December 02, 2025
By Avalon Schnelker
English ’27
Dr. Liberatore received the 2025 David Himmelblau Award for Innovations in Computer-Based Chemical Engineering Education. The award recognizes an individual or group for making new and novel contributions to computer aids for chemical engineering education. The award citation reads: For his innovative, fully-interactive, web-based chemical engineering textbooks with auto-graded, randomized problems as well as quantifying student engagement and success.
He also gave an invited presentation based on his 2024 award for Award For Excellence in Engineering Education Research. His presentation was titled, “Beyond the Textbook: Data-Driven Research, Interactive Learning, and Creating Creative Problems.”
“I tried to mix gratitude for my students and colleagues co-authoring the engineering education research papers over the last decade as well as overcoming failure,” he said.
Dr. Liberatore also presented talks or posters on video-inspired problems written by students, generative AI or both; high reading participation in a first engineering thermodynamics course; chemical engineering summer school; and chemical engineering faculty development.
Alexandra Davidson, a current Trine MBA student and 2024 chemical engineering graduate, co-authored one of these presentations.
The AIChE annual meeting invites chemical engineering professionals and educators from around the world to share their findings, research, innovations and advancements in their field.
At the 2024 AIChE annual meeting, in addition to receiving the Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Research, Dr. Liberatore was named an AIChE Fellow, recognizing superior attainments, valuable contributions, and service toward chemical engineering.
The Trine Sales and Marketing Association held its third annual KSB Collegiate Sales Cup on Nov. 12. The event gives students from all majors the chance to showcase their sales skills.
Trine University chemical engineering graduate Parker Reichhart has earned national recognition, receiving two awards in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Student Design Competition. The awards were presented during the 2025 Annual Student Conference, held Nov. 1–4 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Students in Trine University’s Capstone in Sport Management class won their second National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC) showcase event of the fall, then went on to place in the national Super Showcase.