Kreidenweis’ plaque in Leo 215 to honor her induction to the NAE.
ANGELINA PERSAUD/ THE QUADRANGLE
By Angelina Persaud and Elizabeth Kalaj, Managing Editor/News Editor and Web Editor
Sonia Kreidenweis ‘83, Ph.D., was celebrated with a plaque ceremony from the School of Engineering (SOE) to honor her induction into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), which is the highest honor an engineer can receive in the United States.
Kreidenweis is the nineteenth Jasper to be inducted into the NAE and the second female engineer to receive such a distinction from Manhattan University.
She received her bachelor’s in chemical engineering in 1983 and went on to California Institute of Technology for her masters and doctorate in chemical engineering.
In 1988, Kreidenweis began teaching as an assistant professor of chemical engineering at San Jose State University and then joined Colorado State University as an assistant professor of atmospheric science. She is also the former president of the American Association of Aerosol Research.
Per a press release posted on manhattan.edu, Kreidenweis has no regrets from the major she chose.
“I think the choice of my major was a really great one because it included so much fundamental science and math that I really enjoy, which has really been so applicable to working in an interdisciplinary area,” Kreidenweis said in the release.
The plaque for Kreidenweis is now on display in the Scala Room in the Leo Engineering Building. The unveiling ceremony consisted of opening remarks from Anirban De, Ph.D., interim dean of SOE, as well as a speech by President Milo Riverso, Ph.D.
“Dr. Kreidenweis is the first 1980s graduate to join the ranks of fellow NAE Jaspers from every decade spanning over five decades, the 1940s 50s, 60s and 70s,” Riverso said. “For Manhattan University, having 19 NAE Jaspers is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the high quality of a Manhattan education.”
After the plaque ceremony, Kreidenweis gave a lecture in Kelly Commons where she discussed her research and its relevance to the modern engineering landscape. Her life’s work involves atmospheric science, mainly pertaining to what types of particles exist in our atmosphere and how it will impact human health and visibility in the environment.
De commented on the aspect of Kreidenweis’ work that he found most interesting – her field research in various national parks around the U.S.
“Dr. Kreidenweis’ field studies have taken her to several US national parks, where she has studied the sources and nature of particulate matter, which reduce visibility, including the impacts of recent wildfires,” De said.
Kreidenweis’ lecture outlined several sources of particles being transferred to the atmosphere, including ocean spray from waves, tropical storms, wind currents, wildfires and biological sources such as mushrooms.
She also focused on the time that these particles are in the air as well as their size characteristics.
“A lot of the action is happening in the submicron particles…these tend to be very rich in things like calcium, iron, and other minerals,” Kreidenweis said. “Our atmosphere is actually a very oxidizing medium. Sunlight interacts with [particles] in the atmosphere to produce ozone, and in that environment a lot of these volatile organic carbon compounds are broken down.”
One source Kreidenweis highlighted was the particles that are emitted from everyday biological sources such as trees and plants.
“I don’t know if you’ve thought about what comes off trees as potentially creating particles in the atmosphere,” Kreidenweis said. “It’s actually quite a large source across the United States, especially in the southeast. We have a lot of vegetation that emits these [ozone] precursors, and we have a lot of organic particles that are produced from that process.”
Kreidenweis went on to explain the importance of understanding what types of particles are in the air and how this contributes to understanding how to combat various environmental challenges in parts of the U.S., as well as prioritizing efforts to preserve human health long-term.
“From the [particle] deposition network, there’s regions in the eastern United States that are somewhat more acidic than in the Midwest, because we have a lot of agricultural ammonia sources that are neutralizing the acidity before it can touch the ground there,” Kreidenweis said. “Aerosol particles have an impact on human health because of their small size, the same reason they don’t settle out of the atmosphere. They don’t settle in the upper portions of our respiratory tracts, but instead can penetrate down deep into the lungs where they can actually enter the bloodstream. And so that is a reason why we look at impacts of particulate matter.”
Patrick Ryan, senior treasurer of AiCHE, attended Kreidenweis’ ceremony and lecture representing both himself and his club. He spoke to The Quadrangle about what her accomplishment meant to him.
“Sonia’s work and accomplishments are very inspiring,” Ryan said. “Seeing someone who is so intelligent and passionate about their work get the recognition they deserve is always truly motivating.”
Aravind Suresh, Ph.D., spoke Kreidenweis using her education in chemical engineering in a way that positively impacts a critical world issue.
“When we talk about chemical engineering to our freshmen, we tell them that we need chemical engineers to solve the problems of tomorrow,” Suresh said. “Pollution is on that list of problems. It is nice for the students to see someone who has worked in these halls now having a plaque here and being an example of what we have taught them.”
The Quadrangle spoke to the chairperson of the chemical engineering department, Sasidhar Varanasi, Ph.D., about how Kreidenweis’s accomplishment reflects on the quality of education at Manhattan University. He explained how this can be inspiring for other students currently enrolled in the program and a testament to the department at Manhattan University overall. He also spoke about Kreidenweis being the second lady Jasper to be accepted into the NAE.
“A statistic recently came out in Washington Monthly Magazine which reported that Manhattan University [MU] is number one in the country to attract the most females into chemical engineering,” Varanasi said. “So this kind of recognition for female chemical engineers acknowledges the quality program MU has.”
Kreidenweis also gave credit to her research team for the efforts they made towards collecting data in real time in the field as well as their collaboration over the years. She also expressed gratitude for her education at MU as a stepping stone in her career.
“This is all because I have an amazing research team of collaborators over the last 30 plus years,” Kreideweis said. “They have contributed so much to all of this work. I want to extend a huge thank you to Manhattan for this visit. It’s just been fabulous, and thank you also for the excellent education I received here that really set me on this path.”
She shared a final piece of advice for all aspiring engineers and scientists, but expressed that it is a universal sentiment for all MU students.
“Take advantage of the opportunities presented to you while you’re here,” Kreidenweis said. “There’s a lot of opportunities here and you never know where they might lead you in the future.”