Swapana Jerpoth, chemical engineering PhD student, wins the 2023 Society of Tribologists and Lubication Engineers Scholarship Award

Swapana Jerpoth, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Rowan University under the guidance of Professors Kirti M. Yenkie and Robert P. Hesketh, has been honored with the 2023 scholarship award from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE)-Philadelphia section.

Jerpoth's research in her graduate studies has focused on renewable energy and sustainability. She led a project focused on Designing Efficient Manufacturing and Packaging Operations for Multiproduct Petroleum Pipelines. This project, initially supported by seed funding from an industrial partner and additional funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), employs a comprehensive approach utilizing data analysis, experimental characterization, advanced mathematics, process modeling, optimization, programming, and simulation. Its goal is to minimize product downgrade in the manufacturing and packaging operations of multiproduct petroleum plants. While heading this initiative, Jerpoth has not only mentored 15 students but also guided the team to multiple best poster awards from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Additionally, her efforts have been recognized with travel awards from the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) and the NSF-supported Foundations of Process Analytics & Machine Learning (FOPAM) Conference.

Beyond her research, Jerpoth is an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and AIChE, presenting at various conferences for these societies. She has contributed significantly to academic publications, boasting three peer-reviewed journal papers, four peer-reviewed conference papers, and two more papers currently under review.

Congratulations on this achievement!