DPE - News - Student Successes

Fall 2006

The following students placed in the poster competition that was held in conjunction with the Department of Polymer Engineering Alumni Day and Sponsor’s Day in October:
- Ms. Elif Alyamac - First Place and $400 for her poster “Self-Stratifying Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Coatings.” Elif is a doctoral student, studying with Dr. Mark Soucek.
- Mr. Tsui-Hsun Lin - Second Place and $200 for his poster “Birefringence, Anisotropic Shrinkage and Luminance in Light Guide Plates: Modeling and Experiment.” Tsui-Hsun is a doctoral student, studying with Dr. Avraam Isayev.
- Dr. Wenyi Huang (Ph.D. 2006) - Third Place and $100 for his poster “Supramolecular Structures and Clay Nanocomposites Based on Functional and Heterocyclic Liquid Crystalline Polymers.” Dr. Huang was a doctoral student of Dr. C. D. Han’s and received his Ph.D. in December.

Spring 2006

Dr. Johanna Baena (Ph.D. 2006) and Dr. Zehra Kalkan (Ph.D. 2006) were each recognized as an Outstanding Woman by The University of Akron Association of Women in Higher Education. Dr. Kalkan studied with Dr. Lloyd Goettler and received her doctorate in August. Dr. Baena studied with Dr. Kyonsuku Min and received her doctorate in December.
Kaan Gunes, who is completing his second year of doctoral study with Dr. Avraam Isayev, received the Most Outstanding Officer "LIFE" (Legacy, Integrity, Fellowship, and Excellence) Leadership Award on April 13, 2006, for recognition of his work as President of the Polymer Engineering Student Organization in 2005-06. The award is presented to the officer of a registered UA student organization who demonstrates outstanding leadership and accomplishment. Kaan was recognized for his dedication to PESO and his contribution to improving career, academic, and social life for students in the Department of Polymer Engineering.

Sedat Gunes, who is completing his second year of doctoral study with Dr. Sadhan Jana, won the 2006-07 PerkinElmer Award from the Composites Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers with his proposed research, "Analysis of the Effects of Nanoparticulate Fillers and the Processing Conditions on Shape Memory Properties of Polyurethane Nanocomposites." Sedat will receive his award during SPE's ANTEC conference, May 7-11, 2006, in Charolotte, NC. The PerkinElmer Award offers a cash prize and provides all conference travel expenses.

Fall 2005

Ms. Erika Pedraza and Mr. Ahmet Nebioglu, both doctoral students studying with Dr. Mark Soucek, attended the 27th Biennial Western Coatings Symposium that took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 6th-9th. Erika won first place in the poster competition with "Enhanced Crosslinked Structures from Latex Blends." Ahmet won Honorable Mention in the John A. Gordon Best Paper competition with "Investigation of the Properties of UV-Curing Acrylate-Terminated Unsaturated Polyester Coatings by Utilizing an Experimental Design Methodology." Congratulations!