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CBE News and Events

Jonathan Dordick, Ph.D., Vice President for Strategic Alliances and Translation and Institute Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), has recently received two prestigious honors.
Heparin, the world’s most widely used blood thinner, is used during procedures ranging from kidney dialysis to open heart surgery. Currently, heparin is derived from pig intestines, but scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered how to make it in the lab. They have also developed a path to a biomanufacturing process that could potentially revolutionize how the world gets its supply of this crucial medicine. 
Steve Eshiemogie, a doctoral student studying chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been recognized as an honorable mention in the annual Cell Press Rising Black Scientists Awards for his essay “From village to lab: An African scientist’s quest for a sustainable future.” [MS1] More than 350 students across a range of scientific disciplines applied. 
For the first time, researchers have used bacteria to “upcycle” waste polyethylene

The June Wispelwey Bio Leadership Fellowship award is in honor of June Wispelwey’s outstanding leadership as the founding Executive Director of the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) and previous work and legacy as the outgoing Executive Director and CEO of AIChE. Professor Koffas was selected as the first recipient for his fellowship project, "Development of animal-free biomanufacturing of animal natural products for biomedical applications." He was presented the award on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at the 2023 annual AIChE meeting in Orlando, Florida. 

Institute News

On July 18, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and NORDTECH will host a day-long Workforce Development Summit on the RPI campus that will bring together government, industry, nonprofits, and academic partners to address education and workforce development in chips and semiconductors critical to the prosperity and security of the nation. 
On July 18, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and NORDTECH will host a day-long Workforce Development Summit on the RPI campus that will bring together government, industry, nonprofits, and academic partners to address education and workforce development in chips and semiconductors critical to the prosperity and security of the nation. 
From lane-keep assistance to blind spot detection, today’s cars come equipped with autonomous driving features that make driving easier and safer. Rene Mai, a doctoral student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, imagines a world in which humans and machines complement each other’s strengths to do more together, a concept known as “symbiotic autonomy.”
Hunter Belanger ’18, ’19G, Ph.D., assistant professor in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering (MANE), is one of four researchers nationwide to receive a Department of Energy Distinguished Early Career Award.The five-year, $625,000 grant will fund Belanger’s research aimed at making nuclear power safer and more efficient, supporting state and national efforts to transition away from carbon-emitting energy sources. 
Rich Radke Rich Radke, Ph.D., professor in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, has won the IEEE Signal Processing Society Regional Distinguished T