Chemical Engineering

From "cat cracker" to corner office

Hanna Nordwall — Fri, 15 May 2026 20:24:09 +0000

From "cat cracker" to corner office Hanna Nordwall Fri, 05/15/2026 - 14:24

Caitlin Rockett

Nancy Thonen paired engineering expertise with business skills — an approach reflected in our new IBE program

By the time Nancy Thonen (ChemEngr’88) became the first female refinery manager of the Suncor plant in Commerce City, Colorado, she was used to being the only woman in the room.

“A boss once asked if it bothered me,” Thonen recalls. “I told him, ‘That’s all I know.’ There just weren’t many of us, so it became normal.”

Thonen first noticed the imbalance as an undergraduate at ��ñ�� in the mid-1980s, estimating women made up about 10% of her chemical engineering class. Engineering “felt like the natural path” after growing up with a civil engineer father, but it was a pair of teachers — one in high school and one at CU — who convinced her to pursue chemical engineering.

“I had this incredible high school teacher who made chemistry fun and exciting,” she said, noting this teacher also taught STEM educator and TV host Steve Spangler. At CU, now-emeritus professor William Krantz taught her “how to use distillation in real life, working in the industry. That resonated with me because I wasn’t interested in graduate school — at least not in engineering.”

“The hardest climbs lead to the best views.”

Breaking into the field

Thonen spent nearly two decades in the oil and gas industry before returning to school for an Executive MBA at the University of Denver. During those years, she worked “upstream” managing oil-producing fields and then “downstream,” becoming the first woman at Amoco assigned to a fluid catalytic cracking unit — a “cat cracker” that converts heavy hydrocarbons into gasoline and diesel. She later managed the Suncor refinery in Commerce City.

“I was the first female refinery manager at that facility, and it was the hardest job I’ve ever had,” she said. “There’s constant pressure to control costs and stay profitable, but safety is always the foundation. I never wanted to face a family after a serious injury, and I’m proud I never had a fatality on my watch.”

Discovering the business side

Talking daily with operators, mechanics and staff across the refinery sparked her interest in the business side of engineering. She moved into a business development role that offered the flexibility to earn an EMBA while working full time.

“My MBA opened my eyes to different ways of doing things — not just the engineering logic approach,” Thonen says. “It helped me better understand what colleagues were trying to tell me.”

Soon, ��ñ�� students with similar interests will be able to pursue the Bachelor of Science in integrated business and engineering (IBE), which blends technical training with business fundamentals.

“We’ve listened when employers tell us they need engineers who pair strong technical skills with real business insight,” said Kurt Maute, associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. “The integrated business and engineering degree gives students a competitive edge, combining rigorous mathematical and engineering training with an understanding of business processes and strategies.”

Closing the gap

Thonen retired in 2021 after more than three decades in the industry. While men still outnumber women in engineering, CU Engineering is closing the gap — the fall 2025 first-year class was nearly 31% women, up 17 percentage points from two decades ago.

“I always tell women: if you’re accepted into the engineering program, you belong there,” Thonen said. “Don’t ever doubt that. The hardest climbs lead to the best views.”

Nancy Thonen paired engineering expertise with business skills — an approach reflected in our new IBE program

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A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks

Susan Glairon — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:05:27 +0000

A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks Susan Glairon Mon, 04/06/2026 - 16:05

A ��ñ��-led team has developed a suite of new therapies aimed at reversing osteoarthritis in a single injection. With animal studies showing promise and funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health extended, the team could be ready for human trials by 2028.

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Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award

Susan Glairon — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:48:45 +0000

Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award Susan Glairon Tue, 03/31/2026 - 14:48

Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth has received the Biomaterials Global Impact Award, which recognizes distinguished research and development accomplishments in the field of biomaterials. Anseth is known for developing tissue substitutes that improve treatments for conditions like broken bones and heart valve disease.

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Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past?

Susan Glairon — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:46:21 +0000

Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past? Susan Glairon Tue, 03/24/2026 - 08:46

��ñ�� researchers and partners at MIT, Harvard and Columbia are working to recreate the human liver’s complex structure in the lab. With support from a $25 million ARPA-H grant, the team aims to develop 3D-printed, transplantable liver tissue made from human cells that the body won’t reject.

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Scientists develop hydrogel platform that mimics human tissue

Susan Glairon — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:49:46 +0000

Scientists develop hydrogel platform that mimics human tissue Susan Glairon Fri, 03/13/2026 - 08:49

Susan Glairon

A new light-controlled hydrogel developed at ��ñ�� mimics the movement and flexibility of real tissue, giving scientists a more realistic way to study cells and disease.

