Student notes

Kimberly-Clark Corporation funds diversity scholarships

Chemical engineering students figure strongly in Kimberly-Clark Corporation's plan to increase the diversity of its workforce. The corporation pledged $462,000 over the next five years to sponsor 15 annual scholarships and fellowships at UW-Madison. Leading off the scholarships is the Kimberly-Clark Scholar Award, a five-year, $6,000 annual grant to an incoming minority freshman in engineering. Freshman Courtney Cobb is the first recipient of the award.

Kimberly Clark also is awarding three $6,000 scholarships to outstanding sophomores in chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering.

A committee of faculty and student leaders also will select six minority and women students for $1,000 annual scholarships in chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering.

Kimberly-Clark and university faculty in chemistry and biochemistry will select a junior or senior in these sciences to receive $6,000 annual research fellowships.

Hilldale recipient to present at AIChE national conference

Hilldale Undergraduate Research Award winner Peter Cielenski's paper "Stabilization and Preservation of Lactobacillus Acidophilus in Saccharide Matrices" won Best of the Regional Conferences in the 2000 AIChE Student Research Paper Competition. Pete will present his work at the National AIChE conference this fall. Working with Professor Juan de Pablo and graduate students Paul Conrad and Dan Miller, Pete examined the use of trehalose-borate systems as protectants for L. acidophilus through freeze drying and vacuum drying.

Science fiction wins 2000 Steuber Prize

Chemical Engineering senior Kostya Khripin won the $5,000 first prize in the college's 2000 Steuber Prize for Excellence in Writing. His story entitled "Cathedral of Marble Strands" explores life and death in a virtual world.

"When I write, I usually start with an image or a feeling and go from there," Kostya says. "`Cathedral of Marble Strands' begins with the image of Richard Stewart on a cliff. I think images and feelings come to me for a reason and so that is where I begin."

The prize is sponsored by William Steuber, a UW-Madison alumnus. The winning papers are available on the contest's website: tc.engr.wisc.edu/steuber.

ChE junior wins NEMA scholarship

Tamra Haese of Valders, Wis. is one of five chemical engineering students across the U.S. to win a $5,000 scholarship from the Insulation Materials Division of NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association.) NEMA plans to award each student an additional $5,000 grant each year until the student graduates.

Tamra is active in the Society of Women Engineers and recently organized a local middle school essay contest about famous females in science. Her leadership in these and other com-munity activities and her outstanding academic record, were factors in earning the award.

NEMA industry manager John Marcario says the association sees the scholarship as an opportunity to educate students about NEMA and gain the recognition of some of the best future chemical engineers.