AIChE national award won by a Trine student for fifth time

By Clare Danner
communication ‘19

NOV. 11 – Trine University congratulates alumna Kelli (Hogenkamp) Witter, winner of the 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) National Students Design Contest.

From Coldwater, Ohio, Witter was the valedictorian of Coldwater High School and graduated from Trine University in May 2015 with a degree in chemical engineering. She works at Michelin Tire Co. in Fort Wayne, Ind. Witter received her award Nov. 8 at the AIChE national meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This contest focused on “Alternate Technology for Sour Water Stripping” and involved investigating the possibility of removing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide from water using natural gas. Witter’s solution included a sour water stripping tower using natural gas, an amine treatment system to remove hydrogen sulfide from the sour gas and a wastewater treatment system that further purified the water stream for reuse as boiler feed. She concluded her design was both economically feasible and environmentally advantageous.

Universities from across the nation submit entries to this contest. Witter is the fifth National Student Design contest winner from Trine University’s McKetta Department of Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering.

Cutline: Douglas Ludlow, Ph.D., a professor of chemical and biochemical engineering at Missouri S & T, presents the award to Kelli (Hogenkamp) Witter.