Mentors

Janae Adams

Experience in Mentorship Area: 2 summers at a pharmaceutical company

Favorite CHE Class: Thermodynamics

Interesting Facts: My dentists say I have a jaw “of a 70 year old.” Also I really like to cycle and play ultimate frisbee

Experience in Mentorship Area: Worked as a medical research assistant in the dermatology department of the University hospital to better understand epithelial cancer and identify therapeutic targets. The research was directed towards verifying the hypothesis that when confluency is reached in head and neck cancer cells, growth inhibitors are upregulated to prevent further proliferation. In the photobiology lab I performed RNA analysis, isolating RNA from cells and converting it back to cDNA, from which point I could analyze the degree to which it coded for certain inhibitors.

Favorite CHE Class: Therodynamics, especially the thermodynamics of mixtures and chemical reaction equilibrium

Interesting Facts: In my high school, my youth group went on a whirlwind long weekend trip to see Pope Benedict XVI in New York City, and we ended up being on a segment of both Good Morning America and the Colbert Report. I tried to teach myself to write with my left hand, but it turned out that I began being able to easily write backwards with my right hand instead.

Nick Beres

Experience in Mentorship Area: 2012 Summer Internship with Chevron (accepted full-time offer to start after graduation)

Favorite CHE Class: ChE 343

Interesting Facts: I followed part of the Oregon Trail this summer when I was in Wyoming for my internship.

Jarrett Doe

Experience in Mentorship Area: Worked for Kellogg Co. a food company for a year and four months

Favorite CHE Class: ChE 230

Hobbies: Bicycling, home brewing beer

Interesting Facts: I lived in England for a year and a half, and I can move one eye independently of the other.

Steven Bielecki

Experience in Mentorship Area: I have had internships with Sika and Albemarle. I did Q&A testing with Sika Reinforcer Products. I worked on several plant improvement and continuity projects with Albemarle.

Favorite CHE Class: ChE 344 Chemical Reaction Engineering

Interesting Facts: I will be obtaining a Computer Science minor. I have lived in over a dozen places in the last four years, including six in Ann Arbor. I have only missed one minute of one home football game since I have been a student here.

Alison Banka

Experience in Mentorship Area:   This will be my second year working as a AICHE mentor. I have had the privilege of working in Professor Gulari’s lab for over a year now in the Chemical Engineering Department here at U of M. I also just completed my second summer as the Laboratory Manager for the Michigan Synthetic Biology Team (MSBT)

Favorite CHE Class: ChE 230 still remains my favorite but there are others close behind!

Hobbies: Grocery shopping, working at West Quad dining, soccer/working out, listening to music and expanding my iTunes through the Ann Arbor District Library's extensive CD collection, spending time with family and friends.

Interesting Facts: I'm the 3rd daughter (out of 3) to attend U of M but the only engineer of the three and I love World War II movies and movies from the 80s, and this summer I started taking Argentine tango classes.

Angelica Crispino

Experience in Mentorship Area: I have mentored all three years of college and high school students with the Engineering Career Research Center & Center of Engineering Diversity and Outreach.

Favorite CHE Class: Separations

Interesting Facts: I have played on the Michigan Equestrian Polo Team and I am trilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese)

Andrew Rosine

Experience in Mentorship Area: Two of my work terms have been in a Dow AgroSciences facility focusing on production of various herbecides and active intermediates. Additionally I have spent a term working in a polyglycols plant in Freeport,TX manufacturing various surfactants, fluids, and lubricants for industrial applications. My roles have been primarily in the field of manufacturing working with operations and other engineers on various small and large scale projects. I have worked on plant start-up, shut down, and day to day operations throughout all 4 of my terms.

Favorite CHE Class: ChE 343: Separations - Knowing the most effective way to remove one material from another is a valuable tool and something that sets chemical engineers apart from other disciplines.

Hobbies: Tennis, being active, seeing stand-up comics live, cooking/eating delicious food, spending laundry money at Pinball Petes

Interesting Facts: 6'7" but terrible at basketball.  From Kalamazoo, MI (yes there really is a Kalamazoo).  Read the Sunday paper every week over breakfast at Afternoon Delight on E Liberty.

VJ Tocco (Toe-koh)

Experience in Mentorship Area:   Worked full time with Professor Phil Savage in the summer of 2012, working on hydrothermal liquefaction of algae to produce alternative energy. Also worked 8-9 hours per week in Professor Eniola-Adefeso’s lab in the Winter of 2012, designing and building a device to stretch polystyrene microspheres into rods and discs.

Favorite CHE Class: ChE 344 Reactions

Interesting Facts: Hometown is Fraser, Michigan. Loves all Pixar movies, especially the Toy Story trilogy. Played Club Ultimate Frisbee during the freshman year at U-M. Loves to play pick up basketball and golf during free time.