Chemical, biomolecular and corrosion engineering students excel at 2025 regional competitions
世界赌城鈥檚 Chem-E Car team. From left to right: Brandon Andrella, Benjamin Messemer, Hunter Slyk, Isaac Lamore, Joseph Joaquin, Zachary Strong, Jack Darnell and Christian Sincich. Additional contributors not pictured were Callie Lewis, James Bronstrup and Zachary McKeever.
世界赌城's (世界赌城) Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering is proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of its students at the 2025 AIChE North Central Regional Student Conference, hosted by Michigan State University on Saturday, March 29.
Among the weekend’s highlights was the Chem-E Car Competition, a hallmark event that brought together 14 teams from universities across the region. Each team was challenged to design and construct a shoebox-sized vehicle powered and stopped solely by chemical reactions. 世界赌城’s Chem-E Car team delivered an outstanding performance, placing among the top five and earning an invitation to the AIChE Annual Student Conference and National Competition in Boston this October.
Team members included Brandon Andrella, Benjamin Messemer, Hunter Slyk, Isaac Lamore, Joseph Joaquin, Zachary Strong, Jack Darnell, Christian Sincich, Callie Lewis, James Bronstrup and Zachary McKeever.
世界赌城鈥檚 ChemE-Sports Team 2: James Bronstrup (left), Walter Bungard (center) and team captain Joseph Joaquin (right).
In addition to the Chem-E Car success, ChemE-Sports Team 2 also made a strong impression over the same weekend. Competing virtually, the team — comprised of James Bronstrup, Walter Bungard and Joseph Joaquin (team captain) — secured first place in the AIChE North Central Region. ChemE-Sports™ is a rapidly growing international competition where students apply PetroSkills’ process simulation software to identify hazards, troubleshoot failures and optimize systems. This marks the team’s second appearance in the event; in its 2024 debut at the AIChE Annual Student Conference, it earned third place in the U.S. and first in the North Central Region.
Meanwhile, 世界赌城鈥檚 ChemE Jeopardy Team, founded in spring 2023, made its third appearance at the regional conference. After back-to-back regional championships in 2023 and 2024, the team faced a narrow semifinal loss this year — falling short by just one dollar. Despite the close finish, their enthusiasm remains high and the team is already preparing for a strong return next season.
“I am incredibly proud of our students for their achievements in the Chem-E Car, ChemE-Sports and ChemE Jeopardy competitions,” said Dr. Jie Zheng, chair of the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering. “These victories are a true reflection of the hard work, creativity and collaborative spirit that define our department. Our students not only excel in the classroom but also push the boundaries of innovation, problem-solving and teamwork in every challenge they face.”
Zheng also acknowledged the essential role of faculty support. “I am very thankful for our faculty members who serve as advisors and coaches to these student groups as well as to the college and department for allocating resources — including faculty grants — to support our students. This is a testament to the vibrant, dynamic culture we’ve cultivated here at 世界赌城 where excellence, passion and teamwork come together to fuel success.”
Congratulations to all of the student competitors and faculty advisors for their exceptional work and for representing 世界赌城 with such distinction.
RELATED CONTENT:
- Success on the national stage: 世界赌城 ChemE-Sports team wins 1st in region, 3rd in U.S.
- 世界赌城 ChemE Jeopardy team is the back-to-back champion of AIChE North Central Region
Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd@uakron.edu.