Spring 2026 Recognition Ceremony

Congratulations to the Chemical and Biological Engineering Class of 2026!

Table of Contents

  Ceremony

  Awards and Honors 

  PhD Candidates

  Master's Candidates

  Bachelor's Graduates

• Chemical and Biological Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Ceremony

Saturday, May 2, 2026 | 12 - 3 p.m. MDT Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building

Processional

Candidates & Faculty

Opening Remarks

Ryan Hayward, Chair, James and Catherine Patten Endowed Professor

Graduate Student Speaker

Ritu Raj, PhD in Chemical Engineering
Max S. Peters, Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Graduate Student Award Winners

Presentations

Doctor of Philosophy Candidates | Chemical Engineering 
Doctor of Philosophy Candidates | Biological Engineering 
Master of Science Candidates | Chemical Engineering

Undergraduate Student Speakers

Arianna McCarty, BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering 
Outstanding Undergraduate of the College, Academic Engagement Award, Research Award 
College of Engineering and Applied Science

Jess Connell, BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering 
Academic Engagement Award, Culture Impact Award, Research Award 
College of Engineering and Applied Science

Undergraduate Award Winners 

Presentations 

Bachelor of Science Candidates | Chemical Engineering 
Bachelor of Science Candidates | Chemical and Biological Engineering

Closing Remarks

Ryan Hayward, Chair, James and Catherine Patten Endowed Professor

Reception

Please join us to continue celebrating our graduates. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Awards & Honors 

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering 

Graduate Honorees
 

American Institute of Chemists Graduate Student Award 

Benjamin Nelson 

Ramirez Graduate Student Award 

Paula Pranda 

Max S. Peters Outstanding Graduate Student Award 

Ritu Raj 

Recognition of Graduate Students’ Service to the Department — Teaching and Mentorship 

Emma Aldrich 
Alysse DeFoe 
Katie Trese 

Recognition of Graduate Students’ Service to the Department — Volunteering and Professional Development

Hannah Padgette 
Emma Hollis 
Lauren Sullivan

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering 
Undergraduate Honorees 
 

Outstanding Senior Award (CHEN) 

Katie Seymour 

Marilyn and Howard L. Anseth Outstanding Undergraduate Research Assistant Award (CHEN) 

Will Paulson 

Outstanding Course Assistant (CHEN)

Andrew Hickman 

Outstanding Senior Award (CBEN) 

Caitlin Rogers 

Marilyn and Howard L. Anseth Outstanding Undergraduate Research Assistant Award (CBEN)

Joshua Lee 

Outstanding Course Assistant (CBEN) 

Avi Flores 

Alan D. Randolph Award for Outstanding Student from the Western Slope 

Alyssa Smith 

Clough-Weimer  Most Improved Student Award 

Harrison O’Brien 

ChBE T-Shirt Design Contest Winner 

William Weise 

Distinguished Peer Mentor Award 

Avi Flores 
Abe Wiletsky 

Outstanding Alumni Mentor Award

Ben Rains

College of Engineering and Applied Science 
Undergraduate Honorees 
 

Outstanding Undergraduate of the College 

Arianna McCarty 

Academic Engagement Award 

Jess Connell 
Arianna McCarty 
Caitlin Rogers 
Abe Wiletsky 

Perseverance Award 

Avery Holdren 
Rebecca Rhodes 

Culture Impact Award 

Jess Connell

Community Impact Award 

Ari Quezada Caro 
Alyssa Smith 

Research Award 

Sarah Aye 
Jamison Barcelona 
Jess Connell 
Arianna McCarty 
Ari Quezada Caro 
Elizabeth Reichert 
Katie Seymour 
Ashi Sood

