UA students from the Chem-E Car and ChemE-Sports teams, who earned national recognition at the 2025 AIChE conference.
After qualifying as one of the top five teams at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) North Central Regional Conference in March, The University of Akron’s (UA) Chem-E Car team delivered an impressive performance at the National Student Conference on Sunday, Nov. 2. Led by Jack Darnell, the team included Brandon Andrella, Daniel Joaquin, Joseph Joaquin, Isaac Lamore and Benjamin Messemer.
UA’s Chem-E Car team holds its trophy after placing in the global top 10 at the 2025 AIChE competition.
Their months of preparation paid off with a seventh-place global finish, fourth place among U.S. teams and first place in the North Central region. UA was one of only four U.S. universities to earn a spot in the global top 10. The team also received the “Best Team Name Award” for its creatively named car, PV = nCarT. With 53 qualified teams from around the world participating, UA’s performance stood out as exceptional.
UA’s ChemE-Sports teams also delivered strong results in their second national appearance. ChemE-Sports Team 1 — James Bronstrup, Walter Bungard and Joseph Joaquin — and Team 3 — Makalya Muchowski and Sydney Stacklin — competed among 100 teams and earned the Construction Cup in the USA region. The award recognizes the highest combined overall score of two teams from a single university, underscoring the group’s technical expertise, resilience and collaborative strength.
UA’s ChemE-Sports teams display their award certificates after earning the Construction Cup in the USA region.
The teams’ success was supported by the commitment of the entire ChemE-Sports organization, led by Bungard. Additional members who competed at the conference included Jack Chaffee, Madelyn Kirk, Kat Kunz, Natee Studd and Emma Wilson. Through weekly practice, detailed documentation and open knowledge-sharing on troubleshooting system upsets and optimizing chemical processes for safety and profitability, the students demonstrated the unity and dedication that propelled UA to national recognition.
“I am incredibly proud of our students for their achievements in competition,” said Dr. Bi-min Zhang Newby, interim chair of the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering. “Since 2022, our students have participated in a variety of competitive events and have consistently excelled. These victories are a testament to their hard work, creativity and the collaborative spirit that defines our department.”
Congratulations to all participating students and faculty advisors for representing The University of Akron with excellence and distinction.
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Media contact: media@uakron.edu