Journal of Catalysis
PhD Candidate · Chemical & Biological Engineering
Elyse E. Kimpiab
I design zeolite catalysts that turn bio-derived and waste-derived molecules — glycerol, ethanol, mine drainage, winery sludge — into cleaner fuels, chemicals, and energy. Green chemistry is how I answer a question I have carried since childhood: why does it have to be this way?
Chemical & Biological Engineering · The University of Alabama · Harris Laboratory, advised by Dr. James W. Harris
Recent News
What's happening lately
June 17, 2026
Oral presentation at ACS Green Chemistry & Engineering
Presenting “Etherification of glycerol and glycerol-derived ethers over zeolite catalysts of varied topologies and void polarities.”
June 1, 2026
Sustainable Future Travel Grant — 30th Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference
Awarded by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute to attend the 30th Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference in San Antonio, TX.
March 9, 2026
Oral presentation at the Southeastern Catalysis Society
Presenting the zeolite topology and void-polarity work on glycerol etherification.
Research
Three questions drive the work
Zeolite catalysis
How do hydrophobicity, void polarity, and framework topology steer the etherification of glycerol and the upgrading of ethanol?
Waste as feedstock
What else can this become? Acid mine drainage into iron nanoparticles; winery wastewater into biogas, energy, and fertilizer.
Process assessment
Do the economics and the life-cycle numbers hold? Techno-economic and life-cycle assessment carried out alongside the experiments.
By the numbers
The work, counted
8
Publications & manuscripts
3
First-author works
5
Conference presentations
6
Courses taught
Publications
Peer-reviewed work
ACS Omega, 7, 24423–24431
Teaching & Mentoring
Teaching, and the example I want to set
I teach process control, unit operations, and chemical reaction engineering at Alabama, and mathematics, thermodynamics, and chemical technology before that in South Africa. I want every girl who is told science is not for her to see someone who did it anyway.
6
Courses taught
3
At Alabama
3
At Cape Peninsula UT
2
Years judging undergrad research
Collaborate
Waste can become worth. Want to work on that together?
Open to collaboration on zeolite catalysis, green synthesis, waste valorization, and process assessment — in academia or industry.