Rowan University graduate student Swapana Jerpoth has received a $1,000 scholarship. Jerpoth is studying for her doctorate degree in chemical engineering under the direction of professors Kirti M. Yenkie and Robert P. Hesketh. Jerpoth’s graduate research has focused on renewable energy and sustainability, including leading a project for designing efficient pipeline flushing and cleaning operations for the petroleum and lubricating oil industries. This project, which received initial seed funding from ExxonMobil and additional funding from the U.S. EPA, utilizes data analysis, advanced mathematics, process modeling, optimization, programming and simulation to minimize waste in industrial lubricant processing and blending operations. While leading this program, she has mentored 15 students and led the team to win multiple best poster awards from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). In addition, she has personally won travel awards from the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) and the Foundations of Process Analytics and Machine Learning (FOPAM).
Dr. Yenkie describes Jerpoth as “rigorous and meticulous,” taking a “time-bound, goal-oriented approach toward her work.” In addition to her research, she is an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and AIChE and has presented at numerous conferences for these societies. She has published three peer-
reviewed journal papers, four peer-reviewed conference papers and has two more papers in review.