Chemical Engineering
Solving the semiconductor workforce gap
The race is on to bring back semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. The industry got a huge boost from the federal CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, which invested $52.7 billion in the industry. Oregon followed with its own CHIPS Act in 2023, adding another $240 million. These investments are anticipated to spur rapid growth of the state’s semiconductor industry.
New semiconductor microcredentials enable employee development
For anyone working in the semiconductor industry in Oregon, it is no surprise that a recent report estimated a need for a 24% increase in semiconductor-related credentials. Meeting those needs is a focus for the State of Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, which requested the assessment. It is part of the State’s broader efforts to reinvigorate the semiconductor industry supported by the federal CHIPS and Science Act and Oregon’s CHIPS Act.
Juye Kim
Juye Kim will join Oregon State University’s School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering (CBEE) as an assistant professor in the Fall of 2025. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea in 2014. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea in 2020, where she led research on CO2 electro-reduction and Li-M batteries by controlling the atomic facet surface of nanomaterials.
OSU’s José Naranjo Mendez Awarded Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
José Naranjo Mendez, an undergraduate in chemical engineering, is one of three students at Oregon State University chosen to receive the 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national award established in 1986 in memory of Sen. Barry Goldwater.
Mendez says the scholarship will go toward tuition, so he can work less while in school.
“I’ll enjoy more time with friends, embracing a bigger social life and presence on campus,” he said.
Paul Nash: From HP Polymers Expert to Inspiring Educator and Research Collaborator
Paul Nash, a polymers expert at HP’s Corvallis facility, never expected to become a teacher. Now, he looks forward to every chance he gets to lead classes.
His accidental journey into teaching began when a steadily growing number of his colleagues — particularly design engineers — sought his counsel for selecting polymers to build HP products. At some point, Nash and HP figured it would be more efficient and effective if he shared his knowledge with groups.
Collaboration develops AI to discover new molecules and materials
When chemical engineer Cory Simon and computer scientist Xiaoli Fern first met at a social event at Oregon State University, little did they know that a friendly game of cornhole would lead to a long, fruitful collaboration.
Mining ‘green’ hydrogen and minerals from seawater
The National Science Foundation has selected Oregon State University as one of 16 research institutions to receive Phase 1 grants for the 2023 Convergence Accelerator program’s Track I: Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges, a $11.5 million investment targeting a global need for critical materials in infrastructure, health care, national security, and energy.