Sophia (Bella) Harrill ’26 has been awarded the Edwin O. Eisen Award for First Place in the AIChE Student Technical Presentation Competition at the AIChE National Meeting in Boston. Her project examines the end-of-life behavior of biobased plastics synthesized from birch bark, conducted under the advisement of Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Melissa Gordon.
Following a first-place finish at the AIChE regional meeting, hosted at Lehigh University in April, where Lafayette students earned the top three honors, Harrill advanced to the national competition to present her research alongside first-place winning students from regional meetings across the country. Her regional success culminated in a national first-place award, marking a significant achievement for both Harrill and the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program.
“Bella has shown remarkable dedication and insight in her research. Earning first place in this national competition is an incredible accomplishment. This award is a well-deserved acknowledgment of her research achievements and underscores both the rigor of her work and the clarity with which she communicates it,” said Gordon. “It has been a privilege to mentor Bella since her first year. Working with Bella has been a joy, and I’m excited to see all she will accomplish as she begins her next chapter at Merck.”