Biodiesel fuel research, poster earns award at international competition

Jennifer Lewis, a senior chemical engineering major from East Ridge, Tenn., recently received an award honoring her undergraduate research for using micro chemical technology to make biodiesel fuel.Lewis received the second-place award for a poster she designed for the annual 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers competition.

"The Nashville competition was very intimidating. There were three judges and a lot of experts viewing the posters," Lewis said. "It was nice to be able to talk to other people who knew so much about topics like biodiesel fuel, though."

Using the latest technology, Lewis simulated experiments for producing biodiesel fuels with products such as soybean oil and fatty acids with her academic advisor, UTC Chemical Engineering Professor Dr. Frank Jones.

"Jennifer's poster can be interesting to a lot of people because of the recent talk of a need for production of biodiesel fuels," explained Jones. "Jennifer won second place in a competition involving students from all over the world, and this shines a spotlight on UTC's wonderful, but often forgotten chemical engineering program."

Dr. Jones said Lewis' project is universally applicable due to the growing need for more environmentally-aware alternatives to fossil fuels. He explained how the chemical engineering department is always looking for talented individuals like Lewis to stimulate conversation amongst the scientific and nonscientific communities.