Hector Galicia, a graduate student in Auburn University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded one of five Computing and Systems Technology (CAST) student travel grants from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Recipients included students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin, Carnegie-Mellon University and McMaster University. The grants are awarded each year to assist promising graduate students with travel expenses to the organization’s annual meeting.

Galicia was also awarded the CAST Directors’ Student Presentation award for the best presentation of his research. He will be recognized at the 2012 AIChE annual conference later this year. It is the largest conference worldwide for chemical engineers.

"I am very proud of Hector for wining both awards,” said Jin Wang, Galicia’s adviser and Buddy Redd associate professor in chemical engineering. “I am impressed with the fact that the other four winners of this award are from prestigious chemical engineering programs that rank high among peer institutions. Hector was able to compete, and win, against graduate students from the top five universities in chemical engineering. This is a big accomplishment for our department, and it is certainly a well-deserved recognition for Hector and his research”.

Galicia’s research focuses on statistical process monitoring (SPM), which improves process safety and efficiency, as well as product quality in industries such as microelectronics and pharmaceuticals.

Contributed by Amelia Williams