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Professor Ryan Hayward has witnessed the continued advancement of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering since he joined ²ÊÃñ±¦µä four years ago. Now he’s looking forward to stepping into his new role as department chair.

In a new study published in Nature Materials, the Hayward Research Group unveiled a resilient photomechanical material that can convert light energy into mechanical work without heat or electricity. Its potential applications include powering a drone with a laser beam, bypassing the need for a bulky on-board battery.

Ryan Hayward Michael Toney Professors Michael Toney and Ryan Hayward of chemical and biological engineering and the Materials Science Engineering Program received a one-year Office of Naval Research/DoD award for $699,000

The proliferation of plastic products has created an environmental challenge: what should be done with unusable, discarded plastic waste that can harm the environment? Faculty from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering are working on a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project, Hydrogenolysis for Upcycling of Polyesters and Mixed Plastics, to address this serious environmental issue.