April 07, 2025
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Trine University’s McKetta Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering had a record-breaking presence at the AIChE North Central Regional Student Conference on March 29, held at Michigan State University.
Twenty Trine students attended, the largest representation from any participating school.
Throughout the conference, students engaged in professional workshops, technical presentations and competitions, showcasing their knowledge, problem-solving skills and research.
Trine students participated in ChemE Car, Jeopardy, and Undergraduate Research Competitions, setting new records in student achievements and reinforcing the department’s commitment to excellence in undergraduate chemical engineering education.
“Trine Chemical Engineering is one of the smaller undergraduate programs out of the 30 or so universities in the Midwest. However, our Trine students’ industriousness and enthusiasm to compete led to collecting numerous awards at the regional conference again this year,” stated Department Chair and Professor Matthew Liberatore, Ph.D.
Jeopardy champion
One of the highlights of the event was Trine’s victory in the ChemE Jeopardy competition. The team, consisting of junior captain Isaac Braun of Portland, Indiana; seniors Natalie Crowner of Saline, Michigan, and Alyssa Keptner of Midland, Michigan; and sophomore AIChE Student Chapter president Caitlyn Glitsch of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, slid through the preliminary rounds to advance to the semifinal round of nine.
After winning their semifinal match, they advanced to the final game.
Braun stated that the unique balance of the team played in their favor.
“One-half of the team was able to beat out the other teams on the buzzer to build a lead on general categories, while the other half provided niche knowledge in order to pick up clues that the other teams didn't know, while also providing valuable insight for the Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy,” he noted.
Facing off against Indiana-based powerhouses Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame, Trine entered the final question with a commanding lead—9,200 points compared to Purdue’s 800 and Notre Dame’s 4,800. Trine was the only team to correctly answer the final question, securing a decisive first-place victory.
“The championship round was wild. Going into Final Jeopardy, we had such a large lead that we only had to bet a small amount to guarantee the win, so when the team in second got the Final Jeopardy question wrong, we already knew we won,” concluded Braun.
The top finish secures the team a chance to compete at the National Conference, held in Boston, Massachusetts, from Oct. 31–Nov. 1.
Research awards
Trine students also excelled in individual research competitions. Keptner earned first place in the Technical Research Paper Competition with her talk, "Media Optimization for Biofuels from Cyclotella Cryptica." Jacob Borden, Ph.D., associate professor, serves as Keptner’s research advisor.
“It was a great conclusion to the culmination of my undergraduate research for the last four years. Seeing my hard work pay off was rewarding, especially when competing on such a high level,” said Keptner, who also noted her surprise and excitement when receiving this award.
Her advice to future students: “The best thing to do is simply get involved, ask a lot of questions, and don't be afraid to fail. The best way to learn is to just try, even if you don't know exactly what you are doing and be okay with making mistakes.”
In the Student Research Poster Competition, senior Lydia Randolph of Jefferson, Ohio, claimed second place for her project, "Anti-microbial Metal Oxides," while senior Taylor Early of Hicksville, Ohio, secured third place with "Quantifying Thermal Degradation in Recycled PC-ABS." Lydia is advised by Dr. Borden, and Taylor is advised by Amanda Malefyt, Ph.D., professor.
This year, Trine achieved record-high participation, with eight students presenting posters.
ChemE Car finishes 9th
Despite struggling with the battery voltage as a result of new reagents, the Chem-E-Car team was still able to inch off the line and finish ninth out of 14 teams. Senior leaders Christopher (Dean) Campbell of Batesville, Indiana, Crowner, and Madison Ruen of Antwerp, Ohio, concluded their run on the team and have passed the torch to new leadership under junior Noah Glassman of Greenwood, Indiana, and sophomores Glitsch and Chloe Laird of Warsaw, Indiana.
Beyond student successes, faculty leadership was also on display. Matthew Liberatore, Ph.D., chair of the McKetta Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, along with Borden, led a professional development workshop titled, "How to Build a Great Student Chapter," equipping students with strategies for goal setting, career advancement and personal development.
The AIChE Regional Student Conference provided Trine students with the opportunity to apply their engineering expertise, network with peers and professionals, and continue building a strong reputation for Trine University within the chemical engineering community. With multiple first-place wins, record student participation, and standout research presentations, Trine’s presence at the 2025 conference was truly one for the books.
Trine University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering presented its annual Outstanding High School Teaching Award to Carrie Orlowski, a mathematics teacher at Triton Jr./Sr. High School, on April 14.
Brooks Miller, who led Trine University to its first NCAA Division III men’s basketball championship, has been named associate head coach at NCAA Division I Central Michigan University.
A Trine University team was the Yokozuna (grand champion) of this year’s National Robotics Challenge.