Chemical and Materials Engineering

Harlen Wheatley

Apr 4, 2025, 3:11 PM

Born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Harlen Wheatley has spent nearly his entire life in the Bluegrass State. After relocating and spending much of his youth in Florence, Kentucky, Wheatley attended Northern Kentucky University, where he attained his degree in chemistry. He then migrated to full-time work at a chemical company in central Kentucky while completing a chemical engineering degree at the University of Kentucky.

Lisa Ernst

Apr 4, 2025, 3:11 PM

In her 35-year career at Procter & Gamble, Lisa Ernst has served as engineer, director of research and development, and vice president of research and development for oral care, hair care, personal health care and pet care. This year, she is retiring as the senior vice president of Research and Development for Oral Care and the consumer health sector leader of Research and Development.

Xiangming “Jack” Cheng

Apr 4, 2025, 2:42 PM

Xiangming “Jack” Cheng began his career as a researcher but quickly transitioned to an entrepreneur and visionary leader who empowers his employees to push the status quo and drives his company to become a global leader in metal manufacturing and distribution. A first-generation Chinese immigrant who has never forgotten his roots, Cheng is committed to giving back to his community and inspiring the next generation of leaders and achievers.

Howard F. Moore

Apr 4, 2025, 2:42 PM

Howard F. Moore has been involved in petroleum processing and synthetic oils research for Marathon Petroleum Company (MPC) since 1974, when he represented the University of Kentucky in a National Science Foundation-funded partnership between UK and Ashland Oil to develop a coal pyrolysis unit.

Whaley places second in AIChE competition

Apr 1, 2025

Hannah Whaley, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, placed second in the 2025 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) International Congress on Sustainability Science and Engineering (ICOSSE) student presentation competition.

Chawatko, Escobar and Klein, honored as UK 2025 Great Teacher Award winners

Meredith Weber and Steve Shaffer

Mar 5, 2025

Through nominations and testimonials, the UK Alumni Association’s Great Teacher Award honors educators who inspire, challenge and support their students.

DOE funds UK research on critical materials for commercial fusion energy

Lindsay Travis

Mar 4, 2025

The University of Kentucky has been selected to lead a project with $2.3 million in funding over four years from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop next-generation materials critical to commercializing fusion power.

Paterson author on Nature article

Feb 19, 2025

Alexandra "Zan" Paterson, assistant professor with joint appointments in materials engineering and electrical engineering, recently authored, "Improved organic electrochemical transistor stability using solvent degassing and chemical doping," published in Nature Electronics, a monthly online journal from Nature that publishes original research in the field of electronics.

Photo of Jian Shi holding glass container in a lab

UK researchers develop greener, more sustainable ways to recover metals from electronic waste

By Jordan Strickler |

Feb 13, 2025

As electronic waste (e-waste) piles up globally, researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering are spearheading innovative methods to recover valuable metals from discarded devices and industrial waste.

Engineering Quad with Solar Car and Tent.

Fall 2024 Dean's List includes 1,009 engineering students

Feb 11, 2025

Pigman College of Engineering Spring 2025 Dean’s List

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