention, REU: Natalie Crowner, a chemical engineering major from Saline, Michigan, "Forming Adsorptive Microparticles to Enable Continuous Solute Removal Processes."

Best Trine Undergraduate Research in Chemical Engineering: Chemical engineering majors Natalie Crowner of Saline, Michigan, and Dean Campbell of Batesville, Indiana, "Abrasion Resistant Coating for Fiber Optic Cables."

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