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PhD student Erin Dunphy honored with Ludo Frevel Scholarship

Susan Glairon — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:13:48 +0000

PhD student Erin Dunphy honored with Ludo Frevel Scholarship Susan Glairon Fri, 02/13/2026 - 08:13

Susan Glairon

Dunphy's research involves studying interactions at the atomic level to design more efficient catalysts for polymer upcycling, an innovative approach for converting plastic wastes into valuable products, such as jet fuels.

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Alumnus establishes scholarship for students involved with ‘oSTEM’

Susan Glairon — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:17:04 +0000

Alumnus establishes scholarship for students involved with ‘oSTEM’ Susan Glairon Fri, 02/06/2026 - 09:17

Susan Glairon

From right, Thad Sauvain with his husband, Carl, in front of the Bernese Alps near Murren, Switzerland, in May 2025.

Thad Sauvain (ChemEngr’91) grew up in Colorado Springs in the 1980s, when the climate was largely anti-LGBTQ+ and conservative ministries such as Focus on the Family, headquartered just a few miles from his home, were actively opposing anti-discrimination policies.

Sauvain is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but during that period, he mostly kept that part of himself hidden.

“It was my transition to ��ñ�� to get a BS in chemical engineering that allowed both parts of me—as an engineer and as a gay individual—to grow and thrive,” he said.

Sauvain recently established a legacy endowment in his estate plan to fund undergraduate scholarships for ��ñ�� chemical and mechanical engineering majors, with preference given to students who demonstrate a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community through involvement in Out in STEM (oSTEM) or similar college programs.

Each year the endowment supports one student for four years of their college education.

“There’s a need to support students whose college funding may depend on families who are not accepting and who may be forced to choose between that funding and living authentically,” Sauvain said. “I want to support engineering students who struggle to thrive as LGBTQ+ individuals. I hope the endowment enables them to be their true selves while contributing to society as successful engineers.”

Thriving at CU

Sauvain studied chemical engineering at ��ñ�� and was later recruited to join Chevron as a process engineer. He recently retired following a 33-year career with the company and is a member of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Advisory Board.

“My engineering degree prepared me for my career and helped me build the connections that launched it,” he said.

Three years after starting his role at Chevron, Sauvain became involved in the company’s campus recruiting for engineers, a role that eventually grew into his work as a liaison for Chevron’s gifts, donations and funding.

In the early 2000s, he helped establish a Chevron scholarship for those involved in ��ñ��’s LGBTQ+ community, similar to scholarships for other diversity organizations in place at the time, during “a time when it was not the norm.”

Thad Sauvain shortly after graduating from ��ñ�� and
starting his career with Chevron in 1991.

“Some responded negatively to this new scholarship,” he said. “But Chevron’s senior management remained steadfast in its support of the new scholarship as it aligned with the company’s values and The Chevron Way.

“Every time I tell people that I went to ��ñ��, I feel a deep sense of pride,” he added. “Even back in the 1980s, it was a shining beacon of acceptance. I've seen that grow and broaden over the years, and I am very proud to be part of the CU community and a graduate of ��ñ��'s College of Engineering.”

Looking ahead

Sauvain recently met with oSTEM students to talk about the climate for today’s LGBTQ+ community and its historical context.

“I told them that in 1998 when Matthew Shepard was killed, you could not be out and visible, gay, transgender, anything. And though it seems like we're taking several steps backwards now, it has gotten better since then, and long term, I fully believe that it will again get better.”

Sauvain emphasized the College of Engineering’s strong support for the LGBTQ community, noting that he has seen this commitment firsthand through his work with Chevron, his service on the Engineering Advisory Board, and now through the creation of this endowment.

“Being part of the LGBTQ+ community is only one aspect of my being, just as my training as a chemical engineer is another,” he said. “Both have enriched my life in ways I never expected. My chemical engineering degree from CU enabled me to build a successful 35-year career in an industry not necessarily known for being accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, during which I came out to everyone in my life. I attribute my college years at CU with giving me the confidence to become my true self, both as an LGBTQ individual and as a chemical engineer, and I hope that this endowment will help others following a similar path.”

To learn more about adding the CU Foundation to your estate planning, contact the ��ñ�� Advancement Team.

