The following positions are available within the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University to all current ChBE undergraduate students. Subject to ChBE Chair approval.
Lehigh University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Summer
Professors Rangarajan and Baltrusaitis are looking for an undergraduate student for the summer to work on modeling the gas/surface reactions for a catalytic system that converts alkanes to olefins. This project will be computational and will cover concepts learned in a variety of ChE courses, viz., fluid mechanics/transport phenomena, heat transfer, reaction engineering, and numerical methods. This work will be in collaboration with a group at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). The position comes with financial support for the summer. There is the option to convert this project into a senior thesis.
To inquire, contact Professor Baltrusaitis
Spring
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is looking for 1-2 students interested in setting up, designing, and running experiments in support of the department's teaching laboratories.
Green Electrocatalytic Upgrading of Bio-Derived Feedstocks: The McIntosh and Snyder labs are looking for motivated undergraduate students (up to two) to work on a novel approach to electrocatalysis . The goal is to use renewable energy to upgrade plant-derived molecules into useful chemicals that can, for example, be used as replacements for fossil fuel derived plastics.
To inquire: contact Professor McIntosh
This project aims to create a lab-on-a-chip system for DNA manipulation using open source software and hardware. The system, called ”Purple Drop,” will sequence the movement, heating, and cooling of droplets containing DNA for precise control and information processing. The project will impact the field of computing and contribute to communities in biomolecular engineering, automation, computer arithmetic, and hardware integration. Students in chemical engineering, computer science, biology, or bioengineering majors are encouraged to apply. Background and interest in integrating hardware and software (python, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.) with biological systems (synthetic DNA, liquid drop movement, etc.) is a plus. Students to work under the advisement of Professor Kothare and Dr. Mark Arnold.
To inquire: contact Professor Kothare
Rangarajan group is looking for one or two students interested in computational research into problems in modeling catalytic reaction systems. The projects are expected to be more than one semester long; the expectation is that the student will start in spring, work over the summer (which will be funded through REU grants), and seriously consider continuing in their senior year (as an undergrad thesis) to maximize the chance for a publication. There are two types of projects on offer: (1) reaction/reactor modeling of gas phase conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons (this will initially start with working alongside a senior undergrad and in collaboration with NREL, a national lab in Colorado); (2) Computational analysis of chemistries involved in hydrogen carriers for storing and transporting variable renewable energy. Interest in programming is necessary for both projects (CHE 201 provides the required computing background).
To inquire: contact Professor Rangarajan
The Gartner Group is looking for an undergraduate researcher to study environmentally-friendly materials for bioelectronic devices. Typical wearable bioelectronics, for example wearable temperature or sweat sensors, rely on silicon-based polymers that act as a substrate material between the skin and the metal conductors in the device. We want to use computational modeling techniques to evaluate alternative substrate materials that might be "greener" than the current state of the art, and could be made from renewable sources and/or introduce biodegradable function to the device. We will use molecular modeling techniques to study how these alternate materials behave in a typical operating environment. Students will gain expertise in Python, high-performance computing, materials modeling, and polymer science & engineering.
To inquire, please contact Professor Gartner
Professor Gartner is seeking an undergraduate teaching assistant for CHE 210 (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics) in Spring 2024. The TA will review the course content, hold weekly office hours, and assist in grading and other tasks throughout the semester.
To inquire, please contact Professor Gartner
General duties include but are not limited to designing and editing marketing materials, photography, videography, social media outreach, event preparations, special projects for department events and other duties as assigned. Photoshop, videography, and social media skills preferred. ~5-6 hours per week. Student(s) will work directly with Department Coordinator.