Chemical Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy Candidates

Dami Akinneye 
Advisor: Will Medlin 

Aime Chang 
Advisor: Kristi Anseth 

Travis Dong 
Advisors: Kayla Sprenger, Michael Toney 

Greg Donovan 
Advisors: Jerome Fox, Kayla Sprenger 

Erin Dunphy 
Advisors: Will Medlin, Michael Toney 

Arkava Ganguly 
Advisor: Ankur Gupta 

Dalton Miles 
Advisors: Stephanie Bryant, Sarah Calve 

Ashutosh Mishra 
Advisor: Will Medlin 

Ben Nelson 
Advisors: Christopher Bowman, Kristi Anseth 

Trisha Nickerson 
Advisors: Michael Toney, Anthony Straub

Brandon Oliphant 
Advisor: Will Medlin 

Paula Pranda 
Advisors: Timothy White, Ryan Hayward 

Ritu Raj 
Advisors: Ankur Gupta, Wyatt Shields 

Nathanael Ramos 
Advisors: Adam Holewinski, Will Medlin 

Collin Sindt 
Advisors: Michael Toney, Seth Marder 

Hannah Weppner 
Advisor: Laurel Hind 

Ian Wyllie 
Advisor: Daniel Schwartz 

Yiqi Xu 
Advisors: Adam Holewinski, Will Medlin 

Suxuen Yew 
Advisor: Charles Musgrave
 

Biological Engineering 
Doctor of Philosophy Candidates

Emma Aldrich 
Advisor: Kayla Sprenger 

Hannah Athol 
Advisors: Jerome Fox, Kayla Sprenger 

Taylor Ausec 
Advisors: Wyatt Shields, Andrew Goodwin 

Bryce Bower 
Advisor: Jennifer Cha 

Rachel Chayer 
Advisors: Timothy Whitehead, Joel Kaar 

Shane Curry 
Advisor: Jennifer Cha 

Zoë Davis 
Advisor: Timothy Whitehead 

Jon Faris 
Advisor: Kayla Sprenger 

Ella Hushka 
Advisor: Kristi Anseth 

Aitana Ignes-Romeu 
Advisor: Laurel Hind

Matthew Jaeschke 
Advisor: Kristi Anseth 

David Kelaita 
Advisors: Joel Kaar, Daniel Schwartz 

Emma Lietzke 
Advisors: Kayla Sprenger, Kimberley Bruce 

Faith Olulana 
Advisors: Corey Neu, Stephanie Bryant 

Sven Saemundsson 
Advisors: Jennifer Cha, Andrew Goodwin 

Sylvia Sarnik 
Advisors: Joel Kaar, Daniel Schwartz 

Nat Skillin 
Advisors: Timothy White, Kristi Anseth 

Laurel Stefani 
Advisor: Stephanie Bryant 

Sam Swift 
Advisor: Timothy Whitehead

Master's Candidates

Chemical Engineering 
Master of Science Candidates

Katie Centofanti 
Advisors: Cody Ritt, Michael Toney

Ana Costa 
Advisor: Kayla Sprenger 

Cat Cox 
Advisor: Alan Weimer 

Maelia Dziedzic 
Advisors: Daniel Schwartz, Timothy Whitehead 

Alex Favela 
Advisors: Jason Burdick, Ryan Hayward 

Mara Fischer 
Advisors: Will Medlin, Michael Toney 

Lilly Garcia 
Advisor: Will Medlin

Anthony Gullion 
Advisors: Will Medlin, Seth Marder 

Clinton Hegarty 
Advisor: Daniel Schwartz 

Kobi Hobert 
Advisors: Will Medlin, Daniel Schwartz

Taylor Johnson 
Advisor: Alan Weimer 

Beth Kleimenhagen 
Advisors: Ryan Hayward, Wilson Smith 

Caitlyn Komar 
Advisors: Chunmei Ban, Michael Toney 

Joe Laforet 
Advisor: Michael Shirts 

Ashbey Manning 
Advisor: Kristi Anseth 

Hannah Oberg 
Advisor: Adam Holewinski 

Andy Redder 
Advisors: Seth Marder, Todd Deutsch 

Kevin Snow 
Advisors: Daniel Schwartz, Jerome Fox 

Lauren Sullivan 
Advisors: Ryan Hayward, Michael Toney

Bachelor of Science Graduates

Bachelor of Science—Chemical Engineering

Ahmed Al Anjiri
Talal Albash, cum laude 
Molham Alforidi, cum laude 
Emma Andreski 
Natalie Arocha 
Sarah Aye 
Jamison Barcelona 
Will Bierzychudek, summa cum laude 
Jaxon Cione, cum laude 
Paul Cowden 
Clayton Dexter 
Juan Diaz 
Owen Dickinson 
Andrew Hickman 
Ella Johnson 
Kwon Jung 
Michael Maher 
Mckenzie Mazur, summa cum laude 
Colin McElroy 
Arden Morgan 
Isaac Nefs
Harrison O’Brien 
Aidan Olsen 
Ruhi Patel 
Will Paulson, summa cum laude 
Ari Quezada Caro 
Hassan Rabaan 
Max Reiner 
Rebecca Rhodes 
Dillon Roos 
Jacob Roos 
Nallely Saucedo 
Katie Seymour, summa cum laude 
Josh Sherritt, magna cum laude 
Iris Sim 
Alyssa Smith 
William Weise, cum laude 
Ian Wheelock, magna cum laude 
Hunter Wiese 
Aidan Wiser 
Grant Witherow

Bachelor of Science—Chemical and Biological Engineering

Ekin Apaydin 
Kelly Balch 
Jess Connell, summa cum laude 
Itala Conroy Cueva 
Vlad Denisenkov 
Aslan DeWitt, summa cum laude 
Sam Dey 
Bryan Do 
Avi Flores 
Declan Goddard, magna cum laude 
Andrew Hansel 
Sofia Higuera Castaneda 
Avery Holdren 
Himaghna Kuntumalla 
Trieu Lam 
Joshua Lee, magna cum laude 
Nicole Lollini 
Arianna McCarty, summa cum laude, with honors
Dylan Newman 
Devin O’Donnell 
Kira Palau, summa cum laude, with honors 
Elizabeth Perkins, summa cum laude 
Kevin Pritchett 
Elizabeth Reichert 
Caitlin Rogers, summa cum laude, with honors 
Jesus Ruiz 
Isabella Sarralde 
Ashi Sood, summa cum laude 
Luke Stinemetze, cum laude 
Emma Sundberg 
Emma Thomure, magna cum laude 
Elizabeth Urynowicz 
Jenna Watts 
Abe Wiletsky, cum laude