2021 News Archive

The Geise Research Group is pleased to welcome Dr. Jung Min (Luca) Kim (Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, 2021) as a postdoctoral scholar. Dr. Kim will be studying selective ion transport in polysulfone-based charged polymers.

Geise Research Group alum Dr. Kevin Chang published Local Water Transport in Rubbery versus Glassy Separation Membranes and Analogous Solutions in Macromolecules along with colleagues at Virginia Tech. The paper describes local molecular motions to explain why glassy polymers often offer greater selectivity compared to rubbery polymers.

The Geise Research Group is excited to welcome its newest member, Charlie Leroux! Charlie is a Chemical Engineering B.S. graduate from Lafayette College and will be co-advised by Prof. Gary Koenig. Welcome to the group, Charlie!

Graduate research assistant Patrick McCormack (along with co-advisor Prof. Gary Koenig) published Thermodynamic interactions as a descriptor of cross-over in nonaqueous redox flow battery membranes in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. This paper reports the use of regular solution theory to describe thermodynamic interactions that influence membrane cross-over of organic redox active molecules in non-aqueous redox flow batteries.

Prof. Geise was recently appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Membrane Science Letters.

Congratulations to Dr. Saringi Agata for successfully defending her Ph.D. dissertation titled Layer-by-Layer Synthesis of Polyamide Thin Film Composite Membranes for Desalination Applications! Dr. Agata will begin a full-time position as a Research Analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in the coming weeks.

The Geise Research Group is excited to welcome its newest member, Anna Harris.
Anna is an A. James Clark Scholar majoring in chemical engineering at UVA. Welcome to the group Anna!

Saringi Agata's research to investigate the use of poly(vinyl alcohol) as a primer layer to enable layer-by-layer sequential deposition of polyamide membranes on microporous supports was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science! The work also included contributions from Joe Thompson and the UVA Nanomaterials Characterization Facility.

UVA celebrated the Classes of 2020 & 2021 during recent ceremonies on two beautiful days in Charlottesville. Congratulations to our recent Geise group alumni!
UVA Class of 2021: Dr. Kevin Chang (pictured left with Prof. Geise) and Dr. Hongxi Luo
UVA Class of 2020: Dr. Yuan Ji and Mr. Kevin Bahati

Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Chang on winning the 2021 Elmer L. Gaden Excellence in Doctoral Study Award ! This award was established by the publishing firm of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to recognize the late UVA ChE professor, Elmer L. Gaden, Jr., upon his retirement as Editor of the journal Biotechnology & Bioengineering. The award criterion stipulates excellence in research, particularly in independent planning and accomplishment, and in service as a graduate teaching assistant. Well done Dr. Chang!

Kevin Chang's research to investigate the influence of adding methoxy groups to sulfonated polysulfone on desalination properties was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Membrane Science! The work also included contributions from graduate students Hongxi Luo, Saringi Agata, Sean Bannon, and Sin Lin (USOAR-supported undergraduate researcher).

Congratulations to Dr. Hongxi Luo for successfully defending his Ph.D. dissertation titled Understanding the Structure-Property Relationships in Selective Membranes for Desalination and Ion Separation!

Prof. Geise was recently appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal Polymer.

Prof. Geise was selected to receive the 2021 Robert A. Moore, Jr. Award in Chemical Engineering. This UVA ChE Department award was established in 2007 by Bob Moore (Halsey Professor, 1997) to recognize a UVA chemical engineering faculty member whose teaching, research, and outreach activities during the previous twelve-month period best represent the interests of industry and best prepare students for industrial careers.

Prof. Geise wrote an invited perspective article highlighting recent research about Nanoscale control of internal inhomogeneity enhances water transport in desalination membranes.

Prof. Geise's perspective article can be accessed
in full-text or as a PDF.