Courses

The world relies on plastic; from providing safe packaging for food and medicine, to providing consumer products that improve daily life. But the reliance on single-use plastic has resulted in massive accumulation of plastic waste. Furthermore, the production of virgin plastics is responsible for approximately 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. An even larger fraction of carbon dioxide emissions is due to transportation fuels. The consumption of fossil fuels for energy and plastic production results in that carbon entering the atmosphere as CO2 or entering landfills and the environment, resulting in a linear “make-use-discard” economy. How do we reduce our reliance on petroleum for energy and materials? How can the chemical engineering perspective enable a shift from a linear to a circular economy, where plastics are efficiently recycled and fuels are produced sustainably? This course will cover the state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for the chemical and catalytic upcycling of waste plastic, frameworks for renewable energy production, and strategies towards enabling a circular carbon economy. 

From this course, students learn:

• The challenges with plastic recycling and the linear economy

• Strategies for the catalytic depolymerization of waste plastics through thermal, biological, photochemical, and electrochemical processes

• Emerging technologies for the synthesis of sustainable, renewable, and bio-based fuels and petrochemicals

Numerous critical chemical processes used around the globe, ranging from energy and the environment to biology and medicine, rely on kinetics and catalysis to guide chemical reactions. At the molecular scale, manipulation and direction of bond forming and breaking reactions requires an understanding of the underlying principles guiding bond activation. And at the macro scale, the design and implementation of reactors requires insights into kinetics of the bulk process. This graduate-level course covers kinetics and catalysis from the molecular scale to the macro scale, including fundamentals in reaction rate theory to real applications of kinetics and catalysis in research and industry. Learning topics include:

• Kinetics of complex reactions, reactor design, microkinetic modeling

• Mechanisms and applications of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis

• Introduction to computational approaches in kinetics and catalysis

• Applications of kinetics and rate theory in biologically-relevant systems and sustainability

• Skills in science communication and presentation

Previous projects have included the design of a purification process for plastic pyrolysis oil and the modeling, design, and retrofitting of Seattle's historic Gas Works Park.

During the Spring semester of 2017, I served as a graduate student instructor (GSI) for undergraduate chemical engineering thermodynamics with Professor Markita Landry. Duties included creating and grading exams and quizzes, holding office hours and review sessions, developing lesson plans, and teaching two discussion sections per week for undergraduate thermodynamics.

"Julie was an absolutely amazing GSI! She was consistently prepared, offered help outside of her usually scheduled office hours, and genuinely cared about her students. Julie was instrumental to my success in this course." - Anonymous feedback from Course Evaluations

During the Fall semester in 2015 I served as a graduate student instructor (GSI) for chemical engineering senior lab with Dr. Colin Cerretani and Professor  David Graves. I instructed and supervised laboratory experiments for senior-level undergraduates, maintained and improved experimental units and operating procedures, delivered and enforced safety training, and provided technical and analytical support for students. Experiments included distillation, membrane separation, adsorption and reaction, packed and fluidized beds, and centrifugal pumps. In recognition for my excellence in teaching this course, I was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (OGSI) award, presented to the top 9% of GSIs across the university based on teaching evaluations.

"Julie was a great GSI and extremely helpful in the DIST lab. She was very knowledgeable about the apparatus and could quickly identify our sources of error when we were having problems. She also kindly shared her experiences in applying to grad school with us students who are interested in the same path." - Anonymous feedback from Course Evaluations

During the Fall semester in 2014 I served as a  graduate student instructor (GSI) for introduction to chemical engineering , an introductory chemical engineering course for first year undergraduates, with Dr. Marjorie Went. I developed homework problems, exams, and lesson plans and taught two discussion sections (~30 students) each week.  

"Julie is also solid at teaching; she is very enthusiastic about the course and is careful with the way she presents the material. I have no complaints with her as she provided a positive teaching experience." - Anonymous feedback from Course Evaluations

As an undergraduate, I served as a teaching assistant for Fulton Schools of Engineering (FSE) 100, an introductory engineering laboratory class with Dr. Benjamin Mertz. In this role, I guided students through independent projects, implemented safety guidelines, and offered student support for design and construction of alternative energy producing devices.