As we reflect on 2024, we're proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our staff and students. Our community has grown even larger since the merge of our departments into the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biological Engineering.
Staff and student success:
- Professor Will Zimmerman: ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholar
- Lucy Farquhar: Staff Award for 'Peer Teaching & Mentoring'
- Melisha (UG student): Presented "Watts Next?" project on Na-Ion battery anode materials at SSRC 2024.
- Dr Alice Pyne: Featured in 'Our People: Inspirational Women'
- Charley Nevin & Qurrotin Arifianti: Best Presentation & Best Poster at Faculty of Engineering Symposium
- Professor Eric Palmiere: Awarded I0M3 Tom Colclough Medal
- Professor Mark Rainforth: Awarded I0M3 Bessemer Gold Medal
- Yash (PhD Student): 2nd Place in IChemE PTSIG Early Career Researcher Award
- Meihong Wang, Olajide Otitoju, & Eni Oko: Winners of the Nigeria Prize for Science
- Professor Meihong Wang: Elected to European Academy of Sciences
- Chalisa (Undergraduate Student): Nominated for ISPE Emerging Leaders Award
- IChemE Global Awards: 6 Finalists, 2 Winners, 1 Highly Commended
Our research highlights:
- Dr Zoltán Kis - £2m Innovate UK grant to improve RNA vaccine production.
- Prof Rachel Rothman - New initiative to accelerate bio-based and biodegradable packaging development.
- Prof Peter Styring - Collaboration on project to achieve net-zero manufacture of household products.
- Dr Seetharaman Vaidyanathan - Research using algae to produce bio-bitumen for road construction.
- Professor Sheila MacNeil - Discovery of sugar that could cure male pattern baldness.
- Professor Tuck Seng Wong - Co-leading £38m center to develop sustainable alternative proteins.
- Professor Sol Brown - Meta-analysis of Li-ion battery thermal runaway gas emissions.
- Amber Keegan - Research on greener nanomaterials for everyday products (published in The Conversation).
- Dr Zoltán Kis - New vaccine-making process funded to improve global vaccine availability.
- Professor Macleod - Contribution to IChemE Loss Prevention Bulletin on the Bhopal disaster.
- Dr Nicholar Farr & Professor Sheila MacNeil - New evidence reveals further failings of vaginal mesh material.
Education higlights:
- Partnering in four new Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) programs: Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering
- The Centre for Doctoral Training in New and Sustainable Photovoltaics concluded its 10-year term in September 2024.
- Pharmaceutical Engineering Students: Benefit from valuable learning experiences through industry visits.
- NSS Results: Top ranked in the Russell Group.
- Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering: Ranked among Top 5 in National University Guides.
- SURF Program: 10-year anniversary celebrated, founded by Professor Tuck Seng Wong.
International news:
- UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub receives visit from the Foreign Secretary
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the University of Sheffield and Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre in Malaysia.
Partnerships:
- Professor Rachel Smith and Professor Jim Litster - Sheffield joins CMAC’s New EPSRC MediForge Hub
Influencing Policy:
- Professor Rachael Rothman and Professor Joan Cordiner - Towards a green hydrogen roadmap for the UK.
- Professor Joan Cordiner - Reduce demand and recycle critical materials like lithium, say top engineers
- Professor Joan Cordiner - Call to government to develop a cross-sector UK materials strategy
- Dr Tom Franklin and Professor Peter Styring - Carbon & Cash: Financing a circular chemical economy