Chemical Engineering students honored at Celebration of Student Excellence
By Peter Murphy
Published May 4, 2023
Five students in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering were honored during the University at Buffalo’s Celebration of Academic Excellence, earlier this semester.
Jordana Mazer, a Presidential Scholar in UB’s Honors College, won the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor for students in the SUNY system. Mazer has worked as an undergraduate researcher on a chemical recycling project and taught elementary school students at a local synagogue during her time at UB. This spring, Mazer graduates with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics.
Aishwarya Kanchi Ranganath, a student pursuing a Master of Engineering degree in chemical engineering, won UB’s Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity Award. This award recognizes a student project from each of the university’s decanal units for its superiority in presentation, content and scope. As a graduate research assistant, Ranganath works in the lab of Priya Banerjee, assistant professor in the Department of Physics. Ranganath primarily focuses on the effects of polypeptide ligands and their sequence modifications. She is also a teaching assistant for multiple chemical engineering courses. Prior to joining UB, Ranganath earned a master’s degree in chemical and biochemical engineering from Rutgers University.
Sydney Swedick, a biomedical engineering student advised by SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, was also honored as a recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious and competitive research scholarship offered to undergraduate STEM students. Swedick plans to pursue a PhD in neuroscience and hopes to conduct research on peripheral nerve injuries and spinal cord injuries using tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
“On behalf of the CBE department, I congratulate these award-winning students on this most recent recognition.," says Mark Swihart, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering We are tremendously proud of all of our students, especially those who go to the extra effort to pursue these prestigious awards, while excelling in and out of the classroom at the high level required to win them.”
Additional nominees from the department are listed below:
Shane Varner, chemical engineering junior, is a nominee for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to sophomores and juniors who have outstanding potential and intend to pursue advanced degrees in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering.
Anish Avasthi and Ruth Bello, both chemical engineering seniors, and Jada Mowatt, a chemical engineering PhD student, are nominees for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based masters or doctoral degrees in mathematical, physical, biological, engineering and behaviors and social sciences.
