Subramanian Wins International Thermodynamic Poster Award

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering graduate student Deepa Subramanian won the International Association of Chemical Thermodynamics Student Poster Award at the European Symposium on Applied Thermodynamics, held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June 2011. She received the prize for her presentation titled "Self-assembly of small organic molecules in aqueous solutions."

Subramanian's work covers an interdisciplinary area of applied thermodynamics that combines aspects of chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, and physics. She is currently studying the possibility of the self-assembly of small molecules in aqueous solutions by using a state-of-the-art, experimental technique.

"Deepa is a highly motivated and talented young researcher with a great potential to become an outstanding scientist," says her advisor, Professor Mikhail Anisimov. "She is not afraid of challenges, being industrious, tireless, and optimistic regardless of ups and downs in her research. In addition to conducting high-quality research, Deepa always takes advantage of opportunities to present her work in front of a wider community."

Although an experienced presenter, this was Subramanian's first international conference. "It was very focused on the area of applied thermodynamics and everything was very relevant to my work," she says. "Since it was a small conference compared to AIChE or ACS, it was possible for me to attend most talks and interact with most participants, many of whom were from various European countries. They all worked in areas close to my area of research, so the discussions I had with them were very fruitful. St. Petersburg is a very, very beautiful city, and the Russian organizers were the most gracious hosts! The experience, both scientific and cultural, was amazing."

Subramanian's trip to the symposium was funded by two University of Maryland Graduate School travel scholarships she won in the spring, the International Conference Student Support Award and the Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant.

Published August 2, 2011