Thad Sauvain (ChemEngr’91) credits his own time at ��ñ��, where he earned a BS in chemical engineering, with helping him thrive both as an engineer and as a LGBTQ+ individual.

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Heath Briggs (ChemEngr'97)

miwi9607 — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:37:00 +0000

Heath Briggs (ChemEngr'97) miwi9607 Mon, 02/02/2026 - 11:37

Heath Briggs, 2026 Alumni Engagement Medal Recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2026 Alumni Engagement Medal Recipient

Chemical and Biological Engineering Recipient

Heath Briggs, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Patents and Innovation Strategies Group, is a chemical engineer, a registered patent attorney and has more than 19 years of patent prosecution experience and 10 years of AIA trial experience. Heath has represented several entities in connection with over 120 inter partes review proceedings, including representing companies such as Samsung, Limelight Networks, B. Braun, Kia Motors, Schlumberger and SK Hynix. Briggs’s AIA experience spans a wide variety of technologies, with significant experience in proceedings involving patents to LEDs, computer software & telecommunications, medical devices, complex material systems and chemical processing. Since 2020, Patexia has ranked Briggs as one of the most active IPR attorneys in the country (Top 100). In 2019, Patexia ranked him 29th out of the Top 100 Best Performing IPR/AIA Trial Attorneys (representing petitioners or patent owners).

Outside of the new post-grant review processes, Briggs has worked on nearly 20 U.S. patent reexaminations (both inter partes and ex parte) and more than 50 European opposition proceedings for his clients.

Since 2005, Briggs has served as an adjunct professor at ��ñ��, where he teaches engineering students a self-designed course on intellectual property law. He was also selected by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers to provide online IP training for its chemical engineering members. Briggs is involved in the community, where his passion is to educate aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs about intellectual property.

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Kevin D. Seibert (ChemEngr'90)

miwi9607 — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:39:14 +0000

Kevin D. Seibert (ChemEngr'90) miwi9607 Mon, 02/02/2026 - 10:39

Kevin Seibert, 2026 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award Recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards

2026 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Kevin Seibert is a technical VP with Eli Lilly and Co. and holds a BS in chemical engineering from the ��ñ��, as well as MS and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan. He has over 30 years’ experience working in small and medium molecule syntheses for both Merck and Eli Lilly. Seibert has been responsible for the process development and optimization of many early and late-phase products and led the technology transfer, validation and launch of several marketed compounds.

Seibert has also led initiatives for developing enhanced regulatory filings in support of the ICH QbD efforts, driving efficiency and consistency in marketed compound regulatory filings worldwide. Most recently, Seibert led the chemistry and engineering teams responsible for the process development and commercialization of Eli Lilly’s Zepbound/Mounjaro. Seibert led the expert teams with the conception and implementation of a strategy for synthesizing synthetic peptides using a novel manufacturing platform employing both continuous manufacturing and real-time release approaches. This novel manufacturing platform has led to significant improvements in manufacturing efficiency, environmental impact and end product quality, with broad applicability to Lilly’s growing synthetic peptide portfolio.

Seibert is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, where he has served as chair of the PD2M forum, driving the application of chemical engineering principles to discovery, development and manufacturing within the pharmaceutical industry. Seibert served as chair of the Drug Substance Leadership Group for the IQ Consortium, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Emerging Technologies Consortium.

Seibert is passionate about mentoring, teaching and providing opportunities for scientists to thrive, and is author/co-author of more than 80 technical publications, book chapters and presentations. He holds three patents on various pharmaceutical processes.

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Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in ��ñ�� history

Susan Glairon — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:38:06 +0000

Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in ��ñ�� history Susan Glairon Fri, 01/30/2026 - 10:38

Chemical and biological engineering senior Arianna McCarty has earned the prestigious Churchill Scholarship, becoming just the fourth student in university history to receive the honor. The award will support a year of master’s study at the University of Cambridge, recognizing her exceptional research achievements and academic excellence.

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Chemical Engineering

From "cat cracker" to corner office

Breaking into the field

Discovering the business side

Closing the gap

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A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks

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Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award

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Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past?

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Scientists develop hydrogel platform that mimics human tissue

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PhD student Erin Dunphy honored with Ludo Frevel Scholarship

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Alumnus establishes scholarship for students involved with ‘oSTEM’

Thriving at CU

Looking ahead

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Heath Briggs (ChemEngr'97)

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Kevin D. Seibert (ChemEngr'90)

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Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in ��ñ���� history

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Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in ��ñ�� history